ASAP-NJ December

How do I become a member of ASAP?- Association of Student Assistance Professionals NJ?

Click Here for the Membership Link

Click Here to visit ASAPNJ.org

Role and Responsibility with specific regard for the federal laws of confidentiality. Click Here

• State of NJ (NJDOE) Student Support Services.

Click Here to Launch to the Membership Page of Asapnj.org

YOU CAN BEGIN REGISTERING NOW~

If you have any questions that pertain to membership, please contact our Membership Chair Andrea Saladino directly. asapnjmembership@gmail.com

• Directory
  
• Website Resources

Month

National Stress-Free Family Holidays Month

Read a New Book Month
Seasonal Depression Awareness Month

Day

World AIDS Day (Dec. 1)

Human Rights Day (Dec. 10)

2nd Special Education Day

International Day of Persons With Disabilities (Dec. 3)
4th National Cookie Day
7th National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
10th Human Rights Day
18th-26th Hanukkah
21st Winter Solstice
21st Crossword Puzzle Day
25th Christmas
26th National Thank You Note Day
26th-Jan 1st Kwanzaa
31st New Year's Eve

At the Southern Region’s November meeting a toy drive was held to support DCP&P. In addition, this was Donna Gaudio’s last meeting as she will be retiring at the end of December. A nice celebration and luncheon was had by all.

In Union County, Summit, Westfield, Cranford, and Berkeley Heights all hosted a Self-Care Fair or Wellness Fair in May last year or Oct this year.

Self Care Fair Data Base

Self Care Fair RSVP Form

Self Care fair Invitation

Self Care Fair Participant details a few weeks before

Amy Herber, M.A., NCC, LAC

Student Assistance Counselor

She/Her/Herself

Summit High School

P: 908.273.1494 ext 5474

F: 908.918.2129

aherber@summit.k12.nj.us

Website: https://sites.google.com/summit.k12.nj.us/student-assistance-counselor/home

Check out our Virtual Relaxation Room for resources to help you relax and unwind with yoga, meditation, journaling, self-care activities, and more!

Key Facts About 988 (Established through the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act)

· 988 is the first nationwide number to offer 24/7 behavioral health crisis call services.

· Scheduled to go live July 16, 2022.

Webinar Description

New Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) requirements went into effect July 1, 2022 — are your policies and procedures up-to-date? If not, join the Magnolia Consulting Group for a free webinar where we’ll review recent changes to the law, including new state-mandated forms and reporting requirements. Discover the elements of an effective HIB investigation and leave confident that you have all the tools you need to successfully meet the new requirements

Friday, December 9

10:30am - 11:30am EST

Register Now!

Want to hear Star Wars actors Greg Grunberg and Daniel Logan's tips on combatting potential drug misuse with healthy relationships and alleviating kids' stress?

How about WWE superstar JTG on how children can safely use medication?

If so, make sure to check out the Awkward Conversations video podcast series, hosted by Jodie Sweetin of Full House and Fuller House fame. To view all episodes in the Awkward Conversations series, visit our dedicated hub on Get Smart About Drugs.

Watch Now

Our New Jersey public Division of Children and Family offers a great deal of free monthly training. Many of them are related to SEL and self-care in addition to specific topics of abuse and neglect. or more...The Calendar is out!

Click Here for CSOC Training

This is a comprehensive listing of food resources and help.

https://hungerfreenj.org/help/ you will find a comprehensive list of resources for food and meals as organized by the group “Hunger Free New Jersey”. Note that the link for the 2-1-1 Directory has six options listed and these include “home-delivered meals” (see “Older Adults” and “Individuals with Disabilities”) and Formula/Baby Food (see “Immediate Food” and “Infants and Children” ).

Thank you for sharing this within your network of contacts as may be appropriate.

Director of NJ 211, “we're committed to making it easy to get help when it’s needed most”.

More information on the partnership, income limits, and applications is online. While some individuals and families may not be eligible for some utility assistance programs, community resource specialists can help explore other local resources.

My name is Dave Bratton, and I serve as the coalition coordinator for the Town of Secaucus. The Secaucus Coalition has a youth coalition called KAI (Knowledge. Action. Impact.).

For this year’s Red Ribbon Week, we created something called the “What If…?” campaign and based it on the look of the Marvel/Disney+ streaming show.

At a conference this past summer, some of my student leaders indicated that their peers didn’t know what to do or where to turn in certain situations. Our goal was to create a campaign that gave teens actionable information in order to address issues of vaping/bullying/suicide.

