MCPIK Awarded Federal Grant to Mentor Children of Prisoners

Prevention Is Key was recently awarded a three year federal grant to provide mentoring services to children of incarcerated parents in the region of Hunterdon, Morris and Passaic county. The Mentoring Children of Prisoners (MCP) Project is a collaborative effort between MCPIK, (as the lead agency), Hunterdon Prevention Resources, NORWESCAP and Empowerment Solutions. The Mentoring Children of Prisoners Program is funded through the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. MCPIK competed nationally in a pool of nearly 1000 applicants to receive one of 84 individual awards to provide this much needed program to the regions most at risk youth. New staff members, Paul Halpern, M.Ed., MCP Program Coordinator and Kristin Vincent, Project Assistant have joined the agency and will be leading this effort along with staff from our collaborative partners.

To get more information about this new initiative or volunteer to be a mentor please contact Paul or Kristin at 973-625-1998 or via email at: PHalpern@mcpik.org or KVincint@mcpik.org.

Military Family Night Out Begins in January 2011

For  The  Toughest  Job  You’ll  E ver Have...Being  A  Parent!

Prevention Is Key will be hosting a Military Family Night Out starting in January 2011 featuring the award winning Strengthening Families Program. If you’re a military family with a child between 6 – 14 years of age, this is a great fun program for you. Program Highlights include:

·    Based on the nationally researched program, Strengthening Families

·    Program Free of Charge

·    Family Dinner provided at each session

·    Gifts/Incentives for participating

·    Babysitting services available for younger siblings 

This program provides skill-building sessions and fun family activities that will help:

•   Parents/Caregivers

·        Encourage good behavior

·        Protect against substance abuse

•   Youth

·        Deal with stress

·        Handle Peer Pressure

•   Family

·        Build family communication

·        Understand family values

 To have your family participate of for more information, please call:
Barbara Kauffman at 973-625-1998 or via email at BKauffman@mcpik.org

WISE and Take Control of Your Health Starting in Multiple Locations Throughout Morris

The Wellness Initiative for Senior Education (WISE) Program celebrates healthy aging and educates older adults so they are less likely to experience problems associated with alcohol and medications and more likely to make positive lifestyle choices as they age. We provide older adults with the information and resources they need to maintain a healthy lifestyle and feel empowered about their health and the health care they receive. This program is generously funded through a grant from the NJ State Office of faith Based Initiatives

Take Control of Your Health, aka The Chronic Disease Self-Management Program,  is a Stanford University developed workshop where people with different chronic diseases attend together. It teaches the skills needed in the day-to-day management of treatment and to maintain and/or increase life’s activities.This program is generously funded through a grant from the NJ State department of health and Senior Services.

WISE and take Control programs are currently underway in The St. Clare's Hospital in Dover and the Rockaway Township Health Department. New programs are scheduled to start after the first of the year at Horizons Senior Living and again in Rockaway Township If you or someone you know are interested in participating in WISE or Take Control of Your health, please contact Barb Kauffman at Morris County Prevention is Key, 973-625-1998 or bkauffman@mcpik.org.

Morris County Parent/ Youth Summit: December 9th

Prevention Is Key along with numerous collaborative partners is sponsoring The Morris County Parent / Youth Summit for 2010. Scheduled for December 9th at the Meadow Wood Manor in Randolph, this years event is titled "Queen Bees and Wannabes: Navigating the Realities of Girl World and Boy World and will be presented by noted author Rosalind Wiseman. Ms. Wiseman, author of New York Times bestselling book Queen Bees and Wannabes will guide parents and teens through the transformations in the adolescent landscape over the past several years, outlined in the revised and updated edition of her groundbreaking book.

Pre-registration is REQUIRED for this event! 

To register please call 1-866-782-5273 before December 3rd.

Collaborative Problem Solving Workshop A Big Success

Prevention Is Key, along with collaborative partners including St. Clare's Behavioral Health, Morris Sussex CMO, Family Support Organization of Morris/Sussex and NAMI, presented a community workshop, An Overview of Collaborative Problem Solving on November 8. The workshop was facilitated by Alicia Stevenson of NAMI and was hosted at the Caring Partners facility in Mt. Arlington. Over 60 professionals and community members attended this outstanding  presentation and came away with invaluable strategies for more effectively dealing with children possessing behavioral, social and emotional challenges.

