As Holidays Bring Heightened Risk for Eating Disorders Relapse, Eating Recovery Center Promotes Strategies for Protecting Recovery

Leading eating disorders treatment center offers suggestions for managing holiday stress for those in recovery from an eating disorder

Denver, CO, November 27, 2012 - Americans who regularly have high levels of overall stress are most likely to feel stress specific to the holidays, according to a recent survey conducted by Mental Health America. For individuals in recovery from eating disorders, who are typically predisposed to higher levels of anxiety, this is particularly true. The frenetic pace of the holiday hustle and bustle and increased emphasis on food-centric gatherings can lead to heightened stress, and in severe cases, eating disorders relapse. To help individuals in recovery from an eating disorder maximize the chances for a healthy, happy holiday season, Eating Recovery Center recommends patients and their loved ones take proactive steps to plan for recovery-focused holiday celebrations.

“Treatment professionals frequently see increases in eating disordered thoughts and behaviors in patients during the holiday season. Often, these lapses in recovery are a response to the anxiety that can accompany gatherings of friends and family, as well as more emphasis on and exposure to food,” explains Ovidio Bermudez, MD, FAAP, FSAHM, FAED, CEDS, chief medical officer and medical director of child and adolescent services at Eating Recovery Center. “To minimize the effects of these stressors and protect recovery during the holiday season, it is important to plan activities that emphasize recovery, commit to a manageable schedule and prepare for the ‘what-ifs’ that may arise.”

Eating Recovery Center offers the following strategies to help individuals in recovery, as well as their support systems, healthfully navigate the holiday season and minimize chances for eating disorders relapse.

If you are in recovery from an eating disorder:

1. Turn the focus from food. Make togetherness, rather than food, the central theme of your holiday season and seek opportunities to plan and attend events that do not center around a meal.

2. Avoid “overbooking” your schedule. Prioritize your health and wellbeing over attending every holiday party, and be realistic about what you can manage.

3. Surround yourself with people who have healthy relationships with their bodies and food. If possible, bring a trusted family member or friend with you to holiday gatherings for support.

If you are supporting someone in recovery from an eating disorder:

1. Include your loved one in holiday activity planning. With the help of his or her treatment team, your loved one can guide you as you plan new recovery-focused holiday traditions.

2. Give your loved one “the 411.” Provide information about holiday activities in advance, including what types of food will be available and if alcohol will be served. Preparation can help those in recovery avoid situations that might trigger a relapse.

3. Make your loved one’s recovery a priority. Consider altering holiday traditions in the short-term to protect your friend or family member’s wellbeing in the long-term.

“Additionally, staying connected to an outpatient treatment team, including dietitians, therapists and physicians or psychiatrists, can be extremely helpful during the holiday season,” explains Dr. Bermudez. “Whether from eating disorders treatment professionals, friends or family, it is important that individuals in recovery from an eating disorder seek out the support they need to successfully navigate this complex time of year.”

To learn more about Eating Recovery Center as a treatment resource for addressing escalating eating disordered thoughts and behaviors this holiday season, visit www.EatingRecoveryCenter.com.

About Eating Recovery Center
Eating Recovery Center is an international center providing comprehensive treatment for anorexia, bulimia, EDNOS and binge eating disorder. Under the personal guidance and care of Drs. Kenneth Weiner, Craig Johnson, Emmett Bishop and Ovidio Bermudez, programs provide a full spectrum of services for children, adolescents and adults that includes Inpatient, Residential, Partial Hospitalization, Intensive Outpatient and Outpatient Services. Our compassionate team of professionals collaborates with treating professionals and loved ones to cultivate lasting behavioral change. Denver-based facilities include the Behavioral Hospital for Adults, the Behavioral Hospital for Children and Adolescents, the Partial Hospitalization Program and Outpatient Services for Adults, and the Partial Hospitalization Program for Children and Adolescents. In an effort to increase patient access to care throughout the United States, Eating Recovery Center partners with Summit Eating Disorders and Outreach Program in Sacramento, Cali., and The Moore Center for Eating Disorders in Bellevue, Wash. Summit offers Partial Hospitalization and Outpatient Services as well as Intensive Outpatient and Outpatient Services in Fresno and Roseville. The Moore Center offers Partial Hospitalization, Intensive Outpatient and Outpatient Services. For more information, please contact us at 877-218-1344 or info@EatingRecoveryCenter.com or confidentially chat live on our website at www.EatingRecoveryCenter.com.

Contact:
Shannon Fern
Communications Strategy Group
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
303-433-7020
sfern@csg-pr.com
http://www.csg-pr.com

A Guide to a Surviving the Holiday Season in Style (and Sanity)

Heinz Compagnie tells you how to survive the shopping hustle, the screaming kids, and maybe even the in-laws (no promises)

Denver, CO, November 27, 2012 - Heinz Compagnie, a leading Denver salon in the historic Washington Park neighborhood, brings Denver residents some very basic pointers to surviving the holidays. This survival guide is sure to be a gift that keeps on giving.

