Free Job Skills Training Program for Women Starts in October

 

Project Self-Sufficiency announces that the next session of its popular employment skills training program, Higher Opportunities for Women (HOW), will launch October 3rd.  The 16-week HOW Program combines intensive computer skills training with classroom instruction and on-the-job experience.  Curriculum prepares women who have been out of the work force or underemployed to seek entry-level office administrative positions.  Classes will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the agency’s campus, located at 127 Mill Street in Newton.  Open Houses about the Higher Opportunities for Women program will be held at 10:00 a.m., September 22^nd and September 25^th; 1:00 p.m., September 29^th; and 5:00 p.m., September 21^st and September 27^th. Interested participants are invited to call 973-940-3500 or visit https://www.projectselfsufficiency.org/higher-opportunities-for-women to enroll.

 

Women who take part in the agency’s HOW program can expect 80 hours of computer skills training, including instruction in Microsoft Word, Excel, and other applications. The HOW program also includes 40 hours of classroom instruction and 120 hours of an unpaid externship at a community employment site, which further prepares participants to successfully venture into the job market.  Additional coursework focuses on workplace navigation, life skills training, resume preparation, and interviewing strategies. 

 

Since the HOW program’s inception, more than 1,000 women have gained self-confidence and learned marketable skills which placed them on the path to economic self-sufficiency.  Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency explains that the HOW program is more than just a job-skills program.  “The job market is constantly evolving, and the Higher Opportunities for Women program gives participants the skills and confidence they need for success.”

 

Bring the Kids to a Free Health Fair

 

Interactive activities for parents and children will be available at a free Health Fair hosted by Project Self-Sufficiency in partnership with the Sussex County Mental Health Task Force, Thursday, October 5^th, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.  Representatives from local health organizations will be on hand to discuss resources for the health and well-being of children and families, and presentations will be offered about adverse childhood experiences, child abuse prevention, the stages of appropriate childhood development, and positive parenting techniques. Blood pressure checks will be administered by the Sussex County Office of Public Health Nursing.  One family in attendance will be randomly selected to receive a $100 gift card towards the purchase of groceries.   The Family Health Fair, “Harvest Your Health,” is free and open to the public.

 

In addition to Project Self-Sufficiency, up-to-date health and wellness information will be available from Atlantic Health System/Newton Medical Center; Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey; Center for Family Services; Center for Prevention & Counseling; Domestic Abuse & Sexual Assault Intervention Services (DASI); Elizabethtown Gas; Family Partners of Morris & Sussex Counties; Ginnie's House Children's Advocacy Center; National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI); Newton Volunteer First Aid & Rescue Squad; New Jersey Cancer Education & Early Detection (NJCEED); NJ4s Mental Health Association; Partnership for Maternal Child Health Healthy Homes Program; Sussex County Department of Health & Human Services; Sussex County Division of Community & Youth Services; Sussex County Division of Social Services; Sussex County Library; Sussex County Office of Public Health Nursing, Division of Health; Sussex County Special Child Health Services; Youth Advocate Program of Morris & Sussex; and others.

 

For more information about the Family Health Fair, or any of the other programs and services offered at Project Self-Sufficiency, visit www.projectselfsufficiency.org.

Discuss Ways to Improve Health Following Trauma

 

Parents, caregivers, and other community providers are invited to learn how childhood trauma impacts physical and neurological development and discuss methods for improving health and well-being across the lifespan at a virtual Understanding ACEs workshop hosted by Project Self-Sufficiency, Thursday, September 28th, 2:00 p.m.  The virtual “Understanding ACEs: Building Self-Healing Communities” presentation will address the neurological and biological effects of adversity on development and its corresponding impact on the health of the overall population.  Tips for protection, prevention, and promoting resilience within the community will also be discussed.  Interested participants are invited to call Project Self-Sufficiency, 973-940-3500, for log-in details.

 

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been identified as contributors to a host of physical and neurological ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, and depression.  They are also known to lead to mental illness, neglect, sexual abuse, and a variety of dysfunctional behaviors like substance abuse and domestic violence.

 

“Protection, prevention, and resilience promotion can profoundly improve health according to recent discoveries in neuroscience, epigenetics, and epidemiology,” remarked Project Self-Sufficiency Executive Director Deborah Berry-Toon.  “The tools identified in this session can positively impact public health, safety, and productivity, and reduce public and private costs now and for future generations.”

 

The workshop is funded by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families and led by Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey.  The Zoom session is free and open to the public, interested participants are invited to call 973-940-3500 to receive log-in details.