Lyme/Old Lyme: In it Together

Dr. Janet Dee Spoltore,   long time Coalition advocate and community member, joined us for a wonderful conversation about supporting young adults and their families as they transition to college.   Dr. Spoltore is currently the Director of Student Counseling and Health Services at Connecticut College, as well as a licensed psychologist and leader in the field of college student mental health.    If you are curious about ways to help your student through this transition- please listen!

June is Pride Month, but every month is a time to raise awareness and support for all our kids!  We were so pleased to welcome our guests from the Gender Diversity and Resiliency Program at the Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut.   Renee Reopell, LCSW and Lucy Ehrenfeld, APRN joined us to share more about the work they are doing to provide services to LGBTQ+ youth in Connecticut.    This population is especially at-risk for substance use and other mental health concerns and our guests offered compassionate insight, education, and resources for all of us.

We welcomed Jenn Muggeo, Deputy Director at Ledgelight Health District (Opioid Use and Overdose Awareness and Prevention | Ledge Light Health District (llhd.org) Jenn is an incredible force in providing education, awareness, and support related to opioid use and overdose prevention.   It's no secret that in recent years communities across the nation have been faced with rising number of deaths associated with opioid use disorder.   Jenn joined us to learn more about what is facing Connecticut, our community, and how we can all work together to reduce stigma and potentially save lives. 

ADULT use cannabis is now legal in Connecticut  with first retail marijuana hitting shelves in January of this year. We were thrilled to welcome Ben Cort on the Podcast.  Author of Weed, Inc., addiction treatment specialist, Ted Talk speaker, and national consultant in marijuana education-  Ben offers essential information, knowledge, and skills for anyone interacting and raising youth right now in our state.  THC levels are off the hook,  impact on youth development and addiction is serious, and community awareness and discussion essential. Phoebe also shared some awesome insight from a L/OL youth perspective- you don't want to miss it!   If you like what he has to share,  Ben Cort will be joining LYSB for an evening ZOOM webinar on March 29th 7PM.  Please register at www.lysb.org  

Join us this month for an awesome conversation with Adam Dodge, nationally accredited speaker and specialist whose work is characterized by his dedication to addressing the existing and future threats posed by technology to victims of crime and gender-based violence.  Adam has also created The Tech Savvy Parent-   an online resource for all parents striving to raise their kids safely in this ever changing digital word.    We were thrilled to chat about tips and tricks for parents, as well as our upcoming ZOOM webinar with Adam and some dynamic LOL teen experts!

This month's episode highlights the amazing work of L/OL student athletes, administration, and other prevention advocates!   Learn more about the Substance Free Athletics and  Protect Your Game initiatives, as well as gain some great insight into what our students are thinking and feeling about prevention right now.   Debbie Berndt, SFA Executive Director, and Maddy Morgado, LOLHS senior, joined us for this awesome conversation-  all adults invested in supporting substance free kids should check this out!

Ann Dagle, Co-Founder and President of the Brian Dagle Foundation and Brian's Healing Hearts Center for Hope and Healing, joined us to chat about the importance of talking openly about mental health and suicide.  Ann has learned to weave her personal loss into her life and work and we were so blessed to learn more about suicide prevention, how to support our loved ones, and how to break down the stigma surrounding mental health, suicide, and loss.  The L/OL 2021 Youth Survey (grades 7-12) revealed that 20% of students have thought about suicide in the last 12 months.   This statistic and others prove that we all need to be talking openly about mental health suicide- we were grateful to continue that conversation with Ann.

We were lucky enough to have John Daviau- local Community Psychologist and Certified Prevention Specialist- join us for a frank discussion about Connecticut's recent legalization of adult-use marijuana.   Tune in to hear more about incredibly high THC,  exactly who can carry what amount of marijuana,  Social Host Law implications, the connection between vaping and THC, and more.   

What does it mean to try and balance our ride?   Is it even possible to find balance and wellness through the various stages of raising a child and being part of a family?  Alli and Gavin had the pleasure of chatting with two amazing L/OL residents, mothers, and long term PTO volunteers-   Christy Zelek and Dottie Wells.  Learn more about the Balancing the Ride movement!   

The CDC recently reported that US overdose deaths set a record with more than 100,000 last year-   a 15% increase from the previous record in 2020.   Jen Muggeo, the Deputy Director at Ledgelight Health District,  and Margaret Lancaster, Ledgelight's  Health Program Coordinator and Peer Navigator, joined us in an incredibly special, authentic, and open conversation about substance use,  substance use disorder,  stigma, relationships, and how it definitely relates to our small community.    With words of support and love they offer resources and education to us as parents, family members, friends, neighbors, or someone seeking help-  this is one you don't want to miss.

Before two of our dynamic LOLHS seniors go off to college- they took a few moments to share their thoughts on drugs/alcohol, social media, mental health, and more!   A must listen for all parents raising children in L/OL (and beyond).........our youth are our best educators.....

