Fall News
Student Assistance Program
The State of New Jersey has enacted legislation requiring all school districts to designate the first week of October (10/2-10/6) as the “Week of Respect” and the third week of October (10/20-10/24) as “School Violence Awareness Week.” School districts shall observe these weeks by organizing activities that promote respect and prevent school violence.
This is a great time for students and staff to discuss ways to prevent school violence and participate in activities that endorse respect, responsibility, and tolerance.
World Mental Health Day is a day to talk about mental health and show everyone that mental health matters. It’s also a day to let people know that it’s okay to ask for help, no matter what you’re going through.
As the theme of World Mental Health Day highlights, ‘mental health is a universal human right’. That’s why at Mental Health Foundation, we’re dedicated to addressing the inequalities in mental health and working towards good mental health for all, not just for some.
As part of the Week of Respect and World Mental Health Day, NJ4S representatives visited our high school lunches.
They created an "Affirmation Station" where students could write positive affirmations, take an affirmation, and there were mental health awareness stickers and bracelets for students.
NJ4S Representatives Created the Clearview Affirmation Station
NJ4S Gloucester County
Students Gather Around the Affirmation Station
Each year, on October 23-31, individuals, schools, and communities across the United States show their commitment to a healthy, drug-free lifestyle by wearing or displaying the red ribbon. Red Ribbon Week raises awareness of drug use and the problems related to drugs faced by individuals, families, and communities. This annual health observance encourages parents, educators, business owners, and other community organizations to promote drug-free lifestyles.
Red Ribbon Week started more than three decades ago, following the death of Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration who was killed by drug traffickers. Shortly after Special Agent Camarena’s death, citizens from his hometown of Calexico, California, began wearing red ribbons to remember him and commemorate his sacrifice.
Red Ribbon Week offers a great opportunity for parents, teachers, educators, and community organizations to raise awareness of the problem of drug misuse.
Members of the Mental Health Awareness Club/SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) will place red ribbons throughout the school as a reminder of Red Ribbon Week and host a table with giveaways that include: pens, pencils, stickers, and bracelets!
Parents! There is a great resource called Natural High. There are short videos you can watch with your child/children. Each is a recognizable face who is living their life drug-free.
Please check out this valuable resource: https://www.naturalhigh.org/for-parents/
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States. An estimated 28.3 million U.S. adults smoke cigarettes, and about 3.08 million U.S. middle and high school students use at least one tobacco product, including e-cigarettes. Every day, about 1,600 U.S. youth younger than 18 years smoke their first cigarette. Each year, nearly half a million Americans die prematurely of smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke. Another 16 million live with a serious illness caused by smoking. Each year, the United States spends more than $225 billion on medical care to treat smoking-related disease in adults.
Most people who misuse prescription drugs get them from family, friends, and acquaintances.
You can make a difference by keeping track of the medicine you have, by rethinking where and how you keep your medications in your home, and by safely disposing of any unused medications.
*This link below is a list of local drop boxes in Gloucester County
https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/meddrop/pages/locations.aspx#Gloucester
There are many things you can do to help your children stay away from drugs and make good choices:
Talk with your children about drugs before they are teens.
Explain why taking drugs can hurt their health, their friends and family, and their future. Tell them you don't want them to take drugs that they aren’t supposed to. You can also share the websites found in the Drug Use Prevention Phone Numbers and Websites section. Repeat these messages during their teen years.Text your teen.
Send positive text messages to your teen. Or send a text after you have a conversation that reminds them of your talk. You don't have to worry about popular texting language. Just write the way you talk. Tell them you are proud of them.Be a part of their lives.
Spend time together. Even when times are hard, kids can make it when they know that the adults in their life care about them. Give your child your full attention. Have dinner together, Turn off your TV, cell phone, or computer, and really listen.Know where your children are and what they're doing.
Keeping track of your children helps you protect them. It gives them fewer chances to get into drugs/alcohol.Set clear rules and enforce them fairly.
Kids need rules they can count on. That is how they learn for themselves what is safe and what can get them in trouble. Explain why you are setting a rule so they understand why it matters.Be a good example for your children.
You might not think so, but kids look up to their parents. Show them how you get along with people and deal with stress. This can teach them how to do it.Make your home safe.
Know the people you have in the house. Try not to have people over who misuse drugs and alcohol. Keep track of medicines and cleaning products you have in the house.
Figuring out if your child is using substances can be challenging. Many signs of drug use in teens are typical young adult behavior. Many signs of drug use are also symptoms of mental health issues, including depression or anxiety.
If you have reason to suspect use, don’t be afraid to err on the side of caution. Prepare to take action and have a conversation during which you can ask direct questions like “Have you been drinking, vaping or using drugs?” No parent wants to hear “yes,” but being prepared for how you would respond can be the starting point for a more positive outcome.
Please look through the physical, behavioral, hygiene, and appearance signs that could be happening.
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent.
It is a prescription drug that is also made and used illegally. Like morphine, it is a medicine that is typically used to treat patients with severe pain, especially after surgery.3 It is also sometimes used to treat patients with chronic pain who are physically tolerant to other opioids.4 Tolerance occurs when you need a higher and/or more frequent amount of a drug to get the desired effects.
Raising a child as a grandparent or other caregiver? See support below:
All Things Mental Health/Substance Use Information
Explore the Mental Health Series Library! Scroll to browse topics and click to access a wealth of resources—overview and deep dive videos, key facts, practical tips, related articles, and upcoming live events. Register for sessions that fit your schedule!
School Refusal Podcast - take a listen!
Please click on the link below for information regarding SNAP Information for NJ Families:
Local Thanksgiving Meal Information
Share the gift of gratitude with everyone you know who needs a meal this Thanksgiving.
We are opening our hearts and doors to any family in need of a meal or just a friend to come to the table with. No questions asked, we invite anyone who doesn't want to eat alone, can't afford a meal, is remodeling their kitchen and can't cook, is disabled, or relying on state assistance that isn't there. You are not alone this year. We have been overwhelmed with an amazing outpouring of responses from people asking to donate their time and venues. It's truly heartwarming.
The time will be announced, but for now, let's say Thanksgiving day 2pm-6pm.
The place - Mantua Masonic Lodge - 45 Mantua Blvd, Mantua Township, NJ 08051.
RSVP is needed because of space, but don't worry, if it's more than 125 people, we have other venues that have donated their space for us. We will be more than happy to open our arms and feed as many people as we possibly can handle. Please, give us a call 856-415-1988 and let us know how many. To be clear, it's absolutely free. Please follow us for more info and updates as we move closer.
We looking forward to having the best thanksgiving of our lives this year with our community!
#fb #extreme #fblifestyle #Thanksgiving #food #helpinghands
*Just by signing up, you will be sent a recording of the webinar to your email.
News from the Gloucester County Library!
Come out to the Gloucester County Library for teen programming:
For the months of November and December this includes:
- Teen Club- 11/6, 11/20, 12/4, and 12/18 at 6:30pm
- Teen Gaming Club- Every Friday at 3pm
- Teen Trivia- 12/9 at 6pm
- Intro to Dungeons & Dragons- 12/16 at 6pm
You can access more information about these programs on our website (https://gcls.librarycalendar.com/events/month), as well as register up to a month in advance.