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Save Energy, Be Mindful Of Appliance Safety During The Holiday Season

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Vectren, a CenterPoint Energy company, is reminding its customers about ways to lower energy usage and have a safe holiday season.

“The holidays typically bring an increase in energy consumption, whether it’s decorating your home with festive lights, hosting a houseful of guests or cooking a feast for the family,” said Lynnae Wilson, chief business officer, Indiana Electric. “However, there are a number of simple ways to use energy wisely and safely over the next several weeks.”

Vectren suggests customers switch the lights on their holiday displays from standard incandescent or compact fluorescent (CFL) to Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights. LED lights are shatterproof, shock resistant and safe to touch. In addition, LEDs use 75 percent less energy than the typical incandescent lights used.

Vectren also recommends the following tips to help consumers enjoy the holiday safely while using energy wisely:

  • Buy Energy Star® certified electronics, which use up to 60 percent less electricity than their non-certified counterparts.
  • Let the holidays serve as a reminder to get an annual furnace inspection if you haven’t already done so.
  • Use fiber optic decorations. Fiber optic trees and decorations are the ultimate in energy efficiency. In most cases, they use a single light bulb located in the base of the unit to light the entire decoration.
  • Use a timer for your holiday lights. This allows for lights to be illuminated only when necessary.
  • Don’t overload your electrical circuits.
  • Never run appliance cords or extension cords under carpet. They are designed to be kept cool by the movement of room air around the cord.
  • Connect lights to power strips that have several outlets and built-in circuit breakers.
  • Make sure lights and extensions cords used for outdoor decoration are approved for outdoor use.
  • Turn the thermostat down – to 68 degrees or lower – when you have guests. Extra bodies in the house mean extra warmth at no cost to you.
  • When cooking for the holidays, don’t forget to use your microwave oven. Fast and efficient microwave ovens use around 50 percent less energy than conventional ovens.
  • Don’t open the oven door to take a peek at what’s cooking inside. Instead, turn on the oven light and check the cooking status through the oven window. Opening the oven door lowers the temperature inside – by as much as 25 degrees – which increases cooking time and wastes energy.
  • Have your wood-burning fireplace inspected and cleaned annually to eliminate a potential fire hazard in the chimney or flue.

 

HOT JOBS IN EVANSVILLE

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Healthcare Administrative Assistant
TriState Functional Wellness – Evansville, IN
$22,880 – $30,000 a year
Meet and greet patients as they enter our office. Always have a pleasant personality.Healthcare experience is helpful but not required.
Easily apply
Sponsored
Administrative Assistant – Real Estate
The Dauby Team of Keller Williams Capital Realty – Evansville, IN
$12 – $16 an hour
Communicate regularly with the clients to send reminders, check in, answer questions, and let them know what to expect in each step of the closing process.
Easily apply
Dec 16
Front Desk Receptionist
Familia Dental 2.9/5 rating   282 reviews  – Evansville, IN
Dental Receptionist must be able to listen to patients and other healthcare workers and follow directions from a Dentist or supervisor.
Easily apply
Dec 16
Administrative Coordinator
Southwest Indiana Chamber – Evansville, IN
$35,000 – $40,000 a year
Assists Community Development team with grant administrationduties, fund tracking in Excel and paperwork organizing. Flexible in work schedule and job task(s).
Easily apply
Dec 16
Medical Front Desk Receptionist
Virtual Consult MD – Evansville, IN
$10 – $12 an hour
Is seeking a motived and energetic Front Desk Receptionist with customer service experience for our busy Evansville, Indiana office.
Easily apply
Dec 16
Medical Office Assistant
Deaconess Health System 3.7/5 rating   446 reviews  – Evansville, IN
Maintains positive patient oriented services in the provision of medical office services to the patient, family members, visitors and physicians in the office…
Dec 16
Office Assistant
Trinity Tech Solutions – Evansville, IN
$9 an hour
Keeping an inventory of office supplies and ordering new materials as needed. Welcoming visitors to our office. Answering phone calls and taking orders.
Easily apply
Dec 16
Office Assistant – Sleep Center
St. Vincent, IN 3.7/5 rating   4,947 reviews  – Evansville, IN
Office Assistant – Pulmonology – Full-Time Days – St. Vincent Medical Group Sleep Center – Evansville, IN. Vincent has been serving central and southern Indiana…
Dec 10
Medical Front Desk Receptionist (TSOS WEST)
Tri-State Orthopaedic Surgeons – Evansville, IN
Flexibility to work between the hours of 6:30am and 6:30pm, as well as some Saturdays. Front Desk Receptionist Job Description Form 10.32.
Easily apply
Dec 13
Administrative Assistant
Centennial Wealth Solutions – Evansville, IN
Looking for that special candidate who _wants to grow with the company_. The position is currently part-time but is expected to become a full-time position…
Easily apply
Dec 10
Front Desk Receptionist
Redbanks Towers and Apartments – Henderson, KY
$7.50 – $8.00 an hour
Serves visitors by greeting, welcoming, and directing them appropriately. Notifies company personnel of visitor arrival. High school or equivalent (Required).
Easily apply
Dec 10
Administrative Clerk, Foundation Accounting/Finance and Administration – N19112NA
University of Southern Indiana 4.3/5 rating   107 reviews  – Evansville, IN
$10.66 an hour
Provide backup support for other Finance and Administration staff during peak work times or absences. The University of Southern Indiana’s Foundation Accounting…
Dec 12
Front Desk Receptionist
Confidential – Evansville, IN
FT Front Deck Receptionist. Medical office. Fast paced office. Communication and teamwork a must. Able to multi-task. Prefer medical office experience x 1 year…
Easily apply
Sponsored
Administrative Assistant
Ameriprise – Mount Vernon, IN
Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Box, online document management. Experience in banking, accounting or legal offices.
Easily apply
Sponsored
Part-time Office Assistant
La-Z-Boy Midwest 4.3/5 rating   25 reviews  – Evansville, IN
$11 an hour
Our La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries store in Evansville, IN needs a reliable, organized Office Assistant to manage our front office on some nights and weekends.
Easily apply
Sponsored