NSE Selected to Present at the 21st National Leadership Forum in DC

New Social Engine (NSE) has been selected to present at this years Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) conference in February 2011 in Washington, DC. Student leaders from each campus group along with Program Coordinator Dave Bratton will deliver a best practices workshop to a national audience of over 3,000 attendees on the NSE model and experience as it relates to reducing the consequences of high risk and underage alcohol consumption among the 18 to 25 year old population using an environmental prevention approach.

CADCA is a national membership organization of over 5,000 anti-drug coalitions, each working to make their community safe, healthy, and drug-free. For more information on CADCA and the National Leadership Conference visit their website at  CADCA.org

New Social Engine Roars to Life in Fall Semester

New Social Engine (NSE) groups at the area colleges and universities reconvened after a summer hiatus and have come to life with a roar! "We hit the ground running this fall", project coordinator Dave Bratton reflected. Since the fall semester convened in late August, the Drew, FDU and CCM campus NSE chapters have sponsored over sixteen (16) major alcohol free events with participation totaling nearly three thousand (3,000) students. This is not including the monthly NSE coalitions meetings and leadership round tables. The massive impact this initiative has had on the college community has not gone unrecognized by the university staff. "NSE has made a noticeable difference here", a FDU administrative staff member commented recently. Other positive feedback has been that this years college opening was one of the quietest on record. Besides gaining a significant loyal membership NSE has also made an impact on school policy. In little more than a year since its inception the NSE groups have begun to impact the substance use policies of each of their campuses. 

To read more about the group and their recent events, check out these articles in the college newspapers: 

http://www.drewacorn.com/life-arts/weekend-nightlife-comes-to-drew-1.1577167

http://www.drewacorn.com/life-arts/how-to-get-high-naturally-1.1602714

http://www.drewacorn.com/life-arts/humans-vs-zombies-1.1436262

http://themetrofdu.com/blog1/2010/10/04/comedian-discusses-natural-high/

http://themetrofdu.com/blog1/2010/10/04/nse%E2%80%88pool-party-makes-a-splash/

http://themetrofdu.com/blog1/2010/09/20/new-beginnings-at-fall-club-fair/

New Social Engine (NSE) is an initiative of Morris County Prevention is Key and is funded through the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF-SIG), a program designed to prevent and reduce the harmful consequences of alcohol use among 18-25 year olds in Morris County's Collegiate Community. For more information please contact Dave Bratton at 973-625-1998 or dbratton@mcpik.org.www.newsocialengine.com

County-Wide Recovery Month Celebration

 

On September 23, 2010 Morris County Prevention Is Key collaborated with the Market Street Mission to host Morris County's first annual county-wide Recovery Month Celebration. Twenty-one partner community organizations joined MCPIK at the Morristown Green to offer information about addiction, prevention, treatment and recovery services. Keynote speakers included MC Freeholder John Murphy, Morris Township Mayor Scott Rosenbush, a member of the local recovery community as well as an open mic opportunity for other community members to share their personal stories of recovery. Legislators, addiction and prevention professionals and community members all expressed their great appreciation for the event and looked forward to participating again next year.

Morris County Prosecutor's Office and JBWS are Featured at Wednesday's FREE Hispanic Town Hall in Dover

Community Trials Intervention is sponsoring a free Hispanic Community Town Hall Meeting on Underage Drinking on Wednesday, June 9th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at Head Start in Dover (18 Thompson Ave, Dover). The purpose of the meeting is to increase community awareness on the issue of underage drinking, identify how underage drinking affects the community, and brainstorm possible solutions. The meeting will provide an opportunity for parents, officials, youth, and other community members to voice their concerns and suggest ideas for preventing young people from using alcohol. Detective Mark Castellano from the Morris County Prosecutor's Office as well as Amanda Lopez from Jersey Battered Women's Services will be featured speakers at the meeting.

Light refreshments as well as babysitting services will be provided. If you plan on bringing your children, please call Head Start at 973-989-9052 to register for babysitting.

