Announcements
Meet The Hub's Newest Team Members
Kaitlin Comet (she/her/hers) is a new member of Prevention Corps and her site is The Hub. She was born and raised in New York City, and graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Forensic Psychology. During this time, she specialized in crisis counseling and working with individuals who experienced interpersonal violence. She is currently an Adjunct Lecturer at John Jay where she teaches several different courses in the Counseling and Human Services Department. She has had a range of experiences in different populations and settings including working with adolescents and young adults, serving on a prevention coalition, providing Safe Zone training to advocate and raise awareness for LGBTQIA+ individuals, providing outreach, and working in non-profit settings.

Kaitlin entered this field of helping because she felt motivated to create impacts in the lives of the individuals in her community and the communities around her. There are many social challenges that affect us all, and she wants to be able to improve the wellbeing and fulfillment in others' lives. She wants to learn from those around her and share that knowledge.
Megan Purvis recently joined The Hub as a social work intern. She is currently studying at Western Connecticut State University and will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Social Work Degree. Megan previously studied early childhood education for several years and earned an Associate Degree in General Studies with a focus in Early Childhood Education from Norwalk Community College in 2019. She has an extensive background working with children of all ages in a variety of different settings. After her experience in this field helped her realize her interest in the social and emotional challenges many children face, she decided to change paths and pursue social work. She has since become most passionate about empowering and promoting social justice for youth and families, especially those in marginalized communities, and plans to dedicate her career to doing such. Other areas of her interest include mental health, criminal justice reform, substance use prevention, and social equality. Megan has previously interned with the Human Services Council and Wilton Social Services and is eager to apply what she has learned thus far while gaining new knowledge and experiences throughout her time at The Hub. 
Please share your opinions about stress, mental health, substance use & COVID with The Norwalk Partnership!

You could even win one of four $25 gift cards as thanks! The raffle will take place in mid January.)
New Support Group for Loss
Gather to share feelings and exchange ideas in a non-judgmental environment that provides emotional, practical and spiritual support for grieving the loss of a loved one. Experience the comfort and healing which comes of being with others who know first-hand what you are going through. This support group is also for anyone that had a loss during COVID and wasn't able to grieve properly. Visit the website for dates, times and more information.

Resources
Opioid Training & Courses
Overdose Lifeline has worked with subject matter experts to develop effective evidence-based opioid training and continuing education courses. View courses offered. NEW COURSE in
Harm Reduction. Learn more.
Treatment for Suicidal Ideation, Self-harm, & Suicide Attempts Among Youth
The goal of this new SAMHSA guide is to provide interventions to treat for suicidal ideation, self-harm, and suicide attempts among youth. It provides research on implementation and examples of the ways that these recommendations can be implemented. Download Now.
A Guide for Discussing Feelings With Young Children

We have created DBSA Mood Crew with all young children in mind. Learning how to recognize and discuss feelings is a key step toward lifelong mental health. The program may be especially valuable for young ones who are having a tough time with...

Read more
www.dbsalliance.org
In the News
2020 Paul G. Quinnett Lived Experience Writing Competition Winners
The purpose of the contest was to promote stories of survival, hope, and recovery from suicidal ideation and/or attempts. The judges rated essays based on the following:
  1. Increases public awareness and understanding of the experiences of suicidal people
  2. Challenges the field to think about suicide survivorship in new ways
  3. Good writing – compelling, engaging, understandable to a wide range of audiences

Teacher stress linked with higher risk of student suspensions
chalkboard-teacher-lecture.jpg
A recent Gallup poll found teachers are tied with nurses for the most stressful occupation in America today.

Unfortunately, that stress can have a trickle-down effect on their students, leading to disruptive behavior that results in student suspensions.

The Hub: Behavioral Health Action Organization for Southwestern CT
A division of the Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership (RYASAP) 

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