A free community HealthTalk on Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) will be Thursday, August 22, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Isothermal Community College in Columbus, with three guest speakers. 

 

PF3 is a large group of nearly all health and wellness agencies in Polk County that have come together to promote better health. Speaking at this HealthTalk will be Kimberly Disney, the Outpatient Services Coordinator for Family Preservation Services; Mike Melton, the Exceptional Children Director for Polk County Schools; and Jem Staton, social worker with Blue Ridge Health.

 

“Last month, we had the CEO of St. Luke’s Hospital give the community an update and outlook for the hospital,” PF3 Executive Director Haley Suskauer said. “It was very successful. This month, we wanted a topic that would shed light on a topic that is of interest to many parents this time of the year. ADHD is a rising concern, not just for children but for adults as well. This event should give people a better understanding and some guidance on where to get help.” 

 

According to Understood, an agency devoted to learning and attention issues, “Attention-deficit disorder (ADD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) both affect people’s ability to stay focused on things like schoolwork, social interactions and everyday activities like brushing teeth and getting dressed. The biggest difference between ADD and ADHD is that kids with ADHD are hyperactive. They have trouble sitting still and might be so restless that teachers quickly notice their rambunctious behavior and suspect there might be attention issues involved.

 

On the other hand, kids with ADD might fly under the radar because they aren’t bursting with energy and disrupting the classroom. Instead, they often appear shy, ‘daydreamy’ or off in their own world.

 

Technically, ADD is one of three subtypes of ADHD. The term ADD is still used by many parents and teachers. Since 1994, doctors have been calling it by its formal name: ADHD, Predominantly Inattentive Type. The other two subtypes are ADHD, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type; and ADHD, Combined Type, which involves both hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive symptoms.

 

Disney is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in both Polk and Rutherford counties. Family Preservation Services serves both mental health and substance abuse clients. Prior to being Outpatient Coordinator, Disney was the lead therapist for an intensive in-home team for two and a half years, working with children and young adults. 

 

“All of those that we worked with had a mental health diagnosis, many of them to include ADD/ADHD,” she said. “There are many misconceptions and misunderstandings about the ADHD/ADD diagnosis that we hope to address during this presentation in order to assist individuals and families in finding relief and understanding of this diagnosis.”

 

Melton has more than 42 years of experience working with disabled people. For the past six years, he has been the Director of Special Education for Polk County Schools, after an extensive career with schools in Cherokee County, SC. He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and special education from Limestone College and a master’s degree in vocational rehabilitation from the University of South Carolina, which also granted him Educational Specialist in Educational Administration.

 

“Very often the schools and classrooms are the first place where symptoms of ADD are noticed,” Melton said. “Polk County Schools wants to work with parents and community agencies to help identify strategies for working with students who have been identified with ADD. I look forward to speaking at this healthtalk and giving parents more information about how to access resources in their child’s school to make a difference in their education.”

 

Staton is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who works at Blue Ridge Health, serving Polk, Rutherford and Henderson counties. Blue Ridge Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center that offers primary care, behavioral health and dental services to the western region of North Carolina. Staton also serves children grades K-12 at Lake Lure Classical Academy, offering behavioral health therapy services to students and families within the school setting. 

 

Previously, Staton has worked at Mission Hospital doing medical social work, serving the maternal-child units as well as working in a state-operated psychiatric facility, serving children and adolescents and families before working with Blue Ridge Health. She has more than five years of clinical experience since graduating from NC State University with her master’s degree in Social Work in 2013.  

 

“My hope with participating in this health talk is to offer greater insight and awareness into the problems that people with ADHD/ADD and their families face in managing this disorder and to offer resource information to those who are seeking services in this area,” says Staton. “We need to come together as a community to support these individuals and their families by offering safe places for them to access appropriate services and evidenced-based care options.”

Each month, the nonprofit agency Polk Fit, Fresh and Friendly (PF3) coordinates a HealthTalk in its efforts to make Polk County, NC, a healthier community. Healthy refreshments will be served.

For more information about PF3, visit PolkFitFreshAndFriendly.org.

 

Submitted by Steve Wong