"Chapter 1: Why Is Early Childhood Important To Substance Abuse Prevention?." Drugabuse.gov. N. p., 2019. Web. 25 Jan. 2019.

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-substance-abuse-prevention-early-childhood/chapter-1-why-early-childhood-important-to-substance-abuse-prevention

A substance abuse guide that was made by the National Institute on Drug Abuse that talks about how early childhood can affect a person’s likelihood to become addicted in the future. It also talks about how exposure to different things can affect addiction issues in the future. This is important because a lot of children who grow up with people who are close to them addicted or abusing substances it becomes something that is “normal” to them and makes them more likely to have their own substance abuse and addiction problems as they get older.

Coyer, Sharon. 2001. "Mothers Recovering From Cocaine Addiction: Factors Affecting Parenting Skills". Journal Of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing.

https://www.jognn.org/article/S0884-2175(15)33868-5/pdf

This clinical study done by Sharon Coyer in JOGNN, the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, studies mothers who are recovering from cocaine addiction. It talks about how addiction affects how mothers parent through the way that they interact with their children. This shows how parents themselves feel that their addiction affects their families, a side that isn't normally shown when researching how addiction affects families.

"Harvard Study Pegs How Parental Substance Abuse Impacts Kids." Psychology Today. N. p., 2019. Web. 25 Jan. 2019.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201607/harvard-study-pegs-how-parental-substance-abuse-impacts-kids

An article written by Psychology Today that analyzes a multiple studies on how children who grow up in households with parents or caregivers who have substance issues are more likely to suffer from behavioral and emotional problems. This is important because it explains, through statistics, that increased rates of behavioral problems as well as emotional problems are not just things that the people that I will be and have interviewed for my project suffer from, but are a widespread issue.

How Family Member's Addictions Affect You. 2019 Anonymous Interview by Julia Hood. In person. Science Leadership Academy.

This interview that I conducted with an anonymous person talks about how their parent’s addictions affected them growing up and now that they’re older how they deal with it. It addresses how they view addiction as a whole as well as how it’s affected their relationship with their parents. It shows how people in situations where a family member is addicted view things as well as how they cope with things, this interview shows specifically that the coping mechanisms that are recommended are not always carried out when not promoted at home.

"How Addiction Affects Children - Life With An Addict Through A Child's Eye." The Arbor Behavioral Healthcare. N. p., 2018. Web. 25 Jan. 2019.

https://thearbor.com/how-addiction-affects-children

This article written by a behavioral healthcare center in Texas talks about the different ways that addiction affects children. It also talks about some of the different ways that children can cope with their parents being addicted. This is important for my project because it talks about how addiction can emotionally affect how children act as well and develop regarding relationships as well as “basic” tasks.

"How Your Substance Abuse May Have Affected Your Child | Phoenix House." Phoenixhouse.org. N. p., 2019. Web. 25 Jan. 2019.

https://www.phoenixhouse.org/family/how-your-substance-abuse-may-have-affected-your-child/

An article published by Phoenix House that talks about how substance abuse has affected children whose parents suffered from addiction. It talks about how even though a parent may have been present physically the whole addiction it still can still emotionally affect the child, it also talks about how neglect or abuse can affect children. It also talks about the different ways it has psychologically affected children as well as how it may have affected their learning of basic tasks such as personal hygiene practices and can affect their intimate relationships in the future.

Publishing, Harvard. "How Addiction Hijacks The Brain - Harvard Health." Harvard Health. N. p., 2019. Web. 25 Jan. 2019.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/how-addiction-hijacks-the-brain

This article by Harvard Health Department talks about the science behind addiction as well as what addiction does to the brain. It talks about how addictions are formed as well as how tolerances are formed and why they’re formed. This is important because to understand how addiction affects families it must first be understood what addiction is and why it is a thing. It is also important to understand why people become addicted to things and how the brain functions while addicted.

"Relationships And Addiction | Dual Diagnosis." Dual Diagnosis. N. p., 2019. Web. 25 Jan. 2019.

https://www.dualdiagnosis.org/drug-addiction/relationships-and-addiction/

This article done by the Foundations Recovery Network talks about how addictions affect people’s relationships, it has many different subsections that discuss the different ways that addiction can affect people’s relationships such as gender dynamics, economic issues, and how developing healthy relationships can help with addiction.

"The Importance Of Family When Recovering From Addiction » Alo House Malibu." Alo House Malibu. N. p., 2017. Web. 25 Jan. 2019.

https://alorecovery.com/importance-family-recovering-addiction/

An article published by Alo House Recovery Centers that talks about the importance of family members while someone is recovering from addiction. This shows the different ways that different family dynamics can enable recovering addicts as well as different ways that family members can help their family members recover. This is important because even though many people are currently in a situation where a family member is addicted, there are also many people whose family members are recovering and it is necessary to understand what to do while recovering.

