TLC Newsletter Fall 2012 - Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care

University of Medicine and Dentistry of New JerseyUniversity Behavioral HealthCareBehavioral Research and Training Institute
Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth
A Message
Newsletter
Fall 2012
from Donna…
Cold Penguins
to the Middle
It is said that in the extreme
conditions of Antarctica, the
Emperor penguins huddle in
densely packed circles to keep
each other warm and thriving.
Healthy and fit adults whose
temperature regulation is the
most mature take up the
periphery of the circle, and thus
are buffeted the most by the
frozen air and fierce winds. The
youngest of those with more
difficulty regulating body heat
are permanently placed in the
warm center of the huddle.
The adult penguins on the
outermost edges of the huddle
periodically work their way into
the center of the circle with the
immature and infirm penguins,
in order to regain their own body
heat. Meanwhile, other robust
adults take their places in the
frigid outer circle. Thus the
herd keeps up the body heat
of the whole group without
sacrificing the young or old,
and giving those in the prime
of life regular opportunities to
warm themselves in the middle.
Perhaps, the motto of the
group might best be stated,
“Cold penguins to the middle!”
© Donna Gaffney and
Mary Galbraith, 2001
(continued on next page)
Across the State
Sussex
Passaic
Bergen
Warren
Morris
Essex
Hudson
Union
Hunterdon
Somerset
Middlesex
Mercer
Burlington
Gloucester
Monmouth
Ocean
Camden
Salem
Atlantic
Cumberland
Cape
May
Northern Region
Counties
Central Region
Counties
Southern Region
Counties
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Websites for
Teens and
College Students
Jersey Voice
Introducing a new peer-to-peer
website where youth and young
adults can express their hope,
help and strength in getting
through difficult times.
http://www.jerseyvoice.net
Depression Screening
If you think you might be
suffering from depression here
is a quick confidential survey
that will provide you with a brief
assessment and some resources if
needed.
http://www.depression-screening.
org/depression_screen.cfm
Half of Us
The Half of Us campaign is an
initiative of The Jed Foundation
that uses stories of students and
high-profile artists to increase
awareness about mental health
problems and the importance of
getting help.
http://www.halfofus.com/
Reach Out
(Information and support service
using evidence based principles
and technology to help teens
and young adults facing tough
times and struggling with mental
health issues. All content is
written by teens and young
adults, for teens and young
adults.) A great place to hear,
read and watch stories by all
kinds of people going through
all kinds of tough times who
got better. Find great resources,
community and help! WE CAN
HELP US!
http://us.reachout.com/
The Jed Foundation
The Jed Foundation works
nationally to reduce the rate of
suicide and the prevalence of
emotional distress among college
and university students.
https://www.jedfoundation.
org/
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Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth Newsletter
A Message from Donna…
(continued from page 1)
The TLC routinely uses the story of the Arctic penguins when we speak with
children and teens during a postvention in the aftermath of a traumatic loss. We
ask them “who knows how penguins not only survive, but thrive in the harshest
weather on the planet?” Inevitably one or more of the youth knows the answer,
and we go on to talk about penguins being pretty brilliant and resilient creatures
that can teach us a lot about getting through harsh times in life. We then talk
with them about getting through the grief of losing a friend or going through
some other tragedy by sticking together, taking care of each other and letting
others take care of you.
This metaphor fits so nicely with some of the newest programs TLC has initiated
as a result of the SAMHSA Suicide Prevention Grant we have been fortunate
enough to have been awarded. The Jersey Voice Website and The Sources of
Strength Program are enabling us to wrap multiple sources of support around
our youth and young adults and increase our efforts to reduce conditions that
give rise to suicide and other maladaptive behaviors.
The TLC also understands the importance of encouraging good self-care for those
that work with youth and young adults in order to maintain optimal mental
health. Most of us who do the work of teaching, preaching, and caring for others
in myriad ways really “get” the caring for others part and do it pretty well. What
we sometimes forget to do is make our way into the middle of our life circles and
let the healing warmth of others restore us. We sometimes don’t move into the
middle until we are metaphorically physically, emotionally, and spiritually freezing
to death and sometimes not even then. It often takes a friend or loved one to
come along side us and nudge us into the middle when we begin to look a bit
worse for wear.
As we start the new school year, let’s remind ourselves and each other that when
life gets really hard to weather, as it sometimes does, to move into that middle of
family, friends and colleagues and let others provide that lovely warmth that heals
and soothes the weary soul.
Warm regards,
Donna
The Trevor Project
A national 24 hr. toll free
confidential suicide hotline for gay
& questioning youth – The Trevor
Project is the leading national
organization focused on crisis and
suicide prevention efforts among
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender
and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.