“We surveyed our clients and noticed a pattern, everyone seems to be worried about the same basic things during the holidays.” Says Jen Bird, top colorist and avid Griswold enthusiast. “Pointer number three is my favorite, and can be helpful year round!” Continues Mrs. Bird, emphatically.

Heinz Compagnie 2012 Holiday Survival Guide:

Pointer One:
When you are out shopping and the barrage of angry shoppers and cart traffic-jams is too much to handle, do the following:
Take a sharp right, right out of the store, and into Heinz Compagnie. When you purchase any three products, Heinz will give you 10% off AND wrap them for you, all while you are being pampered. Unfortunately we may not have easy-bake-ovens or new golf clubs, but if those are on your shopping list, we can still help you out! We have free WiFi, so just bring in your laptop or tablet and shop without the wondering eyes. All this, without going into a mall!

Pointer Two:
When your in-laws are in town. Do the following:
Bring them into Heinz and give them the gift of beautiful hair. They will be awestruck at your sense of style and spirit of giving. So much so, that they will completely forget that you didn’t wear the sweater they bought you. In fact they will likely even forget to critique your cooking!!!

Pointer Three:
When you are at your wits end because the kids are screaming and fighting about who gets to put the soy frosting on the gluten-free vegan Holiday Cookies (this is Denver, after all), do the following:
Leave them with their father or their grandparents and head into Heinz Compagnie for a relaxing Nioxin Scalp Treatment. As the top-notch stylist rub the stress from your scalp, you will feel the sanity come back to you and you will be ready to take on the day.

Pointer Four (most important among surveyors):
You are preparing for your New Years Eve date, have no clue what to do with your hair and your anxiety is high because you are afraid that your date will think you time-warped here in a DeLorean from 1985. Furthermore, you know he will probably be wondering the entire time, if you have a closet full of fanny-packs, stirrup pants and leg warmers. You should, most definitely, do the following:
Call Heinz Compagnie at 303-777-7447 and make your appointment today for a custom style. A bonus to this is the free 15-minute makeup consultation and application you will receive during your appointment. You can go out on New Years knowing that your date only has one thing in mind, and it isn’t Christopher Lloyd.

Heinz Compagnie has been a community staple for over 20 years. Mention any of these specials during your next visit to Heinz and have a Happy Holiday Season!

Contact:
Crystal Swan
Splendid Fruition
Denver, CO
303-847-3174
crystal@splendidfruition.com
http://www.splendidfruition.com

McKissock Offers Timely Land Surveyor Courses, Including Two Webinars in Early December

The Countdown is on for Continuing Education Credits before 2013

Warren, PA, November 27, 2012 - McKissock, a leader in continuing education for state-licensed professionals, offers a wide variety of online courses and live webinars for land surveyors in need of continuing education credits for license renewal before the end of the year. McKissock is a trusted resource for state-specific, state-approved land surveying, engineering and home inspection courses, regulation information and compliance.

Here are three timely and informative courses available from McKissock:

LIVE WEBINAR: Tracking the Railroads
Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012
1 – 5 p.m. EST
Surveyors involved with the original location and layout of the railroads had a much easier time than we do today, as we try to recreate not only original configuration of rails and parcels, but also what kinds of rights the railroad companies may have had in the land beneath their tracks. This land surveying course will discuss historical, legal, and practical aspects of the problems we face today as we unravel the railroad puzzle.

LIVE WEBINAR: Elevation Certificates
Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. EST
For land surveyors who are already familiar with the Elevation Certificate, this class will keep them up to date with details of each section of the form and any new changes resulting from the newest revisions – the most recent being November 2012. For those new to Elevation Certificates, the class will provide enough information to get started in completing them. We will point out how the form is to be completed while tying it back to its roots in the National Flood Insurance Program, including discussion of Base Flood Elevations and several sample problems to practice completion of the form under a variety of circumstances.

POPULAR ONLINE COURSE: “Disputes Between Adjoining Land Owners” Surveyors often find there is more than one opinion as to the location of interests and boundary lines between adjoiners. This course addresses such disagreements and some of their legally prescribed resolutions, including adverse possession, quiet title actions, estoppel, boundary line commissions and boundary line agreements. Learn more about this land surveying course.

“All three of these courses can play a pivotal role in a land surveyor’s career, while also meeting continuing education requirements,” says Wendy Lathrop, president and owner of Cadastral Consulting, professional land surveyor and McKissock course developer/instructor. “Even the most seasoned professionals can use assistance in understanding the nuances of legal terms and concepts, and other complicated and changing elements of their profession.”

Visit www.mckissock.com and select a state for a list of approved continuing education (CE) for land surveying, engineering and home inspection courses. McKissock offers customizable packages, individual courses and affordable webinars.