Please feel free to take a look at the images if you’d be so inclined. The QR codes included link to national sites and can be a resource for any student in the United States. If you think this could benefit other coalitions around the country, please feel free to forward if you wish. If anyone does desire to utilize the campaign, we ask only that they acknowledge the Secaucus Coalition and KAI as the originators of the content.

Dave Bratton

Coalition Coordinator

The Secaucus Coalition

1203 Paterson Plank Road

Secaucus, NJ 07094

Office: (201) 330 2000 Ext. 3164

www.secaucuscoalition.org

Pronouns: He/Him

It is my pleasure to share that the New Jersey Middle School Risk and Protective Factors Survey, 2021 County Summaries are now available on the Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services website.

These reports present key findings by county regarding students’ self-reported substance use, engagement in antisocial behaviors, and risk and protective factors. They also present findings about new and relevant issues that have emerged since the survey was last administered in 2015, including the use of e-cigarettes (i.e., vapes) with and without marijuana, the availability of substances in the community, mental health, and gambling activities, as well as student experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can use these data to identify the magnitude (prevalence) of each issue, prioritize areas of need, and provide a basis for better allocating funding and resources.

Data findings presented in these County Summaries represent data collected between November 2019 to March 2020 (prior to the pandemic) and January to March 2021 (during the pandemic). Due to changes in methodology, including surveying across two school years and shifting to a fully virtual administration process as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ability to compare estimates from 2021 with those from previous years is limited. Differences between estimates may be due to changes in methodology, actual behavioral changes, or both.

Additional details and patterns of disparities by demographics will be provided in the 2021 Statewide Report. The 2021 Statewide Report also explores the extent to which risk and protective factors are related to students' substance use and likelihood of engaging in antisocial behaviors, and compares rates of substance use and antisocial behavior prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Statewide Report will also be published on the DMHAS website.

We hope these reports will help your team to create healthy and safe school spaces.

Our data collection efforts and successes could not have been accomplished without all of your support! Thank you once again for your help during the planning and recruitment process.

The 2022 recommendations are voluntary and give clinicians and patients flexibility to support individual care, said Christopher Jones, PharmD, DrPH, MPH, acting director of CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control in a CDC press briefing. They should not be used as an inflexible, one-size-fits-all policy or law, or applied as a rigid standard of care, or replace clinical judgment about personalized treatment, he emphasized.

Read more here

Many New Jersey residents are currently struggling with addictions to heroin and other substances. The best way to help addicted individuals in New Jersey is to ensure they receive professional care at a drug and alcohol treatment facility.

• 1. New Hope Integrated Behavioral Health
• 2. Penn Medicine Princeton Health
• 3. Princeton Detox And Recovery Center
• 4. SOBA
• 5. Sunrise Detox Center
• Substance Abuse Rates
• Choosing A Detox Program
• New Jersey Detox
• Find A New Jersey Rehab Center

United by Wellness Member ForPlease complete this form to become a member of our statewide virtual wellness center. Interested in Joining and attending support groups? Click Her to sign up.

*Please Note: You will not receive a confirmation link after submission. Please allow 2-3 days before you begin receiving the daily newsletters
If you have any questions or challenges you can contact us at unitedbywellness@mhanj.org or 609-652-3800

• Live Another Day - Extensive information on mental health and substance use resources for people of color. Their mission is equal access to life-saving resources. They have guides for black, Latinx, Asian, and native people.
• Detox Local - A great resource with information on safely quitting drugs and alcohol. They have an extensive list of mental health and substance use resources specifically for the AAPI (American Asian and Pacific Islander) community.

Michelle Giordano M.S. Community Counselor

Community Outreach Advocate
678-366-4290
Michelle@liveanotherday.org

Take the first step in recovery. Contact a treatment provider today to learn more about alcoholism treatment facilities nearby.

Click HERE for the Guide

Before starting the treatment process, a person must first recognize their condition and have a desire to quit drinking. Sometimes, an individual may acknowledge they have a drinking problem on their own. Other times, family members or friends may stage an alcohol intervention. This involves loved ones expressing their concerns about the person’s excessive drinking patterns. An intervention also helps to start the discussion about treatment and support options that are available.

FREE, CONFIDENTIAL, MULTILINGUAL PHONE COUNSELING:

Call the NJ Quitline at 1-866-NJ-STOPS
(1-866-657-8677) to talk to a Quit Coach.

