Health
Staying healthy following release is a really big deal, for several reasons: your health status directly impacts job search and keeping a job, it impacts your ability to care for others, especially your children, it can lead to more serious illnesses, and other impacts. You cannot function if you are in poor health or in bed all the time.
Health includes many topics, such as: medical issues, dental care, vision care, emotional and psychological issues, mental health, counseling, PTSD, medications, and many related topics such as managing diabetes, weight control, nutrition, physical exercise and other topics. A key health resource for most women is Medicaid—Washington Apple Health. Following is a partial list of resources to assist in this area:
- Contact DSHS Apple Health Care by Googling Apple Health Care Plans on your computer.
- See Chapter 8, HEALTHCARE BENEFITS, Washington Reentry Guide (in SUGGESTED READING & VIEWING).
- Contact both Lutheran Family and Child Services and Catholic Community Services.
- Call 2-1-1 or go online to https://wa211.communityos.org/publicresourcesearch
- If you are a veteran, contact the local veterans office.
- Consult the DSHS Division of Child Support (DCS) Alternative Solutions Program Community Resource Data Base, for your county (see SUGGESTED READING & VIEWING); healthcare resources are listed by county.
- See Appendix C, RESOURCES, RET Student Manual (see SUGGESTED READING & VIEWING).
Lifestyle
One of the major challenges facing many women after release is choosing the lifestyle they will live. In prison this question was answered in part by the prison system and its requirements, options, scheduled movements, dining room schedule and other scheduled activities. Now your lifestyle is totally up to you—no one is going to tell you what to do. A few resources and web sites with information you may find helpful are the following:
- “If You THINK You CAN” by TJ Hoisington is a text used in the Rotary Reentry Course and is full of excellent information that will impact the lifestyle you choose to lead; simply Google Amazon to order a copy.
- Joe Piscatella at www.joepiscatella.com is one of the country’s most respected experts on how to live a healthy lifestyle. He is the author of 17 best-selling books, host of three PBS television specials, a “guest expert” on WebMD, and a member of the NIH Expert Panel on Cardiac Rehabilitation. Joe volunteers his time and is a regular guest speaker to the women of the WCCW in the Rotary Reentry course. He offers valuable, common sense information regarding lifestyle-having survived a major heart attack himself.