About McKissock;
McKissock is an education company that educates, empowers and enriches professionals in real estate, appraisal, home inspection, land surveying and engineering. McKissock gives specialists a place to go to access relevant, easy-to-use and high-quality courses that provide the hours and information necessary to meet state compliance and regulation requirements. Founded in 1990, McKissock offers more than 100 courses and serves thousands of professionals daily. The company is focused on providing a superior customer experience that will help professionals move their career forward. To learn more, visit www.mckissock.com.

Contact:
Alicia Hassinger
Communications Strategy Group
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
720-933-8119
ahassinger@csg-pr.com
http://www.csg-pr.com

Kickboard Announces it is Making Free Starter Accounts Available to Teachers

Kickboard helps schools and districts establish a performance-based, collaborative culture

New Orleans, Louisiana, November 27, 2012 - Kickboard, a school analytics platform that goes beyond the gradebook and enables educators to create comprehensive student performance profiles, announced today that it is making free “Starter Accounts” available to teachers. Any K-12 educator or teams of up to three teachers at a school can now start using Kickboard in and across their classrooms at no charge.

Teachers in nearly 200 schools across 20 states are already using Kickboard to collect, analyze and share mission-critical data, including multiple assessments, standards mastery, reading growth, 21st century skills, parent communication and, most uniquely, student behavior and character strengths. Kickboard keeps track of performance through one-click behavior data capture, easy-to-read charts and graphs and immediate student performance reporting via customizable progress reports. The starter accounts provide much of the same features and functionality as Kickboard’s school-wide platform.

Melinda Snover is a teacher and data coach who has been implementing Kickboard across Stella Worley Middle School in New Orleans this year. She says Kickboard helps her teachers share information across classrooms, pinpoint how to individualize their instruction, and identify success. “We’re celebrating the fact that we are changing. We are collaborating, our classrooms are totally different, our teaching is so targeted and focused, and our mastery is higher.”

A vision of this kind of cross-classroom collaboration inspired CEO and founder Jennifer Medbery to create Kickboard. A former teacher, Medbery saw the need to share both academic achievement and student behavior data and also easily analyze that information and make it actionable.

Kickboard seeks to eliminate common barriers to creating a data-driven culture, for example the feeling of being swamped with data without a single platform to compile and share it. Kickboard is that single, secure solution that can help teacher-leaders and district administrators simply and quickly establish and maintain a performance-based culture across a school. The platform can be deployed in a single classroom or across an entire district and is a flexible tool that fosters a transparent, collaborative, growth-minded environment. Teachers have found that it creates a school culture where expectations are clearly set, measured and maintained through collaboration between teachers, administrators and parents.

“After hearing about the experience of their friends and colleagues at Kickboard schools, teachers have been requesting a way to use the platform without having to wait for school-wide adoption,” said Medbery. “We’re launching the Starter Accounts in an effort to give these teachers and other innovative, results-driven educators grounds-up, immediate access to Kickboard so now they too can support data-driven teaching, facilitate collaboration and advance a culture of performance at their school. Teachers need every available tool at their disposal to increase student success and improve outcomes.”

Starter Account sign-up is a quick and simple process. Individual teachers can begin to use Kickboard immediately with up to 150 students across their classroom or in teams of up to three teachers (total participation per school is limited to three teachers). The platform is designed to support a performance-based culture across an entire school or district, and premium, customized features are available with a software upgrade. To claim their free Kickboard starter account, teachers should visit: http://www.kickboardforteachers.com/signup

For educators who want to learn more, Medbery will be hosting two live tutorials on Thursday, November 29 at 2:30 EST and 4:30 EST. This is an opportunity for teachers who have already signed up for the Starter Accounts to learn how to optimize its use. The sessions will also help those unfamiliar with Kickboard get a tour of the platform and develop a better understanding of how it can help establish a performance-based culture. To register for one of the tutorials, visit: http://kickboardforteachers.com//webinar

About Kickboard;
Kickboard is a school analytics platform that goes beyond the gradebook and enables teachers to collect, analyze and share critical data, including multiple assessments, standards mastery, reading growth and, most uniquely, student behavior and character strengths. The platform is built by educators for educators and offers a simple yet powerful web-based dashboard to increase the real-time visibility of student performance across classrooms. Unlike traditional gradebooks, Kickboard tracks whole student performance and features traditional and standards-based grading, one-click behavior data capture, easy to read charts and graphs and immediate student performance reporting, including customizable, painless report cards. The platform advances a school’s performance-driven culture by setting and measuring school expectations and norms and facilitating collaboration between teachers, administrators and parents. Delivered as an on-demand solution, Kickboard can easily be integrated with a school’s SIS, and deployed in a single classroom or across an entire district. For more information, visit kickboardforteachers.com.

Contact:
Kristina Saccone
Communications Strategy Group
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, Colo., 80206
303-433-7020
ksaccone@csg-pr.com
http://www.csg-pr.com