​

A trained Quit Coach who has years of counseling experience will listen – without judgment – and help you to create a plan for quitting, including how to cope with cravings and ways to avoid slips and relapse.

Quit Coach Hours:

Monday-Friday 8 AM-9 PM

Saturday 8 AM-7 PM

Sunday 9 AM- 5 PM

​Web-enrollment is available 24/7 and someone will reach out.

• Fax-to-Quit from provider;

• Toll free 1-866-NJ STOPS;

• www.njquitline.org (web-enrollment)

Know anyone who is in need of referral to treatment?

Click here to access our online help-tool. Or, call the statewide Addiction Access Center at 844-276-2777.

Register for a Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series Webinar Click Here

"Opioids in New Jersey: A Look at 2022"​​

Thursday,

December 8, 2022 @ 11am

This webinar is FREE

PANELISTS

Susan A. Gibson is the Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – New Jersey Division. Ms. Gibson’s strong and diverse law enforcement background has led to a successful collaboration with state and local counterparts and extensive experience in international drug trafficking organizations and the illicit sale of pharmaceuticals.

Captain Jason Piotrowski joined the New Jersey State Police in 2001. Jason was a general duty road trooper before being selected as an initial member of the state fusion center in 2006. Jason represented the State of New Jersey at the National Operations Center in Washington, D.C., during his fusion center tenure, serving multiple tours. In 2014, Jason was selected to help develop the New Jersey Drug Monitoring Initiative and now directs the Office of Drug Monitoring and Analysis, overseeing the collection, analysis, intelligence production, and training and outreach efforts related to the drug environment.

1. Comprehensive guide to assist and support the LGBTQ Community and Youth facing substance abuse – we are featuring our expert, Matthew Fichtemaier, who is an LGBTQ+ community leader supporting teens and young adults in their journey.
2. Cannabis Substance Abuse among Homeless and Runaway Youths – we interview Ms. Brittany McCarthy, who is a Licensed Professional Counselor providing substance abuse and mental health treatment working with marginalized populations, including children and families involved with the Department of Human Services Family Treatment Drug Court Program.
3. A Comprehensive Look at the Connection Between Domestic Violence, Substance Abuse and Cannabis - featuring our expert, Dr. Michael Levitan, a former UCLA instructor and psychotherapist specializing in treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
4. The Ultimate Guide to Helping Those in Need of Addiction Recovery from Cannabis and Other Substances - featuring our expert, Nicole Arzt M.Sc., who is a licensed marriage and Substance Use Treatment Therapist whose clinical emphasis lies in working with individuals with substance use, eating disorders, and complex trauma.

You can check our original guide on guiding parents to broach the sensitive topic of cannabis with their teenagers. It has a comprehensive section with additional resources for parents, which Mr. Reimer has vetted.

These guides do a great job of addressing this key issue for people of color *and* their allies:

• Live Another Day - Extensive information on mental health and substance use resources for people of color. Their mission is equal access to life-saving resources. They have guides for black, Latinx, Asian, and native people.
• Detox Local - A great resource with information on safely quitting drugs and alcohol. They have an extensive list of mental health and substance use resources specifically for the AAPI (American Asian and Pacific Islander) community.

Seven Steps to Take if you Suspect- Click Here for the Steps

If you’ve just discovered or have reason to believe your child is using nicotine, alcohol or drugs, the first thing to do is sit down and take a deep breath. We know this is scary, but you’re in the right place. Take a beat and prepare for the important conversation ahead. Some brief preparation now can lay a foundation for more positive outcomes ahead.

https://learnaboutsam.org/toolkit/

How has marijuana legalization affected youth use?

YEAR ROUND DRUG DISPOSAL Click Here for a location near you.

Safely disposing of expired or unused medicine is critical to helping protect your kids, family and home. And it decreases the opportunity for visitors in your home, like your kids’ friends, to abuse medicine as well.

• Criminal drug networks are mass-producing fake pills and falsely marketing them as legitimate prescription pills to deceive the American public.
• Fake pills are easy to purchase, widely available, often contain fentanyl or methamphetamine, and can be deadly.
• Fake prescription pills are easily accessible and often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms, making them available to anyone with a smartphone, including minors.
• Many fake pills are made to look like prescription opioids such as oxycodone (Oxycontin®, Percocet®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), and alprazolam (Xanax®); or stimulants like amphetamines (Adderall®).

Visit NJ School Jobs or the School's Website for deadlines and updates.