LEO Program Adams County

05/30/2026

LEO Tool Highlight: Pause, Delay, Ask questions (P.D.A.)
Pause, take a deep breath and a moment to respond. Delay, get out of the situation to reset and prepare if possible. Ask questions, am I in my higher brain or lower brain? What are my emotions? What is really happening in this situation? LEO encourages you to use the Pause, Delay, and Ask questions tool to help cool off your lower brain activation when you feel like flipping your lid.

05/29/2026

Did you know there is a difference between happiness and joy? Happiness happens to us from the outside. Giving us quick short-term dopamine. Joy comes from inside us and from connection with yourself and others. Dopamine is released slowly and steadily. By choosing joy and intentionally reflecting on the joy we experience, we can release small amounts of dopamine just by thinking about it.

05/22/2026

Anxiety is a lower brain alert from anticipated danger. Anxiety is a mixture of emotions we feel when our lower brain is alerted because of something we have experienced that has caused us pain, danger, or a threat in our past. LEO encourages you to set up your day for success! Here are some ways to get some healthy dopamine each day: 1) Take brain breaks for yourself, 2) Get outside or get some exercise, 3) Give your body rest and healthy food, 4) Take a break from social media, and 5) Practice gratitude daily.

05/22/2026

To reduce intense anxiety in the moment, try grounding yourself! Focus and name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. This tricks your body into slowing down your reaction from your lower brain to connecting and responding with your higher brain. The higher brain rewards us when we stop and can proceed to take helpful action to support our needs to resolve stress/conflict.

05/22/2026

The LEO Program and CW Solutions Offices will be closed on Monday, May 25 in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. We will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, May 26 at 8:00 AM. Wishing you a safe holiday weekend!

05/20/2026

LEO Tool Highlight: O.U.C.H.

Today we are highlighting many youths favorite LEO tool. It is a checklist that helps us understand why our lower brain is activating!
O - Offended, our Big Emotions-feeling offended is linked to survival needs of safety and connection.
U - Uncertain-feeling uncertain means, we need more information to move forward safely and to the best of our ability. We need to ask questions for clarification or an explanation.
C - Conflict in Connection – When we experience conflict in our relationships, our lower brain automatically activates and feels unsafe which releases cortisol.
H - Had enough -When we are hungry, tired, irritable, frustrated, overstimulated/overwhelmed, our lower brain is more likely to react strongly!

Next time you feel yourself reacting from your lower brain, review your O.U.C.H. checklist to help you explore the WHY!

05/18/2026

Did you know gratitude changes your brain? It promotes positive thinking and creates new brain connections with strong pathways while reducing cortisol and increasing dopamine. Gratitude brings us joy, strengthens relationships, builds stronger immune systems, improves sleep, and increases energy levels. LEO encourages us to share our gratitude and connect with others.

05/17/2026

Stay cool, calm, and collected. The three Cs in LEO. Did you know the higher brain is the last part of the brain to develop? It helps you to better understand and regulate emotions. It allows us to control lower brain reactions. This way, we do not flip our lids. Practicing using our higher brain strengthens our pathways.

05/16/2026

When we react to a situation, we are in our lower brain. When we respond, we are using our higher brains. To see things for the bigger picture, your higher brain is the best way to respond. Let’s practice using our higher brain and respond today.

04/28/2026

YOUR INPUT MATTERS! Complete the Adams County Health & Human Services Division of Public Health survey to share your voice! You could even win a gift card!

Adams County, we need your voice! Please take a few minutes to complete the short survey below. It's quick, and you’ll have the chance to win one of six $25 Kwik Trip or Amazon gift cards!

Your input directly shapes our Community Health Assessment, which guides the programs, services, and priorities we focus on for the next five years. From mental health to access to care, housing, safety, and more, your experiences help us understand what our residents need.

To take the survey, scan the QR code or visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PD8H29S