Diaper Day Resource Fair coming this weekend

The Rabun County Health Department offers many services and resources available to Rabun County residents.

Amerigroup Community Care, Rabun Department of Public Health and Medlink Georgia invite the community to a Diaper Day Resource Fair Saturday, July 8, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Rabun County Health Department, 184 South Main Street, Clayton. The event will be in the parking lot located behind the building.

Participants will learn about extra benefits and services for Amerigroup and community organizations. There will be giveaways, health information, free diapers and baby wipes, giveaways and refreshments. There will be entertainment for the entire family.

Businesses participating will include SouthState Bank; Choices Pregnancy Center; Ferst Readers of Rabun County; MedLink Georgia; Amerigroup; District 2 Public Health; Rotary Club of Clayton; Community Dental; Food Bank of Northeast Georgia; Family Resource Center of Northeast Georgia; and Rabun County Family Connection.

Meet-and-Greet at the Rabun County Health Department

The Rabun County Health Department, part of District 2 Public Health, also held a meet-and-greet for the community June 6. Participants were able to meet health department staff and learn about services and programs they offer. Services include: adult health; child and adolescent health; children with special needs; communicable disease information; adult and children’s dental services; emergency preparedness; environmental health; epidemiology; immunizations; men’s health; travel clinic resources; vital records such as birth/death certificates; volunteer opportunities; Georgia Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the nation’s fifth largest Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children; women’s health, COVID tests; and feminine hygiene products.

Georgia WIC provides nutrition and health education, healthy foods and other services free of charge to Georgia families who qualify.

The meet-and-greet provided important resources and educational information, including the Community Dental program for adults and dental care for children.

“We wanted to have a community meet and greet event at the Rabun County Health Department to allow the community to visit the health department, meet the staff and learn about the services that we offer,” said County Nurse Manager Leslie Dulene Jones.

“Everyone knows that we played a large role in the COVID-19 pandemic, but since the pandemic is officially over I wanted to focus on all the other amazing services that the health department offers,” Jones added. She said the health department will continue to offer COVID Bi-Valent Booster vaccines but are refocusing on other services as well.

For more information about services offered by the Rabun County Health Department, visit https://phdistrict2.org/rabun-county-health-department/

Call the Rabun County Health Department Clinical Services at 706-212-0289.

The Rabun County Health Department Dental Program   for Children

The Rabun County Health Department Dental Program accepts Medicaid. For those without insurance, the self-pay price is the Medicaid rate for services. Team members will advise about proper gum and tooth care for infants and toddlers.

For an appointment, call 706-212-0289.

Did you know? Important information provided by District 2 Public Health

-The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends children have their first dental visit by age 1 or 6 months after their first tooth erupts.

-Over 43 percent of American children ages 2-19 years old have a history of tooth decay

-On average, elementary school students miss 2.1 days of school and high school students miss 2.3 days due to dental problems (excluding preventative appointments).

-Children with poor dental care are three times more likely to miss school than children with good oral habits.

Community Dental

Community Dental is a low-cost dental clinic in Rabun County operated entirely by volunteers under the Clayton Rotary Foundation, a 501(c)3.

Eligibility requirements include:

-Must be a resident of Rabun County or work in Rabun County

-Must be 19 years of age or older

-Do not have dental insurance

-Do not exceed certain levels of income

Those who are eligible can contact 706-960-9035. If determined eligible, the individual will be scheduled for an appointment with the dentist.

Family Resource Center of Northeast Georgia Services

Jill Jones with Family Resource Center of Northeast Georgia Services was set up at the Rabun County Health Department during the meet and greet and distributed educational resources to the community. Services include a counseling program that provides 10 counseling sessions by professional counselors/therapists free of charge to adults and children who have been affected by trauma; and First Steps Program, a parenting support and educational program provided to parents of children ages 0-5. A “Parent Packet” including helpful information, resources, and referrals is available for families. Supplies such as diapers are often provided as well.

The In-Home Visitation Program is designed for families with open DFCS cases or families whose children are considered high-risk for removal from the home.

Parent education includes nurturing parenting for parents in substance abuse treatment and recovery; and an in-depth Positive Parenting Program course covering topics such as child development, management of misbehavior, planning for high-risk situations and learning emotional self-regulation. It also offers  a 14-week nurturing program focused on the importance of basic nurturing parenting practices and how nurturing oneself impacts children.

Services also include supervised family visitation and support groups for adults and teens.

Contact Family Resource Center of Northeast Georgia at 706-778-3100 or visit https://frcofneg.org/ for more information. Jill Jones is the Rabun County representative.