June 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 10

EDITOR'S LET TER

Good Health Should Begin With Us
During my childhood, my mother, not unlike other parents, always put the needs of her kids ahead of her own - even if she felt
ill or was having a stressful day. I believe these maternal instincts
are inherent in most people, but, at times, to their own detriment.
Anyone who travels on an airplane knows what it means when a
flight attendant says, " In case of an emergency, put on your oxygen mask first before assisting others. " In other words, if you run
out of oxygen yourself, you won't be able to help others. This sage
advice about self-care remains true for park and recreation professionals as well, especially when it comes to mental health. After
all, how can we help community members maintain their overall
health if we ignore our own health needs? This month's Health
and Wellness issue touches on these important topics and reminds
us all that good health should begin with us.
In the cover story, " Mental Health Care in a Pandemic " on page
32, Associate Editor Lindsay Hogeboom takes a closer look at how
park and recreation agencies are providing staff with much-needed mental health support as they
cope with empathy fatigue and elevated stress due to the pandemic. In addition to offering their
staff such resources and trainings, Hogeboom writes, " Park and recreation leadership at agencies
across the country...found that recognizing their staff was important in strengthening their sense
of purpose at work, which in turn benefitted their overall mental health. "
Mental health certainly was a hot topic during the 2020 NRPA Annual Conference: A Virtual Experience this past October, when NRPA Board Member Philip Wu, M.D., moderated the
general session, " Mental Health: From My Community to Me, " featuring health and well-being
expert Tyler Norris. In fact, Dr. Wu continues the discussion in the feature article, " Tyler Norris:
A Conversation About Health and Well-Being, " on page 38. Norris explains how the park and
recreation and healthcare professions can work toward creating a mental health support system
that's mutually beneficial. " I would encourage park and recreation professionals to reach out and
help get a healthcare person out of their building for 45 minutes to go walk around the park while
physical distancing and have a conversation about how we could partner, " he suggests.
Lastly, contributor Paula Jacoby-Garrett highlights this year's NRPA Parks Build Community
project in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the article, " Introducing Lynnbrook Park, " on page 44. Located in the Oak Grove neighborhood, " the park will provide outdoor recreation and healthy activity options for the nearby community, as well as help to restore the local environment, " JacobyGarrett writes. We will be chronicling the park's developments in future magazine issues.
I hope the editorial content in this special issue is helpful to you and your park and recreation
staff. Remember, it's important that we as professionals set a good example for our communities.
Let's begin with maintaining our own health and well-being.

VITISIA " VI " PAYNICH
Executive Editor
Print and Online Content

10	 Parks & Recreation

| J U N E 2 02 1 | PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N .O R G

PRESIDENT AND CEO
Kristine Stratton
VICE PRESIDENT OF
COMMUNICATIONS AND CHIEF
MARKETING OFFICER
Gina Mullins-Cohen
gcohen@nrpa.org
EXECUTIVE EDITOR, PRINT
AND ONLINE CONTENT
Vitisia Paynich
vpaynich@nrpa.org
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Lindsay Hogeboom
lhogeboom@nrpa.org
WEB EDITOR
Jennifer Fulcher-Nguyen
jnguyen@nrpa.org
PUBLICATION DESIGN
Kim Mabon/Creative By
Design
CreativeByDesign.net
SENIOR CORPORATE
DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Michelle Dellner
949.248.1057
mdellner@nrpa.org
DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Meghan Fredriksen
703.858.2190
mfredriksen@nrpa.org
PHOTOGRAPHY
Dreamstime.com or NRPA
(unless otherwise noted)
MAGAZINE ADVISORY
BOARD MEMBERS
Anthony-Paul Diaz, Chair
Michael Abbaté, FASLA
Neelay Bhatt
Ryan Eaker
Beau Fieldsend
Kathleen Gibi
Paul Gilbert, CPRP
Tim Herd, CPRE
Brian Johnson, CPSI
Denise Johnson-Caldwell
Roslyn Johnson, CPRP
Michele Lemons
Sam Mendelsohn
Maria Nardi
Lisa Paradis, CPRP
Paula Sliefert
Shonnda Smith, CPRP, AFO
Ronnetta Spalding
Anne-Marie Spencer	
Stephen Springs
http://www.CreativeByDesign.net http://www.Dreamstime.com
June 2021 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2021 - Parks & Recreation
