Alliance Center for Independence
KK Dental is now offering its full range of services to ACI supporters and their families at discounted rates! In a newly formed partnership with ACI, anyone who becomes a supporter of ACI and their families can save on dental care provided at one of the three KK Dental branches, located in Middlesex and Somerset counties. All offices are accessible.
Contact ACI for more information about this program.
On August 15th, ACI held a focus group that explored how people with disabilities obtain food and the obstacles many of us face in maintaining a healthy diet. The group was facilitated by Elaine Gerber, Professor of Anthropology at Montclair University.
This past August, Dymelza Calderon, and Abhishek Seth from KK Dental of Edison held a workshop at ACI on dental care. The class emphasized the importance of dental care as part of overall general health. KK Dental will soon be offering their services at a substantial discount to ACI members. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks!
On July 22nd, ACI hosted Knowing Your Body, the first of three workshops on sexual health. The program is conducted by Melissa Keyes-Digioia, Senior Sexual Health Educator/Trainer with Planned Parenthood of Central and Greater Northern New Jersey. The second workshop, which focuses on healthy relationships, will take place on August 4th.
On June 3rd, Jay Elliott and Catherine Biondi of Edison Township Health Department, gave a hands on presentation on the importance of hygiene and home safety. 18 people attended the workshop, which covered washing, basic food handling and food safety, control of spreading illness, avoiding accidents in the home, and other important independent living skills.
Margaret T. Gilbride, JD, CT from Advancing Opportunities, stopped by ACI to present a workshop on grief. Margaret discussed the various things that could cause someone to experience grief along with techniques on how to manage it.
ACI staff participated in the Mental Health First Aid course. MHFA is a 8-hour training certification course which teaches participants a five-step action plan to assess a situation, select and implement interventions and secure appropriate care for the individual, the certification program introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact and overviews common treatments.
“We are thrilled to bring Mental Health First Aid to our community,” said Joni Jones, owner of Koala Cares LLC. “This important educational effort goes a lot further than emergency intervention; it really helps people understand the shroud of fear and misjudgment facing individuals and families who experience mental illnesses and addiction. It will help rid this community of the associated stigma and move more and more people toward recovery.”