ADOPT A PET

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These girls are a bonded pair of bun sisters. They are about a year & a half old. They have different personalities, and will thrive in a home where they have plenty of space to hop around and explore (and perhaps with older kids who are content to play with them on the ground!) Patty & Minnie can go home for $100 (combined) because they are spayed & microchipped. No worries about accidental litters of baby bunnies for you! Get $20 off if you adopt Friday-Saturday 12/13-12/14. Contact Vanderburgh Humane at (812) 426-2563 for adoption details!

 

Evansville Woman Arrested for Dealing Methamphetamine

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Last night at approximately 9:50, Trooper Widner was patrolling in the area of US 41near Lynch Road when he stopped the driver of a 2002 Lexus for making an unsafe lane change. The driver was identified as Destennie Holtzclaw, 23, of Evansville. While talking to the driver an odor of marijuana was detected from inside the vehicle. A search of the vehicle was conducted and troopers found approximately 23 grams of methamphetamine, two THC gummies and drug paraphernalia. Further investigation revealed Holtzclaw was dealing the suspected methamphetamine. Holtzclaw was arrested and taken to the Vanderburgh County Jail where she is currently being held without bond.

Arrested and Charges:

  • Destennie Holtzclaw, 23, Evansville, IN
  1. Dealing Methamphetamine, Level 2 Felony
  2. Possession of Methamphetamine, Level 3 Felony
  3. Possession of a Look-a-Like Substance, Class A Misdemeanor
  4. Possession of Paraphernalia, Class C Misdemeanor

Traffic Stop for failing to use Turn Signal nets Meth Arrest

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Last night at approximately 7:20, Trooper Widner was patrolling in the area of US 41 and Yokel Road when he stopped the driver of a 2006 Ford Mustang for failing to signal when required. The driver was identified as Brandy Newcom, 39, of Morganfield, KY. Suspicious activity was detected and a search of the vehicle was conducted. Troopers located approximately 2.3 grams of methamphetamine, a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. Newcom also had an active warrant out of Vanderburgh County for theft. Newcom was arrested and taken to the Vanderburgh County Jail where she is currently being held without bond.

Arrested and Charges:

  • Brandy Newcom, 39, Morganfield, KY
  1. Possession of Methamphetamine, Level 6 Felony
  2. Possession of a Controlled Substance, Class A Misdemeanor
  3. Possession of Paraphernalia, Class C Misdemeanor

EPD REPORT

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EPD REPORT

Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records

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https://www.vanderburghsheriff.com/jail-recent-booking-records.aspx

“IS IT TRUE” DECEMBER 18, 2019

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We hope that today’s “IS IT TRUE” will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way?

