Description: As caregivers, how often do we hear people tell us that we need to prioritize “self-care”? This suggestion, while well-intended, can often leave us feeling even lonelier and more isolated simply because most of us cannot fathom having the time or the capability to add self-care to our endless to-do lists. This presentation encourages us to redefine what self-care really means for caregivers while offering practical tools to help us identify and address our own needs. How do we reframe self-care in the context of our challenging lives? How do we discover achievable self-care? And, most importantly, how do we prioritize our own physical and mental health throughout this all-consuming journey? We will also explore the obstacles that often sabotage our own self-care and ways we can overcome them. 

Missy Longman MSW, MPA, MNM is a mother, advocate, and Registered Clinical Social Work Intern who delivers therapeutic interventions to clients in a private practice setting. She is also the co-founder of the SMS Research Foundation, an organization dedicated to funding research of a rare disorder called Smith-Magenis Syndrome (SMS). Missy’s 17 year old daughter, Sienna, lives with SMS. This disorder is extremely challenging and causes global developmental delays, challenging behaviors, and chronic sleep issues. In addition, Missy serves as an executive board member at the David Posnack JCC and dedicates her time to developing and supporting Giborim United, the special needs programs at the J. Missy lives in South Florida with her family: husband, Dan; daughter, Sienna; sons, Sean (15) and Ben (9); and fur babies, Rumi and Finn.