"What Are The Dangers Of A Codependent Drug Abusing Relationship?." American Addiction Centers. N. p., 2019. Web. 25 Jan. 2019.

https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/codependent-relationship

An article written by American Addiction Centers that talks about how even though positive relationships can help addicts, certain relationships, codependent relationships in particular, can cause many negative effects on recovering addicts. It also explains what codependent relationships are and how it affects both people in the relationship. This article shines a light on addiction and how it affects family members in a light that isn’t just that it affects the family, but that depending on the person they could actually be harming the recovering or current addict.  

For my capstone project, I decided to create a project that was very dear to me. I created Krochet Kare Packages which is a project to help families heal from gun violence in the city of Philadelphia. I personally crocheted different items ranging from clothes to blankets and packaged them with motivational messages to uplift the different people/families who had been affected by gun violence. The reason that I chose to start this project was because I began to realize the lack of mental health support that people of color in Philadelphia received. I knew that I had to specify who exactly I wanted to reach out to. After reading ‘Rest In Power’, the memoir from the parents of Trayvon Martin, I decided that I should tackle a big issue, gun violence. After deciding this, I reached out to people around me who had been strongly affected by gun violence. By doing so, I was able to hear the stories of all the individuals and learn about the toll that such a traumatizing event can have on one’s mind. After hearing the stories of everyone who I planned to work with, i personalized crochet care packages for each victim. The point of the handmade crocheted items was to let those individuals know that they were not alone and to give them something that would comfort them in times of pain and or grief.

Annotated Bibliography

AVPPhila. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2019, from http://avpphila.org/families-of-murder-victims-fmv/

AVP stands for the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia. They offer people who have lost loved ones violently counseling sessions as well as group therapy. All the services there are free because they know that a lot of people in Philly are under  ;privledged and can not afford to pay for full price services to help them cope with death. A lot of the people who organize the different sessions have personally dealt with the issues that they all are coming to get help with. Aside from helping the families of the victims with counseling they also try to help them get the people locked up for the crimes. This is a big help considering a lot of cases go unsolved.

Coping in the Aftermath of a Shooting. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2019, from https://www.counseling.org/knowledge-center/coping-in-the-aftermath-of-a-shooting

Coping with a shooting surrounds almost the same things as coping with a death. Sometimes shootings even sadly end in death. It is understandable for some to want to isolate themselves from things especially like the news and other media that may be heavily discussing the incident. This can sometimes cause panic attacks and unneeded anxiety. This is really called post traumatic stress disorder which happens to some who experience traumatic events that leave a long lasting impact on them. This happens commonly in urban neighborhoods but is rarely treated. When this happens, people can turn to reacting to those events randomly because they are triggered.

Coping with Loss: Bereavement and Grief. (2015, May 01). Retrieved January 25, 2019, from http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/coping-loss-bereavement-and-grief

This source talks more about how to deal with the death of a loved one compared to others that just talked about what happens when you a loved one dies. One major thing to do is to take care of yourself and not deprive yourself of essential things that help you survive and keep you happy. In a time of such disappointment, it makes sense to try and normalize things instead of trying to become a totally different person. Building with other people dealing with the same issue will also help the both of you cope better and share common experiences.

Crochet Therapy for Mental Health • LoveCrochet Blog. (2017, May 08). Retrieved January 25, 2019, from https://blog.lovecrochet.com/crochet-and-mental-health/

Crocheting is used as a therapy for many because of how it soothes. Different yarns have different textures which come as a healing and comfortable place for people away from their home (comfort space). Crocheting allows people to get their feelings out through the project that they are working on. Whether it be anger or even love, it allows you to express yourself when you are silenced by things that hurt you. The sensation that you get from crocheting, can heal physical pains because mentally you will be at peace and not be able to feel anything.

Crocheting For A Cause. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2019, from http://thecrochetcrowd.com/placemarks/crocheting-for-a-cause/

This is a organization that does something similar to what I will do. They crochet different things for people who are usually sick or veterans and give them to them for comfort. I will be doing that but instead to a more specified crowd. They are located in Jersey and do not do any of the work for money. Everything that they do is free and from the bottom of their heart. Throughout the year, who they crochet for tends to vary because they like reaching out to certain groups and giving each of them an allotted dedication.

Family & Survivor Support. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2019, from https://momocares.org/familysurvivor-support/

This service is based in North Carolina and provides some of the same services that a lot of therapist do. A lot of the services include planning memorial events such as funerals and candlelights to bring light to the people that lose their lives. This helps families feel sane because they feel like their family members do not die in vain. They want the legacies to live on and for people to especially know if the cases have not been solved and people are not paying for their ruthless actions. If the person who was killed is the only one that they had left, it gives them a chance to rebuild their family value now that a loved one is gone.