Our High School YAC and REACH students developed, designed, and implemented this amazing community opportunity to connect around positive mental health, share struggles, and join hands in finding our way.  Check it out!  www.showuplol.us

As we end Alcohol Awareness Month and enter into National Prevention Week-   we are honored to welcome guest, Brooke Maxfield.  Brooke is a Program Specialist for the CT Chapter of MADD- Mothers Against Drunk Driving- and is joining us to chat about the important work that she does and how MADD can support individuals and families in L/OL and across CT.

We were thrilled to welcome Jodi Lott-   LOL resident, professional working in internet safety, mother, and all around amazing community member.    If you want insight into the results from our 2021 Youth Survey looking at substance abuse and other risky behaviors- please tune in.

In today's episode we are joined by Dr. Tim Kearney to hear tips and advice for talking to our children about the war in Ukraine.   Dr. Kearney is the Chief Behavioral Health Officer at the Community Health Center and brings his clinical experience as a psychologist to our discussion.   Whether your child is very young or a teenager-  Dr. Kearney has practical advice and ideas for us all.

We're taking the prevention lens to its holistic roots and talking about all the good things that we can put into our bodies..........into our kids bodies..... and how food can strengthen our bodies, minds, and social emotional well-being. Jessica Masterson is a Registered Dietician and Nutritionist Certified in Diabetes Care and Education.   She joined us from Wheeler Clinic to talk about food, nutrition, and how to support our kids (and ourselves!).   Enjoy!

Please check out this awesome episode with Debbie Berndt, the Executive Director of Parent Movement 2.0 and Substance Free Athletics.   She is a powerhouse in the field of marijuana prevention and education.  Debbie joined us to share recent information about today's marijuana and how we can support our children in making decisions for their own health and well-being.  She has been collaborating closely with the Lyme-Old Lyme Prevention Coalition and School Athletic Department and is an important resource for all community members.   Thanks for listening!

Volunteerism and giving are the backbone of many small communities and ours is no different-   it is a very special part of Lyme-Old Lyme.  In this episode Gavin, Phoebe, and I are joined by Mary Seidner (Executive Director at LYSB) and Bob Cope (Community Member and Volunteer Leader) to celebrate the holidays sharing our thoughts and ideas on how to stay involved and connected.  Please tune in!

Dr. Alicia Farrell, local clinical psychologist and speaker, is our guest for this awesome episode.  She's a brilliant provider with and abundance of great advice for parents on the pressure to be perfect,  parenting focused on character versus performance,  and resilience.   We hope you'll listen!

We were excited to invite Dr. Lauren Doninger into the studio to talk about the science of addiction,  how we can talk to our kids about it, and how we can reduce the stigma related to substance abuse disorders.   A must listen for all parents! Dr. Doninger is a Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselor and a Licensed Professional Counselor.  She has worked in a variety of clinical settings including residential, detox, outpatient, intensive outpatient, and with many different client populations.   Currently Dr. Doninger is a Professor of Psychology and Drug and Alcohol Recovery Counseling at Gateway Community College in New Haven.

So excited to welcome Gavin Lodge- one of my new co-hosts here on On it Together!    Gavin and I had the pleasure of chatting with Kitty Stalsburg, the Executive Director at High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, Inc and Katie Czap, a community member, wildlife conservationist, and mother to two children who ride at High Hopes. If you've ever wanted to know about therapeutic riding and why horses might be a positive fit for people of all ages-  check it out!  

Our Guest- Kaitlin Brown- is a wealth of information about youth gaming, gambling, and potential problems and addictions.   She's a Licensed Professional Counselor and the Director of Programs and Services for the CT Council on Problem Gambling. If you want to learn a little more about gaming and gambling and how parents and adults can develop positive strategies for healthy youth development-  this episode is for you!

What a great conversation with Betsy Groth, APRN/pediatric mental health and Arianna DelMastro,  LOLHS graduate and Wheaton student.   These two amazing guests helped unpack resiliency for children of all ages….as well as resiliency for adults.  How do we help raise our families to embrace grit, empathy, authenticity, and their ability to cope and self soothe in an environment of adversity?  Truly a stepping stone in prevention.

Guests Marisa Giarnella-Porco from the Jordan Porco Foundation (www.rememberingjordan.org) and Brynn McGlinchey,  a L/OL graduate and entering college junior, joined Margot and I to talk about transitioning from High School into College.   We chatted about mental health, suicide prevention, supporting yourself/others, and how to support your child during this exciting and challenging time.  Enjoy!

If you have a student entering Kindergarten at Mile Creek or Lyme School-  this episode is for you!   Kelly Enoch and Jim Cavalieri joined me in a great episode about what to expect next year for your child and how you can support them this summer.

This episode features a great conversation between John Daviau, Prevention Consultant and Expert and Martha Shoemaker,  parent, retired educator and Co-Chair of our Local Prevention Coalition.  Margot and I joined them to talk about marijuana, our youth, legalization in CT, and the impact on families and community.

So excited to release this new Pod from LYSB and the Lyme/Old Lyme Prevention Coalition!    A place to hear from youth and professional speakers about all things related to parenting, being a kid, and all things in between.  Join us!

Victoria Adams joined us for a great conversation about vaping and its impact on youth today.

I was excited to chat with our High School and Middle School Assistant Principals and two High School Students about the impact of social media on L/OL youth.   Take a listen!