October: Marketing Month For Mind-Body Health

Oct. 1, 2009 As a compelling touchpoint for Health Literacy month, which includes  October’s Domestic Violence Awareness programs, RespectRx reminds, “15.5 million children in the United States live in families in which partner violence occurred at least once in the past year. And 1 in 5 teens who have been in a serious relationship report being hit, slapped or pushed by a partner. (Rihanna is not the only one).”

Courtney Macavinta, founder and champion of change (whose amazing work I’ve written about many timesbefore) has ‘been through the fire’ and come out with some extraordinary healing salves that help the health and well-being of other children.

Like advice slinger Josh Shipp of “Hey Josh,” (who now is sharing parenting punditry with his new ‘HeyJosh For Grownups’) Courtney shares a  singed but not scarred, thriving not just surviving persona that is powerfully uplifting; a byproduct of greatness and courage that we all can applaud wildly.

She sent this poignant first person Facebook message to those of us who are ‘fans’ on this October 1st launch of DVAM…

“My first memory in life is of my mother holding me up as a human shield to get my dad to stop beating her—I was just 2-years-old.

I later learned that both of my parents grew up in homes where domestic violence was the norm. Now our mission is to make ‘respect for all’ the new status quo…As part of the movement to end domestic violence, we’re offering one of our signature workshop sessions, The Respect Basics, to teen advocates for free.”

RespectRx is offering a FREE one hour leader’s guide for teen advocates as part of awareness raising and October’s health literacy month.

Downloading the guide gives you an opportunity to win a RespectRx Rally during the 2010 year, too…

Whether it’s Drew’s social media campaign Blame Drew’s Cancer, turning his personal experience into a ‘teachable moment’ or Courtney’s FREE “Keep It Going” kit to help teens retain what they’ve experienced in her powerful Respect Rallies showing how to put Respect Basics to use in their own lives and relationships to end domestic and dating violence, it’s a gift for youth advocates that they offer humanity while drawing their own personal strength from empowering others.

Yep, October is indeed one of my favorite months for healthy messaging…

Housed under ‘health literacy’ the broad brush is used to paint a wide canvas covering Children’s Health, Family Health, and nuanced offshoots specific to health hot spots, from Breast Cancer Awareness to Domestic Violence and National Cyber Safety Awareness month (yes, that has to do with emotional health, kids!)

Here’s a very comprehensive site (Pohly.com) with links that’ll give you a peek at all the many, MANY health and well-being issues coming to the forefront this month, from school’s preventive Red Ribbon days and National School Lunch week to sexuality, safety, SIDS and beyond.

Whew. October is a biggie…

Here’s to your health…in all forms.

A Few October Health Month Resources At A Glance from NHM

• HHS Pages for Kids sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) feature age appropriate information, activities and resources to help kids, tweens and teens learn about, and take responsibility for, their own health.
• NIEHS Kids’ Pages include stories, games, activities and more from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
• BAM! Body and Mind, is an online destination for kids created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Designed for kids 9-13 years old, BAM! Body and Mind provides the information kids need to make healthy lifestyle choices.
• Girls Health, sponsored by the National Women’s Health Information Center (NWHIC), promotes healthy, positive behaviors in girls between the ages of 10 and 16. The site “gives girls reliable, useful information on the health issues they will face as they become young women, and tips on handling relationships with family and friends, at school and at home.”
• FDA Kids from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has activities for kids, information for teens and resources for parents and teachers. Part of this site, Health Information for Teens, addresses issues of particular concern to teens.

• NHM: “Reliable, accessible health resources for and about kids, tweens and teens are also available from non-government agencies and groups, such as the following:”

• Infection Detection Protection is a family magazine designed by the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) to help students, families and teachers understand what causes infectious disease and what they can do to help prevent it.
• KidsHealth and TeenHealth sponsored by the Nemours Foundation, written and reviewed by pediatricians, provides reliable health related information for kids, teens and for parents.
• AE Question of the Week includes background information and a series of thought provoking discussion questions that address child, tween and teen health issues. Each week, our Health Community Coordinator emails a Question-of-the-Week to those who request inclusion on the email list. These emails are archived and posted online. Recent topics include: Hand Washing, Concussions,, A Healthy Weight, Vaccinations, Choosing the Right Sport, and Protein.