Prevention through Connection
December 2015
Tis the Season to Talk  
10 Resolutions To Show Our Kids We Care  

The holidays often mark a special time of the year for families and friends to celebrate and rejoice! This December, let's especially remember to cherish our time together as we know from recent news headlines just  how fragile life can be across our local community, nation and world. 

Reverend Lori Burgess, Associate Minister of The Congregational Church of Manhasset (UCC), eloquently shared her thoughts about community, family and children during her Red Ribbon Week sermon this fall,  "Being a part of this community means that we are in it together. Our youth belong to all of us. We need each other in this unpredictable life."  

Make this season a time to stop and treasure the wonderful gift of our children.  In celebration of the  New Year, join us in 10 resolutions (Partnership at Drugfree.org) that show our kids how much we value them: 
  1. Teach your children to trust you by seeing you as a role model. Be patient, not just tolerant.
  2. Apologize when you make a mistake or do something that you regret.
  3. Ask teens what they need from you - and do whatever you can to meet those needs.
  4. Listen to your teens...a lot. Avoid interrupting.
  5. Teach your children about the ethics, values and principles they can apply in their own choices and decision making.
  6. Help them discover the feeling of gratitude, not just to say thank you.
  7. Keep the promises you make. If you do not keep your word, acknowledge that. Help your teen to understand the circumstances or choices that prompted you to change your plans.
  8. Answer your teen's questions, and be consistent. When you notice behavioral changes in them, make yourself available and encourage them to talk about what is going on in their life.
  9. Be understanding when they have a difficult time and let them know you will love them no matter what.
  10. Be diligent. Have ongoing conversations with your kids about the risks of drugs and alcohol.
Whether you are home or away with your family this holiday season, enjoy your time together. Remember to talk with your child or t(w)een about the dangers of alcohol and drugs. 
 
Whether 8  or 18 , they do hear us.


Wishing you a very happy, healthy and peaceful holiday season and new year!

Manhasset CASA Executive Board
Join us at CASA's January 14th Sector Meeting 
Featured Guest Speaker to discuss Cultural Diversity 

Manhasset CASA will feature Jean Lau Chin, EdD, ABPP, at its Sector meeting on Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. in the middle school library at Manhasset Secondary School.  Dr. Chin will address how CASA can ensure its mission continues to include participation from Manhasset's many diverse cultures and communities. During this presentation we will learn more about c ultural competency and the Asian community. 

Dr. J ean Lau Chin, Professor at Adelphi University is a distinguished educator, administrator, clinician and scholar and has also held senior management positions as Dean of the Derner Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University.  Dr. Chin  has published extensively in the areas of diversity and cultural competence, leadership, clinical training, Asian American and women's issues, health, and mental health. Her most recent book is on Diversity and Leadership (2014). 

Dr. Chin has served on numerous boards including the  Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) of the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), and the US Department of Health and Human Services.  She c urrently serves as Board chair of the Nassau County Mental Health Association, Chair of the board of the Organization of Chinese Americans-Long Island, President, International Psychology (Division 52), and past-Chair of the APA Council Leadership Team.  

Please join us for this wonderful presentation!
WELCOME CASA's New Sector Members! 
Local business and health sectors join prevention efforts

Manhasset CASA is proud to welcome its newest sector members Jon Morgenstern, Ph.D. and Jessica Houser, Ph.D from the Center for Addiction Services and Psychotherapy Interventions Research (CASPIR) at Northwell Health as well as John Hultz, Manager of Raindew Pharmacy.  

Jon Morgenstern, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychiatry and Director of Substance Abuse Services at Northwell Health, and is the Director of CASPIR. Jessica Houser, Ph.D is Research Scientist and Project Director at CASPIR. She is a substance use specialist who has been treating adults and adolescents in research, academic, and clinical settings since 2006. CASPIR will be participating in CASA's April 20th Town Hall Meeting and provide guidance on its pediatrician outreach regarding underage drinking. 

Raindew has formally joined CASA as a sector member but has supported CASA's programs and initiatives for many years.  Recently, in coordination with the Lock Your Med's campaign, Raindew's Pharmacy was instrumental in delivering customers
pertinent educational material regarding prescription safety and the prevention of prescription drug misuse. CASA looks forward to working with Raindew in our Lock Your Meds initiatives throughout the year.
Synthetic Marijuana
A Danger to our Youth

Alarming headlines in Newsday indicate how teens are putting themselves in harm's way with
synthetic marijuana (synthetic cannabinoids) as a way of getting high. 

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, s ynthetic cannabinoids are man-made mind-altering chemicals that are either sprayed on dried, shredded plant material so they can be smoked (herbal incense) or sold as liquids to be vaporized and inhaled in e-cigarettes and other devices (liquid incense).  This is particularly alarming as Manhasset teens report a new trend in the use of e-cigarettes in the 10/12th grades with Past 30-Day  Use of E-Cigarettes: 27.8% of 12th grade students (national norm 17.1%); 10.5% of 10th grade students (national norm 16.2%); and 0.5% of 8th grade students (national norm 8.7%). 

