June is National Safety Month and National LGBTQ Pride month. Before we dive into these topics, here are this month’s affirmations:

Accidents and unintentional injuries are the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States. As an event that is unplanned, accidents are often overlooked as something that just happens or something that was just an unlucky chance. However, events that fall into this category are preventable with a little bit of planning. In this blog, we will discuss how you can prevent accidents and unintentional injuries, other aspects of safety, and LGBTQ Pride month. 

Often times slips, trips and falls occur due to objects constructing a walkway, spills from drinks, or distractions during walking. Take this opportunity to reflect on your habits and your surroundings in the workplace and at home. Are your walkways free of objects that someone may trip on? Remove objects such as shoes, boxes, cords, or anything that shows potential for someone to trip over. While walking upstairs, take note of any guardrails that you can hold onto to decrease the chance of falls. Avoid distractions while walking such as looking down at a cellphone, reading, or carrying too much at one time as these are some main causes for tripping. 

As businesses continue to reopen and employees begin to return to the workplace, there are more people behind the wheel and the streets and highways are seeing more traffic. Practice safety by wearing a seatbelt, abiding by all traffic laws, and avoid texting and driving. Never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol and pull to the side of the road if you are feeling tired or fatigued while behind the wheel. Visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving for more information on safe driving practices.

With Summer beginning this month, and high temperatures in Arizona, a dip in the pool is probably calling your name! Pools can be a source of great fun, but they can also be a hazard if important precautions are not taken. For the safety of you, your family, children and pets, ensure your pool has a safety gate with a lockout of children’s reach. Never leave children unattended around water for any amount of time. Still, incidents do occur even with watching eyes, so take drowning safety a step further by enrolling those who do not know how to swim into swim lessons. CPR classes for children and adults can help save a life if an accident does occur. Visit the resources below to learn more or find a local location for CPR classes:

Safety amidst the global pandemic also means focusing on the hygiene and cleanliness side of safety. Every person can help keep others safe by following local government guidelines with masks and keeping 6 feet distance from others. Remember to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds using soap and warm water, and clean frequently touched or shared surfaces in the workplace and at home. This includes desks after use, doorknobs, countertops, and other shared objects in your space. Click here for more information on staying safe during the pandemic. 

Another aspect of safety is personal safety or the safety of one’s body. It is important to extend safety to individuals, including those who identify within the LGBTQIA+ communities. June is also National LGBTQ Pride Month!

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is an opportunity for communities to honor every person’s freedom and right to be themselves. Whether or not you belong to this community, everyone can do their part by respecting personal safety, and not adding to the hardships and challenges the LGBTQ community face. The LGBTQ community has faced discrimination, bias, stigma, physical violence, and health disparities. Touchstone Health Services Prevention Department has been awarded a 3-year funded grant by the Office of Population Affairs to offer evidence-based curriculum and content that are medically accurate, age-appropriate, trauma informed, and inclusive of LGBTQ youth. Touchstone is currently offering various classes for both youth and adults over the summer months in various locations around the Glendale, Alhambra, and Phoenix areas. To learn more about the available programs, visit https://carecoalitionaz.org/available-programs/. 

Local and National LGBTQ+ Community resources and supports:

If you would like to learn more about mindfulness skills, CARE offers many free virtual classes for teens and parents to support you on your journey into yourself. For more resources, please visit our resource page.

If you or someone you care about is feeling overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, depression, or anxiety, or feel like you want to harm yourself or others:

For the youth, if you know you or your friends need immediate help, call Teen Lifeline. Teen Lifeline is a 24-7 crisis line for teens where teens can call or text another teen about any problems or issues they are facing. This resource is also available to parents and families for support.