Please contact Heidi Brotzman at hbrotzman@mcpik.org or 973-625-1998 for more information.

Pending State Budget Cuts to Tobacco Prevention Programs is Bad News for New Jersey

Letter to the Editor
By Jack Elsmore
Tobacco Prevention Coordinator, Morris County Prevention is Key

As of June 30, 2010, funding for tobacco prevention and education programs through the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services’ (NJDHSS) Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program (CTCP) will come to an end due to state budget cuts. As a result, the dedicated educators who have been conducting tobacco prevention programs for many years throughout the state will likely be unable to continue providing free programs for schools, businesses, and other community organizations.

The fact is that the state of New Jersey collects around $750 million in cigarette taxes each year, yet only spends about $7 million on tobacco prevention and cessation programs. So where is all that money going, and why can’t some of it be used for tobacco prevention purposes? More importantly, what happens when the funding stops? Will smoking-related diseases increase in New Jersey as result? Will more kids start smoking at an early age because there is no one there to educate them or their parents about the dangers?

The need for programs like CTCP is clear. According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, around 9,000 youth under the age of 18 become daily smokers each year in New Jersey alone. It gets even worse when you consider the whole picture of tobacco use in our state:

The Toll of Tobacco in New Jersey
• High school students who smoke: 15.8% (74,600)
• Male high school students who use smokeless or spit tobacco: 9.0% (females use much lower)
• Kids exposed to secondhand smoke at home: 398,000
• Packs of cigarettes bought or smoked by kids each year: 17.1 million
• Adults in New Jersey who smoke: 14.8% (981,900)

(Source: Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/settlements/toll.php?StateID=NJ)

As the Tobacco Prevention Coordinator at Morris County Prevention is Key, I have provided a program called “Smoke Signals” to over 30,000 youth and adults in Morris County in just two and a half years. When CTCP funds end on June 30, programs like Smoke Signals that help prevent and reduce tobacco use among youth and the community at large will be extremely difficult to sustain. I will still do volunteer work in Morris County trying to reach as many as I can, but without state funding, the fight to keep New Jersey smoke-free is in jeopardy – and so is our health. At this time all we can do is hope.

Morris County Prevention is Key (MCPIK) is a non-profit agency dedicated to promoting the health and well being of our community and to preventing substance abuse, addiction, violence and related issues through heightened awareness, advocacy, education programs, information, referral, and other services. MCPIK’s office is located at 25 W. Main St, Rockaway, NJ. For more information please contact us by phone 973-625-1998 or email info@mcpik.org or visit us on the web at www.mcpik.org.

Senior Wellness Education Seminar Kicks Off in Jefferson

The Wellness Initiative for Senior Education (WISE) Program celebrates healthy aging and educates older adults so they are less likely to experience problems associated with alcohol and medications and more likely to make positive lifestyle choices as they age.

We provide older adults with the information and resources they need to maintain a healthy lifestyle and feel empowered about their health and the healthcare they receive.

The WISE Program was developed over the last ten years by the New Jersey Prevention Network (NJPN) and implemented locally by NJPN’s 19 member agencies throughout New Jersey. Implementation and evaluation efforts were made possible with support from the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Addiction Services and the Northeast Center for the Application of Prevention Technology (NECAPT) Service to Science Program.

A new WISE program is kicking off Friday, May 7 in the Jefferson area. If you or someone you know are interested in participating in WISE, please contact Barb Kauffman at Morris County Prevention is Key, 973-625-1998 or bkauffman@mcpik.org.

Undead Take Over Morris County Universities

"New Social Engine" (NSE) student groups at Fairleigh Dickinson and Drew Universities recently organized a "Humans vs. Zombies" game where hundreds of students participated. Humans vs. Zombies is a survival game where "human" players fight off increasingly large numbers of "zombies." If a human is "turned," then that player becomes a zombie in turn.

NSE is becoming increasingly popular on college campuses in the area, and students are participating in the activities of the group as an alternative to engaging in high risk behaviors, such as binge drinking or drug use.

Drew University's student newspaper, The Acorn, published a full page article on students' experiences with NSE and the campus-wide Humans vs. Zombies game.

