The military conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq have greatly increased the number of veterans returning home with combat exposure, reintegration issues, and psychiatric symptoms. National Guard and Reserve service members and their families face additional challenges, as they prepare for deployment on a part-time basis while still meeting their obligations in their home communities. Unlike active duty service members and families, they do not return to military installations with access to military health services or peers. And in many cases, their home communities may lack the services and resources to address the reintegration issues that might arise.

To address these issues, The Military Support Programs And Networks (M-SPAN) Program Team from the University of Michigan Depression Center and Department of Psychiatry has drawn on their experience and expertise in the areas of outreach and access; peer-to-peer programs; family, marital and parenting interventions; and support group facilitation, to develop and tailor programs designed to meet the unique mental health needs of returning veterans and their families, including National Guard and Reserve service members.

Marcia Valenstein, MD, MS, a professor in the U-M Department of Psychiatry and member of the U-M Depression Center, will give a brief overview presentation outlining the unique mental health needs of veterans, as well as successful intervention programs designed specifically for veterans and their families. This will be followed by questions and a panel discussion, including Edward J. Thomas, LMSW, BCD, Staff Social Worker, PTSD Clinical Team, and Military Sexual Trauma Coordinator, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, and Nick Anderson, Systems of Care Coordinator, Michigan Army National Guard. This event is cosponsored by the AADL and the U-M Depression Center.

For more information on the U-M Depression Center, please visit the Depression Center website at depressioncenter.org or contact Trish Meyer at 734.763.7495 or meyerpa@umich.edu.

Do you have a family member or loved one who is experiencing loss of their memory? How do you comfort them? What should you do as a friend, family member or caretaker?

Join us for an informational session that will outline many strategies for care, including a focus on the individual’s abilities and what they are still able to do independently. The session will also cover how to incorporate past interests into care for your love one.

The event, co-sponsored by AADL and Glacier Hills Senior Living Community, will feature presenter Tammy Maggert, Director of Memory Care Service for Glacier Hills, and Sonja Wallace, Therapy Glacier Hills Memory Care Leader.

Glacier Hills Senior Living Community is proudly celebrating its 40th anniversary as a non-profit, non-sectarian senior living and care provider serving southeast Michigan, whose mission is to serve older adults with a continuum of lifestyle, care and support alternatives embracing enrichment of the whole person. For 40 years Glacier Hills’ has both pioneered and continually renewed its commitment to a premier senior lifestyle through transformative change.

Want to know more about the Affordable Care Act?

Representatives trained by the Washtenaw Health Initiative discuss how the Affordable Care Act will change insurance coverage options at the local level. The presentation is meant to inform individuals about existing and new insurance coverage options through an educational and interactive session .

Specific topics include coverage and general eligibility requirements for the new Marketplace insurance exchanges as well as Medicaid expansion in the state of Michigan. Questions are highly encouraged and resources will be provided to those who may additional questions after the session ends.

Want to know more about the Affordable Care Act?

Representatives trained by the Washtenaw Health Initiative discuss how the Affordable Care Act will change insurance coverage options at the local level. The presentation is meant to inform individuals about existing and new insurance coverage options through an educational and interactive session .

Specific topics include coverage and general eligibility requirements for the new Marketplace insurance exchanges as well as Medicaid expansion in the state of Michigan. Questions are highly encouraged and resources will be provided to those who may additional questions after the session ends.

This event will be repeated on Monday, March 17 at 7 pm at the Downtown Library.

If you are a parent with a child on the autism spectrum, here’s an opportunity to explore the possibilities.

Dr. Rick Solomon, from the P.L.A.Y. Project, will be available to chat with parents and children. Kids will have a chance to pet therapy dogs, or find a quiet space to play with a variety of fun toys.

Created by Dr. Solomon in 2001, the P.L.A.Y. Project is based on the DIR (Developmental, Individualized, Relationship-based) theory of Stanley Greenspan, MD, and emphasizes the importance of helping parents become their child's best play partner.

Join us for an intimate evening as local author Lisa Anderson and staff from Dawn Farm discuss alcoholism and the effect on families.

Lisa is the author of the book The Lost Chapters: A Daughter's Hard Questions About An Ad Man's "Unexpected" Death, the truth about her late father, a New York ad man. The event includes a book signing and books will be for sale.

Lisa Anderson grew up in New York City and graduated from U-M with a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology and a Master’s degree in Public Health. Professionally she develops research training programs for early career researchers in the health sciences. "The Lost Chapters," is her first book and invites others seeking the truth about a loss to go the distance.

"Healing comes in getting the story right," the author says. "The Lost Chapters explores class, love, and the legacy of addiction, and delivers a hopeful rendering of a difficult journey."

For many years, Dawn Farm has offered a continuum of services to help addicts and alcoholics achieve long term recovery. From humble roots in 1973 to the current array of community programs, Dawn Farm’s plainspoken ideal has always been the same—to be the place where addicts and alcoholics could go for help, regardless of their ability to pay. With residential services, supportive transitional housing, outpatient treatment, sub-acute detoxification and a range of active outreach programs, Dawn Farm has always been there to help.

Due to extreme weather conditions, this event has been postponed. The Bright Nights Forum "Health Care Reform and Mental Health Parity" will be rescheduled at a later date. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Registered nurse and certified childbirth educator Melissa Neill demonstrates baby massage and sing-song exercises for the pre-crawling babe.

An inability to focus, impulsiveness, misbehavior, frequent daydreaming, and a predisposal to addiction are frequently referenced traits of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). But what about the gifts of ADHD?

In the groundbreaking book Movers, Dreamers, and Risk Takers internationally-known ADHD coach Kevin Roberts takes a fresh approach to this much-written-about topic to help those with ADHD—their parents, teachers, and friends—to tap the hidden strengths and actual advantages inherent in the ADHD personality. He combines the latest research with personal stories, as well as insights born from his work with those with ADHD, showing readers how to get past the stigma of this condition to eventually turn what have been seen as “symptoms” into character strengths and creative ways to make life richer and more interesting for themselves and the people around them.

Join us as he discusses his book, as well as recent ADHD research.

Kevin Roberts is a teacher and ADHD coach, international speaker, author and stand-up comedian with a master's degree in ADHD studies. Born in Detroit, he graduated from the University of Michigan and has a Master's Degree in ADHD studies from Antioch University. This event, co-sponsored by AADL and CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder) of Washtenaw County, will include a book signing and books will be for sale.

Come join the conversation about sustainability in Ann Arbor!

The City and the AADL are hosting the third annual Sustainable Ann Arbor Series, which will include four events (held monthly and ending in April), each focusing on a different element of sustainability from Ann Arbor’s Sustainability Framework.

This first event centers on Equality In Planning, and includes a discussion of countywide projects supported by Washtenaw County’s recent three-million dollar Housing and Urban Development grant. The projects aim to expand existing affordable and energy efficient housing options, engage underrepresented residents, and foster community development in the region.

A think tank of local stakeholders including representatives from community organizations, City of Ann Arbor staff, and Washtenaw County staff will join the public to discuss local sustainability efforts and challenges in our community. This month's panelists include:Amanda Edmonds, Executive Directors, Growing Hope; Jennifer Hall, Executive Director, Ann Arbor Housing Commission; Jamie Kidwell, Sustainability Associate, City of Ann Arbor; Charo Ledon, Executive Director, Casa Latina; Sarah Teare, Community Development Director, Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley; and Stephen Wade, Management Analyst, Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development.

Each program will include a series of short presentations followed by a question and answer session, offering an opportunity to learn more about sustainability in the community and tips for residents.