IS IT TRUE that is no greater ambassador of goodwill than a homegrown non-partisan community newspaper?  …that local newspapers can serve as a “Community Watchdog” by sounding the alarm when the citizen’s rights are being violated? …we realize that a community can have no greater ambassador of goodwill than one which keeps its citizens informed about their accomplishments, failure, and triumphs?
IS IT TRUE that some of our elected officials seemly have forgotten that the first amendment to the U. S. Constitution states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the rights of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for redress of grievance”?
IS IT TRUE that the pending impeachment of President Donald Trump impeachment is starting to draw local attention?  …protesters on both sides of the impeachment of President Donald Trump issue are taking to the streets of Evansville? ..the rights of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievance is beginning to take hold in downhome Evansville?
IS IT TRUE that many small-town Mayors across the country are suffering from a new political disorder called “Buttigieg Derangement Syndrome (BDS)”?… “Buttigieg Derangement Syndrome” is what causes small town Mayors to look in the mirror and start singing “Hail to the Chief” because this political disorder makes them believe because they have been elected Mayor in places that have no national visibility at all that they can follow Mayor Pete’s path to become President of the United States?
IS IT TRUE when small-town politicians that preside over an increasing crime rate and a mediocre economy get national attention, every pissant politician who rides in parades hearing “Hail to the Chief” in their own mind catches “Buttigieg Derangement Syndrome”?…that this political disorder may be contagious enough to infect the thinking of current Mayors too?…it may already have done so?
IS IT TRUE that the 3rd District County Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave (R) is running for re-election and will have over $100,000 in the bank by December 31st? …Commissioner Musgrave, will also make history by becoming the first female to ever be elected three (3) times as a Vanderburgh County Commissioner?
IS IT TRUE that 1st District County Commissioner Ben Shoulders (D) is running for re-election and will have over $125,000 in the bank by December 31st?…that Commissioner Shoulders will be the first person to win re-election as a District One Commissioner since Rick Borries did 28 years ago?
IS IT TRUE that the EVSC’s Superintendent has received a base salary of $160,000, $20,000 in deferred compensation, and $750 per month for a car allowance in 2011, the year he was hired?  …in 2017, Dr. Smith’s pay had increased to $241,787, which was $52,000 more than he made seven (7) years prior and over $140,000 more than Evansville’s Mayor and Police Chief made in 2017? …we are also told that the taxpayers of Vanderburgh County would be amazed to learn what he was paid in 2018 and 2019?
IS IT TRUE we wonder if local attorney Charles Berger has ever received the information he requested from the EVSC?
IS IT TRUE we hope that someone with common business and political sense with come forward and encourage the Indiana Governor to push our lawmakers to approve simulcast horse racing at casinos soon as possible?  …if the Indiana power brokers delay this decision the Commonwealth of Kentucky will have the upper hand in generating future gaming dollars because they will have both casino and simulcast gaming?
IS IT TRUE we are extremely pleased with the way that Lieutenant  Governor Suzanne Crouch is representing the people of this State?
IS IT TRUE the CCO readers voted in a recent “Readers Poll” that they feel the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum in downtown Evansville should be turned into a Military Museum by an overwhelming margin?  …we are told that this historic military facility is currently known as a “Bingo Parlor”?
IS IT TRUE on Monday we posted a comment that we hope that members of the Evansville City Council would defer any decision to increase the proposed monthly “Single -Stream” recycling fee to 25% for City residents at this evening’s Council meeting?  …we hope that members of City Council would have taken a little more time to study this issue?  …that sound business principles dictate that no one should negotiate under pressure? …we are disappointed they didn’t heed our advice?
IS IT TRUE that Monday evening was the final official meeting of the current Evansville City Council?  …we are told that local historians may give the outgoing Evansville City Council members mixed reviews concerning how they addressed “Good Public Policy” issues over the last four years?
IS IT TRUE we wonder if any of our readers have seen any “Street Sweepers” in action during the last 6 months?  …if so, did anyone observe the “Street Sweepers” deposit any water on the roadway while cleaning the streets?
IS IT TRUE we wonder when the City Of Evansville will announce that it time to rebid the lucrative contract for “Street Sweepers”?
IS IT TRUE that we are that Democrat Amy Back is going to run for the Vanderburgh County Council At-Large seat?  …we are told that Amy has an impressive resume that makes her uniquely qualified to serve on the Vanderburgh County Council?  …we are also told if she decides to run for the Vanderburgh County Council seat she will make one heck of a candidate?
IS IT TRUE that today’s “Readers Poll” question is: How do you rate the overall performance of the current Evansville City Council?
We are pleased to provide obituaries from area funeral homes at no cost.  We are also pleased to announce that we are now providing news from all the area High Schools.  Please scroll down the paper and you shall see a listing of them.
If you would like to advertise on the CCO please contact us at City-County Observer@live.com
FOOTNOTE:  Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers.
We understand that sometimes people don’t always agree and discussions may become a little heated.  The use of offensive language, insults against commenters will not be tolerated and will be removed from our site.
Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers

 

 

Lonely, Burned Out, And Depressed: The State Of Millennials’ Mental Health Entering The 2020s

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Lonely, Burned Out, And Depressed: The State Of Millennials’ Mental Health Entering The 2020s

Hillary Hoffower and Allana Akhtar

Business Insider took a look at the mental-health state of millennials (defined by the Pew Research Center as the cohort turning ages 23 to 38 in 2019). The forecast for millennials’ mental health in 2020 doesn’t look pretty — depression and “deaths of despair” are both on the rise among the generation, linked to issues such as loneliness and money stress.

Millennials also feel that their jobs have an outsize role in their overall mental health. Because of longer work hours and stagnant wages, millennials suffer from higher rates of burnout than other generations. Many of them have even quit their jobs for mental-health reasons.

While some millennials can’t afford to get help, they’re more likely to go to therapy than previous generations, destigmatizing the concept in the process.

Here are 12 ways mental illness has plagued the millennial generation.

Millennials are experiencing a “health shock” largely fueled by a decline in mental health.

A recent Blue Cross Blue Shield report found that millennials are seeing their physical and mental health decline at a faster rate than Gen X as they age. Without proper management or treatment, millennials could see a 40% uptick in mortality compared with Gen Xers of the same age, the report found.

Behavioral health — rises in rates of depression, hyperactivity (such as anxiety or ADHD), and substance abuse — is a key factor in the “health shock” among millennials, according to the report. Health shocks, as defined by the World Health Organization, are “unpredictable illnesses that diminish health status.”

The government has been documenting health shocks in terms of mortality since 1960. The situation is comparable to the effects the Vietnam War and recreational drug use had on the Silent Generation, and the effect the AIDS epidemic had on boomers, the report said.

Depression is on the rise among millennials

According to a report analyzing data from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Index, major depression diagnoses are rising at a faster rate for millennials and teens compared with any other age group.

Since 2013, millennials have seen a 47% increase in major-depression diagnoses. The overall rate increased from 3 to 4.4% among 18- to 34-year-olds.

The most prominent symptom of major depression is “a severe and persistent low mood, profound sadness, or a sense of despair,” according to Harvard Medical School.

These findings were underscored by an additional Blue Cross Blue Shield report on millennial health. It analyzed the data of 55 million commercially insured American millennials, defined as people ages 21 to 36 in 2017. It found that major depression had the highest prevalence rate, or the likelihood of a person having a disease, among health conditions affecting millennials.

Read more: Depression is on the rise among millennials, but 20% of them aren’t seeking treatment — and it’s likely because they can’t afford it

More millennials are also dying “deaths of despair,” or deaths related to drugs, alcohol, and suicide, Jamie Ducharme reported for Time in June, citing a report by the public-health groups Trust for America’s Health and Well Being Trust.

While these deaths have increased across all ages in the past 10 years, they’ve increased the most among younger Americans, Ducharme said. They accounted for the deaths of about 36,000 American millennials in 2017 alone, according to the report. Drug overdoses were the most common cause of death.

The report cites a few reasons behind these upticks — young adults are more inclined to engage in risk-taking behaviors, comprise the highest number of enrolled military personnel, and disproportionately live in “high-stress environments” like correctional facilities.

Read more: ‘Deaths of despair’ are taking more lives of millennial Americans than any other generation

Suicide attempts have especially increased among black youths

Suicide attempt rates for black youths have increased by 73% from 1991 to 2017, wrote clinical psychologist Inger E. Burnett-Zeiggler in an opinion piece for The New York Times, citing a November 2019 Pediatrics study. According to the study, suicide attempts decreased by 7.5% in the same time frame among white adolescents.