Synthetic cannabinoids are misleadingly called  synthetic marijuana  or  fake weed because they act on the same brain cell receptors as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the mind-altering ingredient in marijuana. The effects can be unpredictable, severe and even life-threatening.   

Users report some effects similar to those produced by marijuana like elevated mood, relaxation, and altered perception.  Alarmingly, synthetics can also cause serious physical and mental health problems including: rapid heart rate, a rise in blood pressure and reduced blood supply to the heart, kidney damage, seizures, vomiting, violent behavior, symptoms of psychosis and suicidal thoughts.  Synthetics are not detected by standard urine screen tests.  The use of this drug is also associated with a rising number of emergency room visits in New York State.  

Parents are encouraged to talk with their t(w)eens about these drugs which have been sold under multiple brand names such as    K2, Spice, Green Giant, Geeked Up, Caution, Smacked, Wicked X,AK-47, Herbal Incense, Fake  Weed, Yucatan Fire, Skunk, Moon Rocks, Fire, Aroma, Earth impact, Mr. Smiley, Mr. NiceGuy, Zohai, Black Mamba, Dream, Joker, Black Mamba, Kush, and Kronic. 

While it is illegal in New York State  to possess, sell, offer to sell or to manufacture synthetic cannabinoids,  they are often sold in convenience stores, gas stations, bodegas, drug paraphernalia stores.  

Please let your child know that synthetic marijuana is dangerous and even deadly.  For more information regarding synthetics, click here for a fact sheet from the New York State Office of Chemical Dependency.
Power of Parenting Series begins January 28th!
Resiliency, Marijuana and Effective Communication Discussed

Thanks to the sponsorship of Senator Jack M. Martins and the Manhasset Public Library, CASA is hosting the 2016 Power of Parenting Series in our efforts to strengthen families and help kids grow up to be healthy and safe!

Our first program, Building Resiliency in our Children, will be held on Thursday, January 28th at 1:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. in the Community Room of the Manhasset Public Library. The program features Vanessa McMullan, LCSW, clincial social work supervisor at The Marks Family Right From The Start 0-3+ Center of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center. Ms. McMullan will explore the importance of fostering  resiliency in children as a foundation for raising healthy and self-confident youth.  

Our second program, 
Understanding Marijuana in 2016 , will be held on Thursday, February 25th at 7:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the Manhasset Public Library. This presentation features
Dr. Kevin Sabet, consultant and past advisor on drug policy to three U.S. presidential administrations. He is director of Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana), which he founded with former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy and is the author of Reefer Sanity: Seven Great Myths about Marijuana. Parents and residents are invited to this timely presentation about the current trends and issues in marijuana use and how it impacts our teens, schools and communities.   Dr. Sabet will also address students and faculty (grades 7-12) earlier in the day at 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium at Manhasset High School.

DEWEY Returns with Teen Brain Presentation
Join us for National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week!

Back b y popular demand, CASA will host  Dr. Stephen Dewey, an Investigator at the Center for Behavioral & Molecular Imaging at the Feinstein  Institute for Medical Research at North Shore LIJ, at Manhasset Secondary School on Wednesday, January 27th 7:30 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre.

Dr. Dewey will simply show parents and teens what he sees everyday through his research and candidly discuss how the teen brain responds to alcohol and drug use.

The presentation will take place during National Drug & Alcohol Week, a national health observance for teens to SHATTER THE MYTHS about drugs and alcohol.
Parents and t(w)eens in grades 7-12 are encouraged to attend and learn about this ever-changing vital organ that be affected by caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and other drugs if introduced during adolescent brain development.  
CASA/SCA Chocolate Works Fundraiser 
Wednesday, December 16th Last Night for  Ice cream & more!

Enjoy ice cream, chocolate and more after the elementary school evening holiday concerts on Wednesday, December 16th from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.  20% of your entire sale will be donated to Manhasset CASA and the SCA!  

Chocolate Works is located at 346 Plandome Road, Manhasset.
Join CASA throughout January for Fitness Fundraising!
Fitness Fridays ALSO for Manhasset Teens!

Manhasset Community 
Coalition Against Substance Abuse (CASA), Inc. 
P.O. Box 392
Manhasset, NY 11030
(516) 267-7548
  
Manhasset CASA exists as a resource to reduce the illegal, underage use of alcohol, tobacco, & other drugs among its youth, before they are in trouble, by connecting parents, schools and the community as partners in the common goal.  In 2013, CASA was honored to receive its second five year Drug Free Communities Support Grant (DFC) by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).  Our goals are to reduce substance abuse among youth and, over time, among adults; and to establish and strengthen collaboration among communities, private nonprofit agencies, and federal, state, and local governments to support the efforts of our community coalition to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth.