In this episode I share how I approached going back to work after being on leave for 2 1/2 years. Rewind a year or so, and the prospect of returning to work was so daunting that the mere thought of it stirred panicked thoughts in me. I'd painstakingly taken steps to create a daily routine to in which I was able to take care of myself, my family (kids and parents) that was functioning fairly smoothly. The thought of adding work back into the mix was overwhelming to put it lightly.  In this episode I share about the nuts and bolts of what went in to re-entering the workforce as well as the mental mindshifts I implemented to change my thoughts about going back to work.

You can follow me on Instagram at: @karen.e.osborne

Click on this link to join Club Sandwich (the LITSZ Private Facebook Group): LITSZ_Club_Sandwich

In this episode I share about what it's been like getting ready to send my now adult son off to college. Because of all the ups and downs we've gone through as a family navigating mental health issues, it's been extremely important for me to prepare for the "what ifs" that could happen when Zach is away.  In this episode I talk about some of the various forms I've collected to have on hand in the event of an unexpected medical or mental health emergency. 

If your adult child is heading off to college, it's a good idea to have a signed release of information form authorizing you to communication with the professionals caring for your child and allowing you access to your child's medical records. I was able to search & find online the specific Release of Information form for Zach's University for us to complete and keep in our records.  You can often find the specific form you need online by searching the school's name and "release of information form". You can also find sample general release of information forms online as well.  

You can find some helpful resources through the links below:

Sample HIPAA Release of Information Form: https://www.caring.com/forms/hipaa-release-form/free-hipaa-release-form.pdf

The National Resource Center on Psychiatric Advance Directives  https://nrc-pad.org

The National Alliance on Mental Illness https://www.nami.org/Home

Nami's page on Psychiatric Advance Directives https://www.nami.org/Advocacy/Policy-Priorities/Responding-to-Crises/Psychiatric-Advance-Directives

You can follow me on Instagram at: @karen.e.osborne

Click on this link to join Club Sandwich (the LITSZ Private Facebook Group): LITSZ_Club_Sandwich

After a much needed summer hiatus, I am back with you for Season 2 of Living in the Sandwich Zone. In this episode I share a few thought on this major season of transition for me and how I view moving forward into this second half of my life.

Who would have guessed that 6 months ago I would be starting a podcast? In this episode I wrap up Season 1 and look back on how far I've come. 

You can follow me on Instagram at: @karen.e.osborne

Click on this link to join Club Sandwich (the LITSZ Private Facebook Group): LITSZ_Club_Sandwich

In this episode I reflect on the transitions happening this summer as well as what I'm doing to stir joy this summer.  **NOTE: This episode was recorded in the wake of the savage killing of Jayland Walker in Akron, Ohio and prior to the terrifying massacre in Highland Park, Chicago. I have addressed these horrifying events in detail in this episode. My heart breaks for the families whose lives have been torn apart. The relentless violence we are witnessing in this country has got to end. Leadership matters! PLEASE VOTE!!! 

https://www.pbs.org/video/hiding-plain-sight-youth-mental-illness-102/

You can follow me on Instagram at: @karen.e.osborne

Click on this link to join Club Sandwich (the LITSZ Private Facebook Group): LITSZ_Club_Sandwich

This is Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Jim Guy, President and Co-Founder of the Headington Institute. In this episode Jim shares reflections on his own experience of Living in the Sandwich Zone--parenting both newborns and colleges students and, at the same time, caring for his aging parents, in-laws and former in-laws as well. 

Jim talks about the importance of finding support and wherever it may come from when you're navigating caregiving. He also shares some wise advice about what to do when your spouse/partner isn't able to support you in the way you need them to. 

The Headington Institute is a phenomenal non-profit organization dedicated to caring for caregivers worldwide by providing psychological support services and resilience building training for global and domestic humanitarian aid workers, first responders and community aid workers.

The Headington Institute supports and trains caregivers working in some of the most intense and psychologically demanding environments around the world providing support to help them build resilience, prioritize self-care and avoid burnout. Currently, the Institute is providing support to caregivers working on the Ukrainian Border and many other international and domestic areas.

Click here to access the array of free resources offered by the Headington Institute. There’s a free eLearning course on Stress & Resilience that’s available to the public and sign up for updates about two new courses that will be added to the website in July. You’ll also find a number of helpful & informative articles on the HI website, such as an article about Family Resilience.

To learn more about the Headington Institute’s mission and the important work they do click here.

If you would like to support Headington Institute and caregivers worldwide, you can donate here.

Follow HI on LinkedIn for new resilience resources and program updates.

You can follow me on Instagram at: @karen.e.osborne

Click on this link to join Club Sandwich (the LITSZ Private Facebook Group): LITSZ_Club_Sandwich

Caregiving is hard! Inevitably the pressures of helping to care for a loved one and seeing them suffer can result in additional stress. In this episode we talk about the collateral consequence of caregiving: secondary trauma. Dr. Jim Guy shares tips and techniques on how to build resilience and counteract the effects of secondary trauma. Jim is the President and Co-Founder of the Headington Institute-- a phenomenal non-profit organization dedicated to caring for caregivers worldwide by providing psychological support services and resilience building training for global and domestic humanitarian aid workers, first responders and community aid workers.