From 2001 to 2017, suicide death rates for black boys ages 13 to 19 increased by 60%; for black girls, that’s 182%, according to a study by the Journal of Community Health. Burnett-Zeigler wrote that, in her experience working with black women, childhood abuse and neglect are linked to suicide attempts in their youth.

“Black youths too often receive the messages that their lives are not valued and that they are less deserving of support, nurturing and protection than their peers of other backgrounds,” wrote Burnett-Zeiggler, who’s an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern Medical School.

“Many black youths are often fighting for their lives in a system actively working against them, which can be exhausting and feel like a pointless, uphill battle,” she added.

It’s partly linked to money stress

But there are other structural factors at play behind the uptick in “deaths of despair,” according to the Trust for America’s Health and Well Being Trust — namely the myriad financial problems millennials are facing: student-loan debt, healthcare, childcare, and an expensive housing market.

These four costs are part of The Great American Affordability Crisis plaguing millennials that’s putting them financially behind.

Studies have found a correlation between people with debt and mental health problems. While this research, by its nature, can’t identify causality, the likelihood of having a mental health disorder is three times higher among those with unsecured debt, according to a meta-analysis, or study of studies, in the Clinical Psychology Review. People who have died by suicide were eight times more likely to have debt.

Money stress isn’t just contributing to millennials’ mental health — it also means not everyone can afford to seek treatment

While millennials are more likely than previous generations to attend therapy, one in five diagnosed with major depression doesn’t seek treatment, according to the Blue Cross report. That might be because of rising healthcare costs.

Healthcare is one of four key costs plaguing millennials. In 1960, the average annual health-insurance cost per person was $146 — in 2016, it hit $10,345. When adjusted for inflation, that’s a ninefold increase. Costs are expected to increase to $14,944 in 2023.

In fact, more millennials than baby boomers have declined medical or dental treatment because it was too costly, according to an Insider and Morning Consult survey.

Read more: How teen friendships shape your mental health as a young adult

Millennials are also lonely

Millennials don’t always have someone to share their mental burdens with — they’re less likely to have social support than other generations, as they’re marrying later and less connected to political or religious communities, according to Ducharme.

In fact, YouGov called millennials “the loneliest generation” based on a survey that polled 1,254 US adults. It found that millennials were more likely to feel lonely than previous generations. Of survey respondents, 30% of millennials said they always or often felt lonely, compared with 20% of Generation X and 15% of boomers.

More millennials also reported in the survey that they had no acquaintances, friends, close friends, or best friends.

And they’re dealing with burnout in and out of the workplace

Cases of burnout have been increasing at an alarming rate in recent years, Ivan De Luce previously reported for Business Insider. The World Health Organization recently classified burnout as a “syndrome,” medically legitimizing the condition for the first time.

It’s a growing problem in today’s workplace because of trends like rising workloads, limited staff and resources, and long hours.

But millennials have reported they suffer from higher rates of burnout than other generations; in a January BuzzFeed article that went viral, Anne Helen Petersen coined the term the “burnout generation.”

Peterson attributed the generational phenomenon to millennials’ upbringings, the economic environment they grew up in, social media, and the anxiety of easy, straightforward tasks, like running errands.

Many millennials dealing with mental health problems at work say their office does not provide adequate support

Over half of the workers polled in a new survey from the human-resources company Paychex said their jobs were negatively affecting their mental health. What’s worse, about 56% of the employees in the survey rated their company’s mental-health benefits as either “fair” or “poor.”

Many surveyed employees also said they didn’t get mental-health insurance from their jobs, and 45% of supervisors never received any mental health training.

Paychex surveyed active employees and supervisors using an online survey. The respondents included people from high-paying industries, like medicine and finance, and lower-paying industries, like retail and manufacturing.

Employees who work outside traditional 9-to-5 are particularly vulnerable to depression, as are women, LGBTQ people, and racial minorities

Some workers are more prone to depression than others.

Millennials working outside a full-time corporate office are particularly vulnerable to depression, according to a University of Exeter review of 28,438 worker reports on mental health. The review found people working irregular hours and the night shift were 33% more likely to develop a mental illness than the general population.

This is especially true for first responders and healthcare workers, who tend to be “on call” during inconvenient hours. A recent HuffPost article detailed how EMTs and paramedics have higher rights of PTSD, depression, and suicide — conditions that persist even after retirement.

Harassment and bullying at work can also cause mental health problems, according to the World Health Organization, issues that tends to plague female, racial-minority, and LGBTQ workers more often.