Grief & Depression Coping With Denial, Loss, Anger and More. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2019, from https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-grief#1

This source talks about the process of grief and how each person may deal with it differently. Usually when you are dealing with grief there are different stages of how you accept it as well as deny it. You can lose feeling over a sensation of shock and even act as if it hasn’t happened. With this comes wishing that you may have spent more time with the person or even was there to prevent what happened. Some people even never recover from death and begin to fall into depression which can lead to suicide.

Health Benefits of Crocheting and Knitting. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2019, from http://www.redheart.com/articles/health-benefits-of-crocheting-and-knitting

Crocheting helps with both long term and short term health. With crocheting comes following different patterns and motions which help with memory when it comes to getting down a routine. Physically it strengthens your hands and teaches them to have structure when it comes to other hand moving techniques. Crocheting is something that is done everywhere and even in correctional facilities to help prisoners build bonds and also social skills. In addition to this, and knowledge from the previous information that I have collected, crocheting can be obviously seen as a way to heal and even the handmade items that are made can heal.

Johnson, P. (2018, February 06). Philly organization Erase the Rate addresses gun violence by empowering the community. Retrieved January 25, 2019, from https://billypenn.com/2018/02/06/philly-nonprofit-erase-the-rate-addresses-gun-violence-by-empowering-the-community/

This source talks about a young lady who had hopes to end gun violence following the death of her cousin. She created a foundation called “Erase the Rate” to try to educate people about how the death rate in Philadelphia is increasing because of senseless violence that people participate in. The sad thing about this is that people are being murdered and their murderers most of the time remain on the loose. By remaining on the loose, their is a high chance that they will strike again and senselessly murder another victim in the city. It also mentions how urban children are usually told to be strong because they can handle anything instead of actually getting help and dealing with the things that eventually haunt them.

Our Founder. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2019, from https://www.mothersincharge.org/our-founder/

This source is about the founder of a local organization that works to stop violence in Philadelphia. It tells the story of how she chose to start her foundation after the tragic lost of her son to gun violence in a parking lot. Aside from using her terrifying experience to help start the foundation, she uses her background in Psychology to help people cope. She reaches out to people around the country as well and educates them regarding resources they can use to help them deal with losing a loved one. Dr. Dorothy makes sure that everyone involved is remembered and upholds a legacy.

I created a mini-course at Science Leadership Academy Middle School (SLAMS). Although I couldn’t do my exact idea, I used the space that I had. I wanted the kids to be as safe and happy as possible.

My original idea was to create a lacrosse sports clinic. It was supposed to teach kids how to play the sport but because of the limited space, it would have been difficult to play. I was given a small room similar to the size of a storage closet. So instead of teaching the sport, we talked about how to stay “fit”. Staying fit means a lot of things. We did stretches, exercises, and learned how to eat right.

Over the 8-week long program, we alternated between legs and arms every week. When we worked on legs, we played games like The Fox vs The Squirrel, it’s similar to tag but there’s a fox that is trying to get the squirrel, and The Great Wind Blows, a mixture of musical chairs and show-and-tell. It keeps their legs moving. For arms, we played a lot of hand games. I taught them how to play Numbers and have competitions on which group can go the longest. Along with that after the mini-workout, I gave the kids a snack as a healthy reward. Some snacks we shared were fruit and trail mix.

SLAMS would usually have a performance for their last day of mini-courses, but it was canceled because not all of the classes were ready. Instead, we passed around a basketball outside. This was a really amazing experience for me because I have a trail an error in trying to get the kids attention. I have to learn about what they liked in order for them to enjoy their mini-course. In the end, I felt like most of the kids enjoy these activities as well as learning about their bodies and health.

Here is the link to the original LAX form idea. I made it so the student can tell me a little bit about themselves. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1H6dkN7FanDkZrHm0iRVTa380f-GoUh8Uwm03h_oPHZE/prefill

My capstone was centered around the prevalence of a stigma along with general discomfort and misunderstandings surrounding the discussion of mental illness in the SLA community. To address this, I held a Mental Health Visibility and Education Day. For the educational aspect, I researched numerous disorders using the DSM-5 and created posters that provided simple definitions of each one. For the visibility aspect, I made pins and stickers that were color-coded to represent different illnesses and encouraged people to wear them on the day. The idea behind this visual identification was that mental illnesses are usually hard to see, but on that day, suffering people would feel less alone and others will see the reach of the illnesses. My ultimate goal, however, was to spark conversations about the topic. I believe that my capstone was successful. While I cannot definitively say that people are now more educated, I did see many kids stopping and looking at the posters, and there was a larger amount of participation in the Visibility Day than I anticipated, as I gave out 73 pins and more stickers. In fact, I had to stop halfway through the day and print more of the white stickers, which signified general support of the cause. Most importantly, I witnessed and took part in several conversations about mental health that I normally do not see happening.

Posters: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sICQrBXYCY35o0QVPHxMCVKSelCG25bf?usp=sharing

Bibliography: