School Psych & Student Assistance

INSPIRED! I am truly inspired by YOU!

in·spi·ra·tion

/ˌinspəˈrāSH(ə)n/

noun The Process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

Get Inspired and CALM yourself! Use this to help get your To Be Tuesday Calm!

Guided Meditation on Attracting LOVE! Use the Law of Attraction and Guided Script to manifest your true love. Enjoy the peace that this meditation will bring to you.

Click Here for the Meditation

Ms. Krista Johnson, M.A., Ed.S.

She/her/hers

"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf" - Jon Kabat-Zinn

• Traumatic Loss Coalition of New Jersey

• CIACC-Children's InterAgency Coordinating Council

Email: krjohnson@ctemc.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/ctemc.org/wellnesscorner/home
Location: 1000 Kozloski Road, Freehold, NJ, USA
Phone: 848-231-2110
Twitter: @KJohnson_MCVSD

Joy Przywara, M.S.Ed

She/her/hers

"Change the life of one student, you change the world"

• Professional Membership- ASAP (Association of Student Assistance Professionals) New Jersey

• Traumatic Loss Coalition of New Jersey

• Youth Hub Advisory Member (Monmouth County)

• CIACC-Children's InterAgency Coordinating Council

• Pet Therapy Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs International

Email: jprzywara@ctemc.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/ctemc.org/student-assistance/home
Location: Monmouth County Career Center, 1000 Kozloski Road, Freehold, NJ, USA
Phone: 848-231-0980
Twitter: @MCVSDWellness

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

• My Video for Back to School - An Introduction
• Click Here for my MCVSD REFERRAL Form (In District)
• MCVSD Substance Abuse Forms (for Nurses)

The history of Valentine’s Day has its origins as an ancient agriculture and human fertility festival. Fast forward to modern times, Valentine’s Day has become inclusive of friends and family, and is a day to show how much you care and love them.

While Valentine's Day is happily celebrated by some, it can be a difficult holiday for those who may be coping with the loss of a loved one, relationship, or trying to live up to the ideals we see on TV or social media.

Check out these support resources:

• MHA: 10 Ways to Show Yourself Some Love on Valentine's Day
• Valentine's Day & Mental Health
• Printable Valentine’s Cards to Show You Care About Someone Living with Mental Illness

Click here for a list of Community Partners who participated in our event! You will find videos recorded by each resource and additional information about their organization.

Not Your Ordinary Cookbook!

Have you ever been overwhelmed by grief? Have you ever lost someone that made up your world? Have you ever been so hurt that you were afraid to feel? If this is you, or someone you know, then The Comfort is the book for you! It is beyond a cookbook full of delicious soup recipes.

The Comfort is Pamela Major’s story of tragedy to triumph with soup as a vehicle for healing. “In sharing these recipes and my story, I believe the reader will come away with a way to feed themselves and their loved ones as well as hope that the pain the reader has endured is healable". The Comfort is Major’s second book.

The theme of her books is that God is so very interested and invested in our lives, He wants us to be whole and provides the opportunity to experience wholeness. Major shares the recipes given to her by God as well as the means through which she became healed of the back-to-back deaths of her parents. How did it happen? How was she able to walk through this tragedy? You will find the answers to these questions and more as you read and enjoy The Comfort.

Link to purchase your copy.

John Bateman, host of #OurAnxietyStories, is a mental health advocate passionate about normalizing and destigmatizing the experience of anxiety. In this podcast, John reflects on his experience with anxiety. Listen here.

Click Here for more information from Lead U

Lead U is a positive group of teaching artists who creatively engage, educate, and empower learners of all ages to find the leaders within themselves.

Lead U was founded in 2016 by JD Wilson. After four years of military service with the US Air Force, he became an elementary school teacher in New Jersey. JD built Lead U, a company that focuses on creating personalized Empowerment Experiences for learners of all ages.

Lead U video with the fish Bowie

Lead U was acquired by the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide on September 1, 2021.

THE OLYMPIAN FROM OUR JERSEY SHORE

Snowboarders are set to race down a hill during the Olympics' snowboard cross - with one Rumson woman joining the ranks. Meghan Tierney will be competing for Team USA for the second time. Aside from living in New Jersey, she has lived in Vermont and Colorado

Click Here for a support document that discusses the signs and symptoms and then referral information about Eating Issues and Disorders. Click Here for their website

At Center for Discovery, we’re passionate about providing compassionate care that utilizes the very best evidence-based treatment options. For more than two decades we’ve helped thousands of patients discover their path to the full and rewarding lives they deserve. With us, you’ll have a team of experts who will design a treatment plan that’s just as unique as you are. You’ll learn about what’s underlying your eating disorder. You’ll practice new coping skills, including how to forge a healthier relationship with food through hands-on meal preparation

Video from PESS
Family Crisis Clinicians, School clearances, crisis evaluations, referrals to treatment providers at no cost to the student’s family.

Goals:

• Prevent a psychiatric crisis

• Prevent costly emergency room visits

• Minimize the potential impacts of trauma

Evaluations can be completed at home, in school, or other locations at family request.
Child & Family Crisis Clinicians can offer same-day or following-day appointments.

Click here for the Monmouth County COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics dates/times for February 2022.

New Jersey is funding the FREE at-home mail-away PCR tests. You can order one for each person in your home! Quick, easy, and at home! Order yours today by going to this site, Click Here.

1. Order your test from Vault. The test kit will arrive at your home via expedited shipping.

2. Zoom while you take your specimen.

3. Ship your sample to the lab using a prepaid UPS package.

Get your result 24 to 48 hours after your sample arrives at the lab.

Check out the Human Rights Campaign's All Children - All Families: Online Learning Archive, a webinar series on a variety of LGBTQ inclusion topics including: Best Practices for Serving LGBTQ Youth, Navigating Conversations on Religion & The LGBTQ Community, LGBTQ Parents Speak Out: What They Have Learned About Fostering Youth, and many more!

In 2017, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation partnered with researchers at the University of Connecticut to deploy a comprehensive survey capturing the experiences of LGBTQ youth in their family settings, schools, social circles and communities. Over 12,000 youth aged 13-17 participated in the survey, with representation from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Access the results in the 2018 LGBTQ Youth Report.

The New Jersey Department of Education is deeply committed to ensuring that schools are safe, welcoming and inclusive environments for all students regardless of race or ethnicity, sexual and gender identities, mental and physical abilities and religious beliefs. The New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) are designed to support the development of curricula that highlight the contributions and experiences of individuals with diverse abilities, cultures, identities and perspectives. Click Here to Explore the NEW RESOURCES

This virtual training focuses on developing the knowledge, skills, and best practices essential to delivering equitable and high-quality services to members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning/Queer + (LGBTQ+) community.

ICARE: INCLUSION, COURTESY, AWARENESS, RESPECT & EDUCATION

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available.

Click here for details.

For more information email: ICARE@ssw.rutgers.edu

Check out the upcoming Monmouth County Trade & Job Fair Career to learn more about pathways that do not require a 4 year college degree: Trade Schools, Unions, Certificate Programs, Employers, US Military.

When:

February 24th, 2022, 6-8pm @ the Freehold Career Center

1000 Kozloski Rd, Freehold, NJ 07728

For more information: e-mail Joe Palumbo, jpalumbo@kpsdschools.org

Civility Week Community Agreement Click Here https://libguides.brookdalecc.edu/civility.

We come together during Civility Week to enhance our understanding of, and learn more about,

the meaning and importance of civility. We commit to an honest, brave, respectful conversation,

where participants are encouraged to speak openly, listen actively, embrace curiosity, and gather

wisdom. Together, we will strive to:

• Learn and grow
• Listen and understand
• Recognize that experiences are perceived
• Acknowledge where power and privilege exist; and
• Provide space for all voices to share.

Click here to learn more about all of the mental health and wellness supports that Integrated Care Concepts & Consultation offers for adolescents.

Supports include: Intensive Outpatient Programs, Partial Hospitalization Programs, Individual/Group/Family sessions, Mind/Body Skills Training, LGBTQ+ Inclusivity & Exploration, and more.

• Trauma has many faces.
  

  Abuse, neglect, high conflict divorce, parental substance abuse, accidents, natural disasters, illness, death of a loved one . . .

• Explore how ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) impacts the health* of traumatized people across the lifespan

Click here to download the PDF Handbook

Click here to watch the 1 hour video

Please share the link below with your families. Encourage them to complete the survey and we’ll take it from there. This information is extremely important as we advocate for increased services and supports for our families and children. Please share this link and help us with this effort

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FamiliesIn2022

The NJ Comprehensive School-Based Mental Health Resource Guide was just released by the NJDOE to help school districts address the mental health needs of students, educators, and school staff.

Additional NJDOE Resources:

• NJDOE's Student Wellness webpage
• Mental Health & Schools webpage
• Monthly Webinars from The Northeast and Caribbean Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) at Rutgers University

Free cancer screenings are available for uninsured and underinsured men and women in Monmouth and Ocean County. Click here for flyer information.

To see if you are eligible for free screening services, or to schedule an appointment: Monmouth County call (732)-933-3952; Ocean County call (732)-818-6834

Now more than ever, it is critical to reduce the stigma around mental health struggles, because that stigma often prevents individuals from seeking help.

Click here for available resources.

Local Resources in our community

The Mental Health Association (MHA) of Monmouth County has a parent booklet available that provides parents with information about local mental health resources available to children, adolescents, and families.

It provides parents with information about local mental health resources available to children, adolescents, and families. Topics include school refusal strategies, helping children with increased anxiety, how to know when to seek professional help, and Monmouth County specific resources for additional supports.

Access here: "Better Together: Answers for Parents/Guardians"

Click here for a comprehensive list of hotlines, interventions, & mental health referral sources in Monmouth County.

The State of New Jersey offers a great place for parent resources. Everything is in one spot for your convenience. Please visit the site by clicking here.

NJ Parent Link

www.njparentlink.nj.gov

NJ Parent Link Older Siblings

https://www.njparentlink.nj.gov/njparentlink/developmental/older/

NJ Parent Link Child Care & K-12

https://www.njparentlink.nj.gov/njparentlink/childcare/choices/

NJ Parent Link Special Situations

https://www.njparentlink.nj.gov/njparentlink/services/special/

NJ Parent Link COVID-19 Family Resources

https://njparentlink.nj.gov/njparentlink/current/covid-19.html

NJ COVID-19: Coping, Challenges, Crises Intervention & Support

https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/youthhelp

A free, online database with 1500+ resources that are locally accessible for Monmouth County residents. Search for Behavioral/Mental Health providers for adults, youth, and children in Monmouth County on Monmouth ResourceNet.

Educators often refer to their Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) as "a culture" that should be deeply embedded in the school. However, bringing this idea to life can be difficult. For MTSS to change student outcomes, it's essential to build human processes and protocols around taking action on the data to support students.

Click Here to register

Positive mental health promotes success in life. As defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine

how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at

every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.” In schools, we

prioritize three critical and inter-related components of mental health: social (how we

relate to others), emotional (how we feel), and behavioral (how we act) supports to promote

overall well-being. Click Here for the Guide

Click here for a data report from Mental Health America (MHA) that looks at the state of mental health across all 50 states. Rankings explore which states are most effective at addressing issues related to mental health and substance use.

Click Here for the flyer for the registration

Underage Marijuana (2/17)

Identifying risks of teen substance abuse (3/3)

Sports Injury and Substance Abuse (3/17)

Tech and Social Media (3/31)

Navigating Prom Season (4/7)

Power of Nutrition and Fitness (4/28)

Marijuana Legalization changed my home (5/12)

A series guide to Monmouth & Ocean County cancer, chronic disease, & COVID-19 Resources--prevention, screening, social & support services. Presented in English & Spanish. February 23rd webinar @ 10-11am to be held on CancerCare

Click here for flyer & Zoom links.

A free virtual mindfulness meditation series from Pure Edge. Join Anne Contreras for a four-part series of interactive sessions that center around 20-minute guided meditation practices in support of self-care.

February 8, 10, 15, & 17 @ 3pm.

Register here.

The Federal Government will spend $282 million to get "988" hotline ready by July

WASHINGTON -- The Biden administration will spend $282 million to get a "988" national suicide prevention lifeline up and running by July, officials at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said Monday.

Click Here to read more about the new "Lifeline"

In this NIMH-hosted webinar, presenters describe innovative practices in school-based suicide prevention they are currently implementing, with a particular focus on risk identification, follow up, and referral for additional services for high-risk youth.

In addition to describing the programs, presenters discussed preliminary research efforts and challenges, as well as ways to overcome common barriers to implementing suicide prevention in schools, including data collection and evaluation.

Watch the 1/14/22 webinar recording.

The TLC & AFSP NJ created a helpful padlet of Suicide Prevention Resources for educators, parents, and youth with national and state resources.

This group is geared toward parents who are interested in connecting with similar individuals as they discuss the ups and downs of parenting. An open forum for parents to connect and share experiences, concerns, and resources.

5:30pm on the first Wednesday of the month via Telehealth.

Flyer of Information. Website.

Support Group that motivates victims and survivors to share their experiences and reclaim their lives. Group will be conducted via Zoom and in person if possible.

Thursdays 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM

For registration and inquiries :

Phone: 732-621-9878

Email: Alaa@mercycenternj.org

A four week FREE program that helps parents and youth build stronger relationships through fun interactive discussions and activities. Family Connection is open to parents, grandparents, caregivers and other adults that impact a child's life.

Dates: Thursdays in February: 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, 2/24

Time: 5:30 pm—6:30 pm

Hosted virtually through Zoom

Parents will understand: the importance of self-care, share ideas on how to support your children, learn ways to improve family communication.

Youth will learn: how to deal with stress, understand how to handle peer pressure, learn ways to communicate better with your family, teachers, and friends.

To register. Program flyer.

For more information, contact ShaRonda Amon at sharonda.amon@wcpnj.org

UPCOMING CAMP PROGRAMS in New JERSEY

• April 22-24 at Camp Mason

• for ages 7-17 (plus Optional Parent Program)

• May 20-22 at Camp Johnsonburg in Partnership with A Little Hope Foundation

• for Suicide Loss
• for ages 7-25 (plus Optional Parent Program)

• Sept 9-11 at Camp Mason

• for ages 7-17

• October 21-23 at Camp Mason

• for ages 7-17
• https://comfortzonecamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2022_CZC_Programs_NJ.pdf
  

A weekly virtual support group from Oceans Family Success Center to empower family members and friends of individuals with substance use disorder. Held on Mondays @ 6:30pm-7:30pm starting January 10th.

Click here for more information, or contact Dennis LoGiudice for login information at dennis@oceansfsc.com.

• Employment Wellness Fridays 10am

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJElf-mtrjMsG9DIJD_gDpiL5yDkTGtpVQnG

• Job Search Fridays 1pm

https://zoom.us/j/9373874268

• Language of Letting Go Friday 2pm

https://zoom.us/j/94536588193

• Light Bulb Group Friday 3pm

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0odu2srTorE9OBfwE0wpI4bgQ9GvMi87fW

• Guilt and Shame Friday 3pm

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwucemrqTwsHtdbw9Y0EZCcVmqVOYT0Zklq

• Healing Connections Friday 4:30pm

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMrc-qrqjguH92ThHuKeZDp9a8pYTAkjyFR

• Anxiety and Depression Support Group Friday 4pm

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIkf-muqjwoH9XOr8Td4_mylFYnx8y67Stn

• Music to my Ears Friday 7pm

https://zoom.us/j/653731530

This group offers support for anyone that needs support in recovery. 1-833-2B-SOBER is their hotline. Our peer-led support group meetings are open to all individuals and families impacted by substance use disorder. Pre-registration for the support group is required.

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.

This is a peer-run service providing ongoing support to mental health consumers as they work towards their recovery. All calls are answered by peers who are trained, supportive people with lived experience with mental health disorder.

Peer Recovery WarmLine
Weekdays 8 am - 10 pm
Weekends 5 pm - 10 pm
Holidays 3 pm - 10 pm

This Call Line focuses on helping people who are experiencing distress related to the substance use disorder of a family member or friend. This service is a safe, confidential, and nonjudgmental forum that New Jerseyans may call to connect, grow, and transform through a unique combination of supportive counseling from Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors and Peer Specialists.

