Project Resilience: Becoming Resilient By Overcoming Resistance

During the Easter season is when many churches are busy collecting palm leaves, planning choir programs and preparing for one of the most important days in christianity. But this year, churches across the world are implementing changes, like going digital, to continue to provide services while maintaining social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. 

During this global pandemic, many medical decisions are having to be made about who can receive what kind of care. Disability rights activists, like Storee Powell, who works at the Center for Person’s with Disabilities at Utah State University, said many of the current policies are discriminatory. UPR’s Matilyn Mortensen spoke with Powell about why she finds these attitudes so concerning.

On Tuesday’s Access Utah, as a part of UPR’s Project Resilience, we’re going to talk about how to be resilient with all that’s happening with the coronavirus pandemic, including social distancing. We’ll also talk about how all of this is impacting children and individuals with disabilities.

As we all deal the best we can with Coronavirus and COVID-19, we want to hear examples that you have heard or experienced of people, businesses or organizations doing good.

Between efforts to mitigate the spread of coronavirus and the largest earthquake Utah has seen in 28 years, there is a lot of uncertainty right now. It’s hard for everyone to deal with, but children especially may find themselves confused when large, scary, current events like these dominate the news cycle. 

In Utah, suicide is the leading cause of death for youth ages 10 to 24, according to a 2019 report out of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and the Utah Hospital Association. But communities and individuals are finding ways to support each other and prevent more loss. One example is the group Brigham Suicide Prevention in Brigham City, where they are building resilience in individuals and the community.

Studying music in college may lead to students facing additional emotional strain because of the deeply personal nature of their work.

Tuesday is Safer Internet Day and the launch of the statewide initiative, “Be Awesome Online.” The campaign has the goal of helping children and parents be safe on the internet.

A bill that would provide one million dollars in one-time funding and nearly five million dollars in ongoing funds seeks to add 30 beds to the Utah State Mental Hospital. It would also improve supports, including housing assistance, for people after they are released.  

The Utah Legislature is now in full swing at the State Capitol. Last week, many people with disabilities and their families went there with the mission of learning how to tell lawmakers the ways policies affect their lives. 

Sadie Hoagland’s new book “American Grief in Four Stages,” a collection of short fiction, asks the question: why does our country do so little for the bereaved? Why do we have only empty cliché to address the grief of others? Why do we expect people to just "get over" insurmountable tragedy?          

Parenting can be the hardest and most rewarding thing some people will ever do. It is invigorating at times, and so often, it is just exhausting and makes us wonder about our own self-worth. These tips are to help increase our parenting resilience-- our ability to effectively keep it together when our kids are driving us nuts.

These tips are brought to you by UPR's Project Resilience. Learn more about the project here. Tips were written by Vonda Jump Norman, a social work professor at Utah State University and director of the Trauma Resilience Project at The Family Place. 

Resilience is an important aspect of mental health and this series of tips will provide you with research-based ideas on how you can build your personal resiliency.  

These tips are brought to you by UPR's Project Resilience. Learn more about the project here. Tips were written by Matthew Wappett, director of Utah State University's Center for Persons with Disabilities, Derrik Tollefson, head of USU's Department of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology and Kevin Webb with the I-System Institute at USU.