Globally, workers say discrimination because of mental illness is more prevalent than other forms of workplace bias

In a separate study, Kantar, a UK-based data firm, found just over half of workers worldwide don’t think their workplace does enough to respond to mental-health concerns. Kantar surveyed 18,000 workers in 14 countries.

The lack of resources can even result in discrimination and bias over their mental illness. About 38% of respondents said they felt “discriminated against based on their condition,” making them the most discriminated workplace group.

In contrast, 26% of workers said they felt discriminated against because of their age, and 12% felt they were discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or identity, the survey found.

Nearly half of millennials have left a job for mental-health reasons

That’s according to a study conducted by Mind Share Partners, SAP, and Qualtrics and published in the Harvard Business Review. The study, which looked at mental-health challenges and stigmas in the US workplace, polled 1,500 respondents ages 16 and older working full time.

That was significantly higher than the overall percentage of respondents who said they had left a job for mental-health reasons, 20%. This indicates a “generational shift in awareness,” the authors of the report, Kelly Greenwood, Vivek Bapat, and Mike Maughan, said.

“Mental health is becoming the next frontier of diversity and inclusion, and employees want their companies to address it,” the authors wrote.

Read more: 50% of millennials have left a job for mental-health reasons, a new study found — and it speaks to some of the biggest problems plaguing the entire generation

For all their mental health issues, there’s a bright side — millennials, known as “the therapy generation,” are helping to destigmatize therapy

Peggy Drexler called millennials “the therapy generation” in an essay for The Wall Street Journal earlier this year. They’re cognizant of their mental health, and this awareness is helping to destigmatize therapy.

“Raised by parents who openly went to therapy themselves and who sent their children as well, today’s 20- and 30-somethings turn to therapy sooner and with fewer reservations than young people did in previous eras,” she wrote.

She cited a 2017 report from the Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Penn State University that found the number of college students seeking help for mental health grew from 2011 to 2016 at five times the rate of new students starting college.

Millennials, she said, see therapy as a form of self-improvement — and they also suffer from a desire to be perfect, leading them to seek help when they feel they haven’t met their expectations.

If you’re struggling with depression, get help

 If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, get help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7 free, confidential support for people in distress, as well as the best practices for professionals and resources to aid in prevention and crisis situations.

Vectren And Ivy Tech Community College Partner To Offer Degree Program To Employees

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Vectren, a CenterPoint Energy company, and Ivy Tech Community College, have partnered to offer the Achieve Your Degree program, which will allow lineworkers and natural gas construction workers employed by Vectren the opportunity to earn college credentials, as well as an Associate of Applied Science degree through a combination of apprenticeship/on-the-job training and Ivy Tech coursework. Required on-the-job training will be assigned course credit and count as credit hours toward the degree.

“We are proud to partner with Ivy Tech Community College to allow our lineworkers and gas apprentices the opportunity to further their education and obtain an associate degree, while developing their skills in their field of work,” said J.D. Street, director of technical training at Vectren. “Vectren values its employees and supports a path toward personal and professional development.”

Sue Ellspermann, president of Ivy Tech Community College, said, “Ivy Tech is honored to serve Vectren and its employees with our Achieve Your Degree program. Our goal with this program is to help Vectren employees earn degrees and credentials.”

Lineworkers and natural gas construction workers working for Vectren will have the opportunity to earn an interdisciplinary certificate, technical certificate and ultimately an Energy Technology Associate of Applied Science degree by completing relevant coursework along with their on-the-job training. To prevent some of the barriers that may come with completing a degree while working full-time, employees may complete coursework while carrying out their apprenticeship/on-the-job training. Several of the classes can be taken in an online format. Through Ivy Tech’s Achieve Your Degree initiative, billing of tuition and some fees are deferred until the end of the semester when Vectren’s tuition reimbursement will take effect.

“Vectren’s commitment to its employees is outstanding,” said Kelly Cozart, interim chancellor of Ivy Tech Evansville campus. “It was important to the company that lineworkers and gas construction workers had the opportunity to earn college credentials as they complete each portion of their training. We are so pleased to be able to offer this opportunity to these individuals and look forward to seeing the program grow.”

Those employees who have already completed qualified training, up to five years prior, will have course credits retroactively credited to them to count toward a certificate and/or degree if they apply to begin optional coursework. For more information on the Achieve Your Degree program, visit www.ivytech.edu/achieveyourdegree.

 

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