Students are also getting involved in NSE through Facebook groups, which exist for each NSE chapter on college campuses in Morris County. Some students even participated in creating video advertisements for the Humans vs. Zombies game, which are posted on YouTube.



NSE is a project of Morris County Prevention is Key and is funded through the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF-SIG), a program designed to prevent and reduce the harmful consequences of alcohol use among 18-25 year olds in Morris County. For more information please contact Dave Bratton at 973-625-1998 or dbratton@mcpik.org.

CTI Coalition Helps Pass Alcohol Awareness Proclamations in Randolph and Pequannock Townships

The Community Trials Intervention (CTI) Coalition, a project of Morris County Prevention Is Key (MCPIK), plays a critical role in reducing high risk and underage drinking in Dover, Randolph and Pequannock Townships and in implementing strategies to change community norms and attitudes surrounding alcohol use. The coalition is comprised of concerned citizens and community representatives and is open to anyone who lives or works in its three target towns.

CTI employs a set of environmental interventions implemented by local community coalitions to create changes in policies and systems that decrease high risk drinking patterns, which include binge drinking, alcohol-related vehicle crashes and violent assaults.

One of CTI’s current initiatives is to pass proclamations in its three target towns to raise awareness about this issue. Randolph and Pequannock Townships each adopted proclamations declaring April as Alcohol Awareness Month, which were signed by Mayors Jay Alpert and Edward Engelbart, respectively. In the proclamations, the mayors also urged each of their constituencies to join them in supporting the CTI Coalition and its work in the community.

For more information about CTI and its efforts to reduce high risk drinking in Dover, Randolph and Pequannock Townships, please call Heidi Brotzman at 973-625-1998 or e-mail hbrotzman@mcpik.org.

CTI is coordinated by Morris County Prevention is Key, which provides educational resources and programs on substance abuse and related issues. Funding for CTI is provided by the New Jersey Division of Addiction Services (DAS).

Community Survey on Youth Substance Use

Community Coalition for a Safe & Healthy Morris (CCSHM) recently rolled out a community-wide survey on youth substance use in Morris County. The survey is open to ALL who live or work in Morris County communities, and is intended for ALL ages 12 and over. We will be collecting responses on an ongoing basis, and encourage our partners to forward widely and display on their organizations' websites, if possible.

CLICK BELOW TO BEGIN:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/morriscountysurvey

For more information, please contact Michelle Toon at 973-625-1998 or mtoon@mcpik.org.

CCSHM is a project of Morris County Prevention is Key and is funded by the federal government's Drug Free Communities Support Program. CCSHM's mission is to prevent and reduce youth substance use in Morris County through collaboration, education and community-wide change. Consider joining us for our next meeting at 9am on Wednesday, June 9 at the Randolph Municipal Building, 502 Millbrook Avenue, Randolph.

New Social Engine Hosts College Night at Funplex

New Social Engine student groups from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Drew University and County College of Morris recently hosted a free night out at the Funplex in East Hanover on Thursday, April 8th. Over 600 college students attended!

New Social Engine (NSE) is a project of Morris County Prevention is Key and is funded through the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF-SIG), a program designed to prevent and reduce the harmful consequences of alcohol use among 18-25 year olds in Morris County. For more information please contact Dave Bratton at 973-625-1998 or dbratton@mcpik.org.

Parents and Teens Turn Out for Town Hall Meeting at Drew University

Around 100 parents and teens from Morris County attended a town hall meeting on underage drinking on March 31 at Drew University. Keynote speaker Dr. Walter Rosenfeld, Chairman of Pediatrics at Goryeb Children's Hospital, provided an overview of the problem of youth alcohol use and touched on effective parenting strategies. The meeting featured a panel of experts who provided information on a variety of topics including legal consequences of underage drinking, effects of alcohol use on the teen brain, and the "40 Developmental Assets" essential to youth success. The audience also heard from a parent and a teen who discussed parenting, communication styles and substance use. The event was made possible through a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). MCPIK and several community partners worked together to organize the meeting, including Community Coalition for a Safe & Healthy Morris (CCSHM), Morris County Partners in Substance Abuse Prevention, Morristown Memorial Hospital, Goryeb Children's Hospital, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

