June is PTSD Awareness Month and although it is drawing to a close, being aware of trauma is not a one-month activity. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, commonly called PTSD, has in the past twenty years or so become quite familiar in the public mind. It is most often associated with veterans and their wartime service, but they are not alone in experiencing PTSD. PTSD can affect anyone who has had significant traumatic experience such as serious accident, natural disaster, sudden death of a loved one, violent personal assault, rape, or life-threatening situation. Compounding the situation may be addiction or other coping mechanisms or other underlying conditions that also require treatment. Consider these facts: Annually, PTSD will directly [...]

For many families in our area, summer vacation means a struggle to feed their children healthy, filling meals. An estimated 39,000 children in South Jersey are at risk of malnutrition during the summer months when schools’ federal breakfast and lunch programs are not available. For families living below the poverty level, school means more than just education; it also means a dependable source of food. YOU can make a difference! Drop off donations. Monday-Friday, 9am to 5pm, at the following locations: Mt. Holly Food Pantry 770 Woodlane Road, Suite 16 Mt. Holly, NJ 08060 Berlin Food Pantry 128 Cross Keys Road Berlin, NJ 08009 Hold a drive. You can make a difference by hosting a food drive to help [...]

In December, Oaks Integrated Care received exciting news – another set of our programs were accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) International, an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services. A total of 41 programs representing ten service areas were peer-reviewed by a five-member accreditation team in October. The surveyors were on-site for three days. They reviewed person-served and staff records as well as agency policies and program manuals. They toured Oaks’ residences and facilities. They spoke with staff and interviewed our consumers/those who receive our services. “Oaks Integrated Care’s staff members are motivated, professional, caring, and well qualified for their positions with a trend toward long tenure. They approach the mission as [...]

On January 1, so many of us kick off the year feeling full of energy, determination and motivation. Maybe you decided to join a gym, start meditating, throw out that bag of chips in your pantry, vow to stop smoking or even sign up for yoga classes. But now as the month moves along and reality sets in, millions of us will fail to achieve our New Year's resolution goals. You are not alone. In fact, over 80% of people who make New Year’s resolutions fail to achieve them. When we strive to reach unrealistic goals, we ultimately set ourselves up for failure. This sense of failure can have a negative impact on our overall mental and physical health [...]