Welcome to your November Newsletter! Empowering you with information for your emotional and physical well-being.
The Holidays are Coming!
There are several toxicology testing exemption days approaching:
Thanksgiving Day- Thursday, November 27th, 2025
Day After Thanksgiving- Friday, November 28th, 2025
Christmas Day – Thursday, December 25th, 2025
New Year’s Day – Thursday January 1st, 2025
The 2025 state testing holiday list can be found on our website under the resources tab.
While checking for testing on the above holidays is not required as no tests will be scheduled, we highly recommend that you continue to check in for testing 365 days per year. This can help to maintain a consistent routine and reduce the risk of missing a check in and possibly missing a scheduled test.
Also, please make sure to notify your Agreement Monitor of any travel plans for the holidays to confirm that an alternate collection site is in place before your trip begins. Notifying your Agreement Monitor is also required at least 2 weeks in advance if you would like to request the use of exemption days.
Speaking of the upcoming holiday season...
For many, the holidays are a time to share in the joy of family traditions and create new special memories. But for some, these expectations can make holidays stressful, especially for those that feel disconnected from family or friends, those that feel alone, or those that may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder. Regardless of your situation, some degree of stress and tension around the holidays should be expected. Consider some of these suggestions to help prepare you for this busy time of year and make the Holidays a special time in your own way.
Create Your Own Traditions
The holidays are directly connected to the traditions of the past. When those traditions are additionally connected to painful or troubling memories, it’s time to create healthy traditions of your own. Think of new events you can participate in on your own or invite new people to join you in an old tradition. Make a point to keep your new traditions alive each year, and they will start to add happy memories to your holiday spirit.
Be a Participant
Sometimes what you need are good friends around you. Look for opportunities to get involved in holiday activities that get you out having fun with friends and family. Attend parties, invite friends to local activities, or even take a trip to some regional events. A little holiday spirit can go a long way.
Ask for Others to Chip In
Just because you are hosting the holiday event does not mean everyone else gets to sit back and do nothing. Remember, the true meaning of holidays often comes down to sharing the holiday experience with the ones you love and feeling thankful and blessed. Welcome everyone to share his or her favorite recipe or bring a game that helps unite everyone. Getting together on a holiday because of tradition is one thing, but joining families and creating new memories and traditions will bring you closer and make the time you spend together more meaningful.
Keep Your Life in Focus
It can be easy to focus on what you don’t have, and not what you do have, during the holidays. Make a point to celebrate the good things in your life. Contact your friends and remind them of how much you value their friendship and support. Another great way to remind yourself of how fortunate you are is to volunteer at a local charity or food kitchen to help others and give back to your community.
Be Willing to Get Help
The holiday blues can be difficult to manage for anyone, but for some, they can be especially limiting and inhibiting to your ability to function regularly. If you need help, talk to someone—a friend, a loved one, or a trained counselor. Talking about how you’re feeling and what triggers those feelings can teach you new ways to cope and can help keep your holiday blues at bay.
Boost Your Wellness by Giving Back this Holiday Season!
The holiday season is a time for connection, gratitude, and compassion—not just toward others, but also toward ourselves. Volunteering at a local food bank, soup kitchen, or community organization can make a real difference for families facing hardship but it’s also a powerful way to support our own mental health. Studies show that giving back can reduce stress, combat feelings of loneliness, and increase feelings of happiness and purpose. Whether you have an hour or a day to give, your time can make a meaningful impact—for someone else, and for you. Let’s nurture our well-being by spreading kindness this season.
Shine a Light on Your Mood: The Role of Vitamin D in Seasonal Wellness
As daylight hours grow shorter, many people experience shifts in mood, energy, and overall well-being—a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). One contributing factor may be lower levels of vitamin D, a nutrient our bodies typically produce through sunlight exposure. Supplementing with vitamin D, especially during the fall and winter months, may help support mood regulation and lessen the impact of seasonal depression. If you're feeling the winter blues, talk to your healthcare provider about whether vitamin D supplementation could be right for you.
Free Continuing Education Classes
Addressing Co-occurring Disorders
Wednesday, November 12th, 2025
Co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders require sophisticated treatment approaches that address both conditions simultaneously. This webinar examines integrated treatment models, sequential versus parallel treatment considerations, and practical strategies for managing dual diagnoses.
Metabolic dysfunction is changing how we understand and approach mental health. Join John Martin, LCSW, MAC, to explore how certain metabolic conditions—chronic inflammation, insulin resistance or oxidative stress—could be contributing to mental health symptoms.
The Resilience: Building Power of Connection Drawing from her book, The Five Spirals of Resilience, mental health clinician Staci Cornwell will explore evidence-based strategies to foster connection and hope. You will discover why meaningful connection may be one of the most underused tools in suicide prevention. And you will learn immediately useful approaches for developing and strengthening resilience—in your work and in your life.
Inspiring Stories of Reclaiming Recovery During the Opioid Crisis
Join William Moyers, vice president of public affairs and community relations at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, as he courageously shares his lived experiences through years of struggling with opioid use and reclaiming his recovery. This webinar will explore how this crisis transformed Moyers’s imagination about learning, adaptation and change, and what it took for him to begin a new chapter of healing and hope—for himself and others.
The Monitoring Team is scheduling informational sessions on Health Professionals' Services Programs (HPSP). If the administrators of your health care workplace, school, organization, or associations are interested in learning more about Professional Monitoring, please ask them to contact Project Manager Christa Lee, LMSW at christa.lee@uprisehealth.com or Account Manager Tina Mewhinney at tina.mewhinny@uprisehealth.com for more information or to schedule a meeting.
A HeartfeltCONGRATULATIONS
to all who are graduating this month—what a tremendous accomplishment! You've put in the hard work, and it's a moment to truly celebrate.
If you’ve found monitoring helpful in supporting your day-to-day consistency and success, we want you to know that support doesn’t have to end here. Our Extended Monitoring Program is available as an option—whether you choose to continue now or return at a later time. We're here to walk with you through the next phase of your journey, whenever you're ready.
Support family caregivers this November with mental health tools. Learn how to improve employee well-being and access mental healthcare during National Family Caregivers Month and National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month.
Looking to boost your well-being and create lasting positive change? This guide offers practical tips for building healthy habits like mindfulness, balanced nutrition, regular movement, and stress management. Discover easy-to-follow routines, inspiration for personal growth, and strategies to turn small steps into big transformations. Whether you’re starting with one new habit or looking to refresh your daily routine, this resource makes healthy living approachable and rewarding.
November's Skill Building Webinar
Thursday, November 20th | 12pm PT
Bucket List Brilliance: Practical Tips to Accomplish Your Goals
Ready to turn your dreams into reality? Whether you’re aiming to run a marathon, make a meaningful connection, or embrace a healthier lifestyle, this webinar is designed to help you focus on what matters most. In the rush of everyday life, personal growth can easily take a back seat, but with the right strategies, you can move your goals front and center. Join us in our last skill building webinar of 2025 to discover actionable tips for staying motivated, building momentum, and celebrating every milestone along the way.
**Please note that we are using a new platform for these webinars going forward. You'll notice a few changes, like "Integrated Behavioral Health, Inc." instead of Uprise Health, but don't worry - it's still us!! Be sure to check your junk/spam folders if you don't get the confirmation email after registering. Thanks for your understanding during this transition!
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