2010 DFC Application Submitted!

In March, MCPIK and the Community Coalition for a Safe & Healthy Morris (CCSHM) submitted an application for federal funding from the Drug Free Communities (DFC) Support Program. The DFC Program was started as a result of the passage of the Drug Free Communities Act of 1997. Since its inception, the program has funded more than 1,600 community coalitions addressing youth substance use. For more information about Drug Free Communities, visit http://www.ondcp.gov/DFC/. Pictured above are Michelle Toon, CCSHM Coordinator, and Melody Runyon, Financial Manager, with the completed application boxed & ready for shipping.

MCPIK Staff Attend CADCA 2010 National Leadership Forum

Michelle Toon, CCSHM Coordinator with DFC Administrator

Jack Claypoole at Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America

(CADCA) National Leadership forum in Washington, DC

Representatives of the Community Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Morris (CCSHM), a group focusing on youth substance abuse issues, attended the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) National Leadership Forum in Washington, DC, February 8 through 12. CADCA provides training for coalitions on how to impact youth substance abuse through community-wide change. CADCA also works closely with the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to provide competitive grant funds for community-based coalitions through the Drug Free Communities (DFC) Support Program.

CCSHM is comprised of a group of community members working together to reduce substance abuse among youth in Morris County. CCSHM needs the involvement of community members to help implement strategies to change attitudes and availability of drugs. The next CCSHM meeting is 9:00am, Wednesday, April 7th at The Randolph Municipal Building, Conference Room A&B, 502 Millbrooke Avenue in Randolph, NJ. Meetings are open to ALL Morris County residents...join us to make a difference!

Get WISE About Healthy Aging

There's no substance or fountain of youth than can actually extend life, but chances of remaining healthy and improving longevity are within everyone's power to control. Up to a certain age - usually mid to late thirties - many people reject the notion of aging. Then comes a point when we realize it's actually happening, and then reality sets in - your children are having their own baies and you're wondering where DID the time go?! This has been referred to as the "3 Rs" of aging...Rejection, Realization, Reality.

MCPIK is the proud recipient of a Faith-Based Initiatives grant to present the award winning WISE (Wellness Initiative for Senior Education) Program, which will help with the reality of aging, help you make the right choices to live a long, healthy, happy life, and provide some simple tools to feel empowered about your health. Four of these compelling programs will be presented this year, all FREE to the 60+ Morris County Community.

The WISE presentations cover a wide range of topics of interest to seniors, as well as an opportunity to meet other seniors in the community. Some of the topics covered....

• The aging process and making healthy lifestyle choices
• Celebrating stage of life and benefits that come only with age
• Risk factors and behaviors to avoid in order to stay healthy
• The effect of alcohol, prescription and OTC meds
• Using simple tools to feel empowered about your health
  

We haven't got a firm date as of this writing, but we anticipate scheduling the first of the four programs in early February. Details will be in local papers and in this newsletter. Contact Barbara Kauffman at MCPIK for more information...973-625-1998 or info@MCPIK.org.

MCPIK Awarded F.M. Kirby Foundation Grant

Christopher Goeke, Executive Director of Morris County Prevention is Key (MCPIK) is pleased to announce that MCPIK is the proud recipient of a grant from the F.M. Kirby Foundation, Inc. in the amount of $12,500. The grant is intended for general operating support of the agency.

The F.M. Kirby Foundation, based in Morristown, NJ, each year recognizes a limited number of especially deserving health, educational, cultural, religious and other charitable organizations whose programs are reflective of important contemporary problems in our society. The Foundation favors programs encouraging people to solve their own problems without government aid.

Morris County Prevention is Key is a community focused non-profit organization providing prevention education programs, professional development training, advocacy, information and referral, and the county’s most extensive resource center with current materials that address substance abuse and other emerging issues of concern to the Morris County Community. MCPIK can always use a helping hand, so contact them if you’re interested in volunteering to help make a difference in your community. They are located at 25 West Main Street, Rockaway, NJ 07866. Contact them at 973-625-1998; send email to info@mcpik.org or log on to www.mcpik.org.