Weekdays 8 am – 10 pm
Weekends 5 pm – 10 pm
Holidays 3 pm – 10 pm

Training is open to anyone who is at risk of an opioid overdose or their family and friends. All participants will receive a treatment voucher for 30 days of free substance abuse treatment, at JSAS Healthcare, Inc., to use or distribute to any person that needs medication-assisted treatment.

In addition, education will be provided on how to administer Narcan® (naloxone) to reverse a heroin/opioid overdose.

Weekly Virtual Trainings & 2/15 Live Training available.

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.

BlueCrest Recovery Center located in Woodland Park, NJ offers a variety of treatment programs for individuals with addiction disorders, and resources for parents and families:

• Addiction Resources for Parents
• How to Build A Sober Support Network
• About BlueCrest

The Substance Use Referral & Education (SURE) Hotline was developed by the Mental Health Association of Monmouth County, Prevention First, Youth Services Commission, and other key community stakeholders as a resource for youth and families to find support for underage substance use challenges.

SURE staff members will assist in providing referrals and linkages to assessments, treatment, and other applicable community resources based on the family’s needs.

Click Here for the Poster

Click Here to Learn More and Register for this program

If you've been thinking of quitting smoking or vaping, there's no time like the present.

On average, people are four times more likely to quit smoking or vaping when participating in a structured program than attempting to quit on their own. It’s important to have a plan and some help.

The RWJBarnabas Health Institute for Prevention and Recovery offers FREE tobacco and nicotine treatment services, which include working with a Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist and free nicotine replacement therapies including patches, gum, and lozenges (no insurance required).

Our Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialists continue to provide services while practicing safe social distancing. Treatment sessions are currently being conducted via phone and web, with virtual group/individual counseling and delivery of nicotine replacement therapies via mail or call us at 833-795-QUIT to learn more.

The Substance Use Referral & Education (SURE) Hotline is a resource available to all Monmouth County youth and families to find support for underage substance use challenges.

SURE assists in providing referral and linkages to assessments, treatment, and other applicable community resources based on the family’s needs. For further information on the SURE program, please call (732) 542-6422, or Click Here.

Marijuana and alcohol use are the most common reasons youth in Monmouth County enter substance use treatment. Learn the facts on the impacts that drug and alcohol have on youth brain development, social functioning, mental health, and more.

Click here to access Facts To Consider for Marijuana/Cannabis use and Underage Drinking, developed by PCMC and MHAMC, with special thanks to the DART Prevention Coalition of Ocean County.

Click Here for more information

Educators and Teachers: Looking for a great distance learning program? AAA Northeast has a wonderful E-learning Module for health and driver education teachers: Shifting Gears, the Blunt Truth about marijuana and driving.

TCRF Gives support to children affected by addiction. Services include:

• Addiction Education
• Peer Support Groups
• Dance, Yoga and Karate
• Sand Play and Meditation

Call 848-241-0088

Click Here for the Child Enrollment Form

The Center offers a tool kit to understand the impact of the legalization of Marijuana. Please click here to get connected with the resources. The Center offers many evidence-based programs and evidence-informed programs for youth from Kindergarten to 12th grade and professionals that are recommended by several agencies, such as Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), evidenced-based registries, and the New Jersey Department of Education.

The Center for Network Therapy (CNT) is America’ number one drug treatment and alcohol rehab program. CNT provides contemporary, evidence-based, outpatient addiction treatment that delivers far better outcomes relative to conventional treatment for substance use disorders. CNT is in-network with all private health insurance plans and offers Ambulatory or Outpatient Detoxification & Withdrawal Management, Partial Care and Intensive Outpatient, or IOP. CNT has 3 detox centers in New Jersey: Freehold, Middlesex and West Orange.

Click Here for the list of their Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Services. They have several locations.

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News Article- Mental Health Crisis and Coverage

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News Article- Opiate New Guidelines for Prescribing

Thank you for Reading this Far… Now take a minute for yourself. Breathe and give yourself a momentary reward for sharing your time with us. Think of nothing, absolutely nothing and just enjoy your breath. -Joyous

Have a beautiful & restful week!

We appreciate you taking the time to share in this newsletter with us. I hope you have a wonderful week! -Krista