They are also the only accredited,
nationwide, around-the-clock crisis
and suicide prevention helpline for
LGBTQ youth.
http://www.thetrevorproject.org/
To Write Love on Her Arms
To Write Love on Her Arms is a sweet
organization dedicated to presenting
hope and finding help for people
struggling with depression, addiction,
self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists
to encourage, inform, inspire and also
to invest directly into treatment and
recovery. They are extremely relevant,
hang out with cool bands and make
sweet shirts too!
http://www.twloha.com
Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth Newsletter
SAMHSA Grant of $1.4 Million Helps TLC Continue
to Build a Statewide Suicide Prevention Safety Net
The TLC is the recipient of the Garret Lee Smith Suicide Prevention Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The total grant award is $1.4 million to be used over a three year period
which began this August. The grant will be serving six counties that have higher numbers of youth and young adult
suicide deaths statewide (Camden, Monmouth, Passaic, Hudson, Middlesex, and Bergen). There will be a focus on two
counties per year, and this year the focus is on Camden and Monmouth Counties. The TLC Coordinators in these
counties will work closely with the Mental Health Administration in the creation of a countywide Suicide Prevention Task
Force that will bring together key service providers and stakeholders. The task force will be charged with examining
the county’s current suicide trends; identifying what is already being implemented in suicide prevention, intervention
and postvention programming throughout the county; identifying further programming needs as well as obstacles to
implementation. There will be a focus on reaching high risk groups such as LGBT, military youth and young adults,
juvenile justice youth, and Latino/Latina youth.
The TLC has developed a highly skilled training team that is poised to deliver several new training initiatives to schools
and community programs and agencies in each of the identified counties. The mission is to join hands with a variety
of individuals from a variety of disciplines and programs and create community suicide prevention and postvention
networks throughout these six counties. We will continue to branch out to other counties going forward in a durable
and sustainable way even as the grant comes to an end in year 3.
The TLC will be adding the following initiatives as a result of this grant: Connect Prevention/Intervention and
Postvention Training; Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk Training for Clinicians; Sources of Strength Suicide
Prevention Program Training for Peer Leaders; Columbia Suicide Prevention Rating Scale for Screening; and a Social
Media Project.
Connect Suicide
Prevention/Intervention
Training Programs
Training with a CommunityBased Approach
Knowing risk factors and warning
signs of suicide and how to get
a suicidal person help is a good
beginning. However, to build a
truly comprehensive safety net, it’s
important to promote collaboration
and bring together key service
providers and stakeholders to address
community risk and protective
factors. The TLC has historically relied
on coalition building to achieve its
goals and the Connect Program fits
extremely well with our mission.
More than “just training”, Connect
fosters relationship building and
the exchange of resources among
participants. Connect’s Prevention/
Intervention curriculum includes how
to identify suicide warning signs and
intervene with a person at risk. Using
activities, interactive case scenarios,
facilitated discussion, PowerPoint,
and written materials, the TLC
training team will offer customized
Connect Prevention/Intervention
trainings to the following audiences:
school personnel, community
members, faith leaders, primary
care doctors, social service agency
personnel and law enforcement.
Suicide Prevention/Intervention
training highlights for schools:
• National Best Practices for school
personnel and educators regarding
school suicide prevention and crisis
response related to suicidal behavior
• Recognizing risk and protective factors
and responding to warning signs for
suicide
• Intervening with students or others at
risk and connecting the individual with
appropriate resources
• Transition plans for students who return
to school after a suicide attempt
• Communicating with students and
parents/guardians in crisis situations
and knowledge of local resources
• A review of individual school crisis
response plans and suggestions for
including suicide incidents as part of
these plans
• Suicide as a public health issue and
its impact on communities, family
members and friends
• Suicide data and how age, gender, culture
and other factors impact suicide risk
• Strategies for promoting help-seeking
behavior and reducing stigmatizing
attitudes
• Individual, family and community
risk and protective factors and ways
to strengthen the positive influences
that prevent suicide and reduce risky
behaviors
• Youth culture, including electronic
communication, social networking,
peer group influences and bullying and
how these impact risk and protective
factors
• Confidentiality and reporting
requirements with respect to FERPA
and HIPPA, and guidelines for timely
response and notification
• Best Practices concerning
restricting access to lethal
(continued on page 5)
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Grief Support
Programs
Children and
Teens
2NDFLOOR, NJ Youth
Helpline
1-888-222-2228
Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth Newsletter
Social Media Project
TLC and Emotion Technology
Launches the Jersey Voice Website
A confidential and anonymous
helpline for New Jersey’s youth
and young adults. We are here
to help you find solutions to the
problems that you face at home,
at school or at play.
http://2ndfloor.org/
Child Trauma Academy
The Child Trauma Academy (CTA)
is a not-for-profit organization,
based in Houston, Texas, working
to improve the lives of high-risk
children through direct service,
research and education.
http://childtrauma.org/
Comfort Zone Camp
Montclair Office
1-866-488-5679 x120
Comfort Zone Camp is a
nonprofit 501(c)3 bereavement
camp that transforms the lives of
children who have experienced
the death of a parent, sibling, or
primary caregiver.
http://www.
comfortzonecamp.org/
Dougy National Center for
Grieving Children
The Dougy Center provides
support in a safe place where
children, teens, young adults,
and their families grieving
a death can share their
experiences. We provide support
and training locally, nationally and
internationally to individuals and
organizations seeking to assist
children in grief.
http://www.dougy.org/
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www.jerseyvoice.net
The TLC has partnered with Emotion Technology, an innovative company
that combines suicide prevention, intervention and postvention with social
media to reach youth and young adults where they live and communicate.
We have created a platform where individuals can share their stories of
hope, help and strength and getting through the difficult times in life. The
messages can be shared using stories, poems, music, photography, posters,
videos and other creative outlets. These stories will remain front and center
on the website as a source of support and inspiration for other Jersey teens
and young adults to draw on.
We decided to launch the website in commemoration of World Suicide
Prevention Day (September 10) and National Suicide Prevention Week
(September 9-15). Our hope is that Jersey Voice will help move our suicide
prevention efforts upstream as we try to reach youth before they begin to
feel hopeless and helpless. The mission is to provide a space where the
resounding voices of peers echo throughout as they show each other how to
tap into strength, resiliency and connection when difficult times hit.
We are sponsoring the first Jersey Voice Statewide Social Media Festival to
invite submissions for the website. http://www.jerseyvoice.net/media-festival.
Please help us get the word out about Jersey Voice and the Social Media
Festival to those teens and young adults in your schools, colleges and
universities, faith-based organizations, juvenile justice facilities and
community and agency programs and encourage them to participate in the
festival and share their Jersey voice. Interested? To learn more about the
Jersey Voice Media Festival, visit http://www.jerseyvoice.net/media-festival.
Good Grief, Inc., Morristown,
N.J. (908) 522-1999
Sesame Workshop
http://good-grief.org/
http://www.sesameworkshop.org/
We provide services to children,
teens and young adults who have
lost a parent or sibling to death.
We also provide services for the
children’s surviving parent(s) or
caretaker.
We are committed to the principle
that all children deserve a chance
to learn and grow; to be prepared
for school; to better understand
the world and each other; to think,
dream and discover; to reach their
highest potential.
Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth Newsletter
Trainings Programs
(continued from page 3)
means, safe messaging, communication
and responding to media inquiries
• Strategies to increase suicide prevention
efforts through collaboration with
community and campus services
• Self-care skills
Connect Postvention
Training
A suicide can have a devastating
impact on a community or
organization. The shock and grief
can ripple throughout the community
affecting friends, co-workers, schools,
and faith communities. Connect
postvention training helps service
providers respond in a coordinated and
comprehensive way in the aftermath of
a suicide or any sudden death.
Since knowing someone who has
died by suicide is one of the highest
risk factors for suicide, postvention
becomes an integral part of suicide
prevention efforts.
TLC Master trainer/clinicians conduct
the suicide postvention training that
includes activities, interactive case
scenarios, discussion, PowerPoint, and
printed materials for school personnel,
social service agency personnel,
mental health and substance abuse
personnel, faith leaders, funeral
directors, and law enforcement.
This program is compatible with the
Post Traumatic Stress Management
Training (PTSM) that is offered
each year by the TLC. The Connect
Postvention Training is ideal for all
individuals working with children, teens
and young adults. It clearly outlines
everyone’s roles and responsibilities
in the aftermath of suicide or other
traumatic death.
PTSM trains school and community
crisis teams in more in-depth group
protocols and individual psychological
first aid to help in the healing process.
Assessing and Managing
Suicide Risk for Mental
Health Professionals
The TLC training team will be providing
this one-day workshop for social workers,
licensed counselors, psychologists
and psychiatrists focused on the core
competencies for assessing and managing
suicide risk identified by leading clinician
researchers. The workshop includes
pre-workshop reading, lecture, resource
manuals, paired practices, discussion and
video demonstrations. It will be offered to
counselors and clinicians in schools, mental
health centers, social service agencies,
juvenile justice facilities, colleges and
universities.