The Headington Institute supports and trains caregivers working in some of the most intense and psychologically demanding environments around the world providing support to help them build resilience, prioritize self-care and avoid burnout. Currently, the Institute is providing support to caregivers working on the Ukrainian Border and many other international and domestic areas.

Click here to access the array of free resources offered by the Headington Institute. There’s a free eLearning course on Stress & Resilience that’s available to the public and sign up for updates about two new courses that will be added to the website in July. You’ll also find a number of helpful & informative articles on the HI website, such as an article about Family Resilience.

To learn more about the Headington Institute’s mission and the important work they do click here.

If you would like to support Headington Institute and caregivers worldwide, you can donate here.

Follow HI on LinkedIn for new resilience resources and program updates.

You can follow me on Instagram at: @karen.e.osborne

Click on this link to join Club Sandwich (the LITSZ Private Facebook Group): LITSZ_Club_Sandwich

For anyone struggling with self-harm or watching a loved one struggle with it, it is an excruciating experience. As a parent, witnessing those self-inflicted wounds on my child's body left me distraught and guilt-ridden. I didn't know how to stop it. I felt broken and powerless. A year ago, I couldn't imaging getting to this day. 

In this episode we are celebrating Linny's one-year anniversary free from self-harm!  Linny shares about what went into accomplishing this huge milestone and reflects on the experience of going through residential mental health treatment. 

We talk about the benefits of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and how it has helped Linny establish healthy coping strategies for anxiety, depression and thoughts of self-harm. You can find our more information about DBT here: https://bit.ly/Dialectical_Behavioral_Therapy

One of the resources that has been incredibly helpful for Linny is the I Am Sober app. It's a free app that tracks days clean or sober, provides motivation and helps to build healthy habits. (https://iamsober.com) 

You can follow me on Instagram at: @karen.e.osborne

Click on this link to join Club Sandwich (the LITSZ Private Facebook Group): https://bit.ly/LITSZ_Club_Sandwich

Joelle Danahy has lived through one of the most terrifying tragedies imaginable--a deadly school shooting at her son's high school. In parts 1 and 2 of our conversation Joelle shares her firsthand account of what it was like to survive the horror of the that day in November of 2019. 

As we wrapped up, our conversation switched gears. Joelle, a mom of 4 adult children (three big "A" adults and one small "a" adult) and recent empty nester, offered me some advice about getting through the process of sending my first child to college.

Here are some of the resources Joelle referenced during our conversation about gun violence:

Dr. David Schonfeld, MD, FAAP, developmental behavioral pediatrician and Professor at the USC School of Social Work and Pediatrics and Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

The National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement website is www.schoolcrisiscenter.org

Better Help is an online Counseling service - helpful to find mental health help if your area is saturated and all the counselors are fully booked:

www.betterhelp.com

California Victim Compensation Board - for those individuals **and their families** who are victims of crime.  For example, all of the students on campus that day are considered victims, and are entitled to a variety of benefits if they sign up to be a part of the program.  The families of the students are also eligible.  Both Joelle and her son, Edwin, signed up & were approved for this compensation.  Although Joelle says the paperwork is hefty, the funds provided help to cover mental health costs which can be paid for or reimbursed by the state.  This is huge--especially if families don't have mental health coverage.  Edwin's equine therapy was covered by the Victim's Compensation Fund.

https://victims.ca.gov/for-victims/

You can follow me on Instagram at: @karen.e.osborne

Click on this link to join Club Sandwich (the LITSZ Private Facebook Group): https://bit.ly/LITSZ_Club_Sandwich

In Part 2 of my conversation with Joelle Danahy we talk about the tragedy of gun violence and her firsthand experience of living through the devastating school shooting at her son's high school in November, 2019. Joelle, shares what it was like that day for her as a parent as well as the unique relationship she had with Nathaniel Berhow (the shooter) and his family. 

Here are some of the resources Joelle referenced during our conversation:

Dr. David Schonfeld, MD, FAAP, developmental behavioral pediatrician and Professor at the USC School of Social Work and Pediatrics and Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

The National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement website is www.schoolcrisiscenter.org

Better Help is an online Counseling service - helpful to find mental health help if your area is saturated and all the counselors are fully booked:

www.betterhelp.com

California Victim Compensation Board - for those individuals **and their families** who are victims of crime.  For example, all of the students on campus that day are considered victims, and are entitled to a variety of benefits if they sign up to be a part of the program.  The families of the students are also eligible.  Both Joelle and her son, Edwin, signed up & were approved for this compensation.  Although Joelle says the paperwork is hefty, the funds provided help to cover mental health costs which can be paid for or reimbursed by the state.  This is huge--especially if families don't have mental health coverage.  Edwin's equine therapy was covered by the Victim's Compensation Fund.

https://victims.ca.gov/for-victims/

You can follow me on Instagram at: @karen.e.osborne

Click on this link to join Club Sandwich (the LITSZ Private Facebook Group): https://bit.ly/LITSZ_Club_Sandwich