With Your Family in Mind

There are a lot of choices for getting help.  Many expensive out-patient and in-patient recovery centers offer little more than pre-fab formulas and stylized babysitting of those who truly need to be helped before they are lost forever to the disease of addiction.  “One-Size-Fits-All” recovery programs don’t work. Addicts need personal care, customized treatment and a counselor that cares more about the addict than they do about corporate policies, television ratings, and upper management bonuses and salaries.

During this month of thankfulness, Koinonia Family Services would like to take a moment to reflect on the many things we are grateful for. Koinonia is first and foremost thankful for all our foster and adoptive parents (resource parents), past and present, who have provided safe, caring, and nurturing homes for children in need of temporary and permanent placement.

A few weeks ago, I was with a client on an ex parte application in Department 2 at the Hill Street/Stanley Mosk Courthouse.  For those of you unfamiliar with the way that things work, the Presiding Judge in Department 2, Judge Gordon, supervises all of the judges in Los Angeles County.  He has this tremendous auditorium of a court room.  Everyone knows that court resources in Los Angeles have been cut thin.

The articles for this magazine are written about one month in advance of publication – which means I am sitting at my desk on October 1, but thinking about November!  I just returned from shopping at a couple of craft stores – both of which were filled with Christmas decorations!  I know, this happens every year – but each year it seems to be earlier and earlier - or perhaps it is just harder for me think about!

A new program called Independence at Home, part of the Affordable Care Act, provides incentives for selected primary-care providers who are able to save money by making time-consuming home visits to medically complex patients.

With thousands of children nationwide waiting to be adopted, many individuals and families do not apply to foster or adopt children due to the misconceptions about what it takes to help a child in need.  Children’s Bureau, one of the largest private, nonprofit adoption agencies in California, hopes to clarify what it really means to foster and/or adopt a child. 

There’s a saying that goes:  “You don’t stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing.”  How often have you heard a friend, colleague, or family member respond with, “I can’t do that, I’m too old!”  Now, very important, before I continue, I want to be clear that before you begin any exercise program or take supplements, consult with your physician.

It might be that way for kids facing their first post-divorce holidays.  Feelings of anxiety, sadness, and loneliness are common and it might feel a bit better to know you are not alone.
You might consider new rituals with your family and create a different, but separate experience as you adjust to the divorce.  For instance, Thanksgiving is a time when the needs of others are often at the forefront. 

There have been numerous studies done exploring the relationship between volunteering and health.  These studies consistently demonstrate that there is a significant relationship between volunteering and good health!  With men and woman living longer and enjoying better health into their later years, retirement has become an extremely active phase of life in which many seniors finally have time to devote to causes and interests that have previously taken a backseat to careers or family obligations.

Help us get ready for our 2nd annual Gingerbread House Contest by decorating your very own gingerbread cookie. All cookies and decorating supplies provided. Registration is required.  Program for K-6.

When your family and your rights are number one, having the right Family Law Attorney can make all the difference in the world.  If you’re considering a divorce or separation, need a pre or post nup and or custody/support modifications and/or are looking for Santa Clarita’s most trusted attorney, look no further than The Law Office of Steven B. Chroman, P.C.

November is recognized as National Adoption Awareness Month.  While all adoption –related issues are important, the particular focus of this month is the adoption of children currently in foster care.  Every child deserves to have a safe, loving and permanent family.  There are children currently in foster care who are unable to return to their families of origin.  Children’s Bureau encourages caring families to consider foster- adopting these children.

Falls at home are a huge risk for seniors and are the leading cause of accidents for people over age 65.A fall can easily result in a serious injury that is a threat to a senior’s health and independence.   There are numerous reasons that falls might occur: poor eye sight, illness, weakness in muscles, dementia, side effects of medications, etc. And although some of these precipitators may be corrected to help reduce the risk of falling, the area to truly focus on is the prevention of falls.

The City of Santa Clarita is the recipient of the League of California Cities’ highest honor - the Helen Putnam Award for Excellence - for its “Drug Free Youth in Town (DFYIT) Program,” as announced Wednesday, September 3, 2014 at the League’s annual conference in Los Angeles.  The “Drug Free Youth in Town (DFYIT) Program” was the winner in the Cities Counties Schools Partnership Intergovernmental Collaboration Award category. 
Public safety and keeping Santa Clarita’s youth safe from drugs and alcohol have always been priorities of the Santa Clarita City Council, and the City and the Sheriff’s Department have been proactive in addressing these issues.

When a debtor files Chapter 7 bankruptcy to get a fresh start and eliminate unsecured debt, the bankruptcy code allows the debtor to use exemptions authorized by the debtor’s home state to protect assets from liquidation by the court-appointed Chapter 7 Trustee.
Each state either has its own set of exemptions, or the state can default to the federal exemptions.

A hospital stay can be very frightening – especially for elderly patients.  The senior looks forward to leaving the hospital, and going home.  However, we routinely see elderly patients discharged from the hospital, only to “bounce back” to the emergency room after a short period of time.  This “bounce back” means repeated hospital admissions, and a steady decline in the senior’s overall health.  Ultimately, care facilities and nursing homes are required, as the care required is too significant for the home setting.

“Honestly, I think it would have been easier to get the President on the phone,” cracked a businesswoman I met recently at a local networking event, describing the difficulty of getting her family law attorney on the phone during her divorce. She may have been joking, but she hit at one of the most frequent complaints clients have about their attorneys.

You’ve often heard it said: People don’t like going to the dentist. Maybe they’re scared of “the drill.” Maybe they hate getting their mouths “inspected.” Whatever the reason, for many people, dental offices don’t really rank high on their list of favorite places to be.
So why would anyone choose to be in this profession?