Sources of Strength
Peer Leader Program
Sources of Strength is a comprehensive
wellness program that is designed to impact
suicide prevention. It uses peer and caring
adult relationships to improve social norms,
enhance coping and social support, and
increase help-seeking behaviors in order to
reduce conditions that give rise to suicide
and other risk-taking behaviors. This highly
acclaimed program also impacts substance
abuse, violence and bullying prevention.
Sources of Strength can be implemented in
middle schools, high schools and colleges
and university campuses. It is listed on the
SPRC National Registry of Evidenced Based
Programs and Practices.
Sources of Strength’s Core Principles include
the following: bring together and train
both peer leaders and caring adults - one
without the other lacks prevention power;
peer leaders break down codes of silence
and increase student help seeking from
caring adults; a core emphasis on strengths
that goes beyond a simple focus on suicide
risk and warning signs; move beyond a
singular focus on mental health referrals and
train students to develop multiple sources of
support; hope, help and strength messages
use local voices and faces to saturate local
schools and communities with stories of
resiliency instead of trauma.
We will be ready to start training these new programs late in the fall. We are
available now to discuss how these trainings can be implemented in your
school district. Please call 732-235-2810 for additional information.
Training and
Conference
Announcements
PTSM –
November 2012
Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth
(TLC) is holding its annual Post
Traumatic Stress Management and
Psychological First Aid Training
(PTSM) in two locations this
November to maximize attendance
throughout the state.
The PTSM training will be held at
the Richard Stockton College of
NJ in Galloway on Tuesday and
Wednesday, November 13-14,
2012. For those in northern and
central counties, it will be held
at The Imperia in Somerset on
Thursday and Friday, November
15-16, 2012.
The registration fee of
$195 includes the two-day
certificate training PLUS a oneday Advanced PTSM in Suicide
Response Protocols training
being scheduled for the latter
part of January 2013.
A continental breakfast, lunch,
course manual and materials are
also included in the registration fee.
To view program material and to
register online, go to http://ubhc.
umdnj.edu/brti/TLC.htm.
TLC’s 10th Annual
Suicide Prevention
Conference –
December 11, 2012
Plans are underway for David
Brent, M.D., international suicide
expert, to present, Assessment
and Clinical Management
of Suicidal Youth: Cognitive
Behavioral Treatment
Approaches at the TLC’s 10th
Annual Suicide Prevention
Conference. SAVE THE DATE.
Registration information will be
posted on the TLC website (http://
ubhc.umdnj.edu/brti/TLC.htm) early
October.
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Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth Newsletter
Two Friends Cycle 7,000 Miles to Raise Suicide Awareness
To highlight National Suicide Prevention Week, on Thursday,
September 13, 2012 the Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth
Program (TLC) at UMDNJ-UBHC along with the NJ Chapter of
the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) hosted a
forum featuring two young men who have been bicycling across
the country for the past seven months. Their mission is to raise
awareness for suicide prevention and promote healing for those
who have lost a family member or friend to suicide.
Thomas Brown and Zachary Chipps spoke to a group of about
30 individuals at UBHC’s Behavioral Research and Training
Institute in Piscataway. These two friends met each other in
Phoenix, Arizona several years ago and discovered they both
had brothers who had taken their lives. This life changing trauma
created a unique bond between the men which prompted their
own call to action. They set off on a 7,000 mile cross country trek
Zachary Chipps and Thomas Brown at TLC’s Forum
by bicycle from the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge on February
9, 2012. On their journey they stopped in cities and towns across the nation and listened to those who had lost friends and
family to suicide, sharing their stories of hope and healing with others. Their final destination which will be completed in a
few weeks is Wappingers Falls, New York.
Some of the attendees who attended the forum had lost a loved one or friend to suicide, some were clinicians who work with
suicidal individuals, as well as families and communities in the aftermath of suicide, and some were psychology and social
work graduate students who were looking for information that would help them in their future work.
The forum lasted two hours during which time Thomas and Zachary told the story of their brothers’ suicides. They shared
details of their healing cross country journey and expressed awe at the amount of work that is being done in suicide
prevention in NJ. The attendees listened, asked questions and shared some of their own stories of survivorship. The overall
sentiment shared by the speakers, and audience alike was one of gratitude, respect, and inspiration for all that is being done
by those in the room and throughout the state to continue the work of saving lives and promoting healing for survivors.
♦♦♦♦
AFSP Holds Out of the Darkness Walks This Fall
One of the most challenging issues a school or community faces is helping their youth mourn the loss
appropriately and safely memorialize the deceased. Suicide contagion among adolescents and young adults is a
real phenomenon and certain memorialization activities can increase risk for imitative suicides.
We would like to suggest an activity that can be an active, living memorial that allows youth and young adults the
opportunity to express the natural desire to honor the life of their peer without inadvertently putting others at risk.
Youth who have lost a peer or loved one to suicide can walk in that person’s memory with family members, friends, school personnel
and the many participants from across the nation. By raising money for AFSP, they can satisfy that desire to “do something” to make
meaning out of a tragic death by being an agent in preventing another. The monies raised will be go to AFSP’s vital research and education
programs to prevent suicide and save lives, increase national awareness about depression and suicide, and assist survivors of suicide loss.
AFSP sponsors 3-5 mile Out of the Darkness Community Walks. The 2012 Community Walks will be held throughout the country and
upcoming NJ walks are as follows: Central New Jersey Walk, Buccleuch Park, New Brunswick on September 30; Hudson River Walk, J.
Owen Grundy Pier at Exchange Place, Jersey City on October 6; Northwest NJ Walk, Waterloo Village, Stanhope on October 7; Saddle
Brook NJ Walk, Saddle River County Park (Otto C. Pehle), Saddle Brook on October 14; Southern NJ Walk, Gloucester County Institute of
Technology, Sewell on October 21 and Secaucus NJ Walk, Laurel Hill Park, Secaucus on October 27.
One year after an Out of the Darkness Community Walk, one New Jersey school addressed the issue of yearbook memorialization by
including the deceased student’s picture in the yearbook with the caption, “In your memory we will continue to work to stop suicide.”
They also included a picture of their students participating in the Out of the Darkness Walk. The school administration and the decedent’s
family used the walk and the forum of the yearbook to memorialize the life of this young person while educating others about the
importance of working to prevent suicide.
For further information about becoming involved in any of these walks, please visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s,
Out of the Darkness Community Walk website: http://afsp.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=cms.page&id=1031
6
Colleges and high schools can hold their own Out of the Darkness Campus Walk. For more information on how to plan a
campus walk see the AFSP website below.
http://afsp.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.eventGroup&eventGroupID=9AA19459-C880-0E26-61312B15147B2E0A
Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth Newsletter
Other Trainings Offered by the TLC
Please contact TLC Central Office for information on fees and scheduling – 732-235-2810
Suicide Awareness
Training Workshops
for Educators, Parents
and other Youth
Serving Individuals
This two-hour Suicide Awareness
Training for Educators fulfills the
professional development requirement,
per N.J.S.A. 18A:6-11. Clinicians
experienced in the evaluation and
treatment of children and adolescents
with mental health disorders and
suicidal behaviors provide the training.
The content can be customized to
meet the needs of a single school or an
entire school district, as well as mental
health and social agency staff. On-site
school counselors or administrators
are included in the presentation to talk
about the specific protocols outlined
in their school’s crisis plan for referring
at-risk youth for further evaluation and
treatment. This program uses lecture,
power point, video clips, and interactive
discussion to enhance the learning.
Chronological
Assessment of
Suicide Events (CASE)
Approach Training
This half-day workshop provides
front-line counselors and clinicians in
high schools, colleges and universities
and community-based programs
with an overview of the state of the
art skills necessary to tackle one of
the most difficult clinical situations
facing them: gathering valid data
about ideation, plan and intent during
a suicide assessment. The CASE
Approach is an interviewing strategy
for eliciting suicidal ideation, planning,
and intent for high school youth of
normal cognitive development as well
as adults. It is designed to increase
validity, decrease errors of omission,
and increase the client’s sense of safety
with the interviewer.
CASE Approach
Advanced Skill
Training (Part I)
This half-day training provides
attendees with the opportunity to
experientially advance their skills in
using the CASE Approach. Through
the use of a series of scripted role
plays, participants will come away
with immediate skills in effectively
using two validity techniques to
raise the topic of suicide - Shame
Attenuation and Normalization. Once
the topic has been raised, participants
will also learn to effectively employ the
Behavioral Incident, the cornerstone of
the CASE Approach to create a verbal
videotape, to explore the client’s
suicidal ideation, planning and intent.
CASE Approach
Advanced Skill
Training (Part II)
This half-day follow-up workshop
will provide attendees with
the opportunity to continue to
experientially advance their skills in
using three more validity techniques
Gentle Assumption, Denial of the
Specific, and Symptom Amplification.
The trainee will learn through the use
of scripted role plays to artfully explore
a client’s suicidal ideation, behavior,
planning and intent in the time frame
of the past two months (Recent
Suicide Events), a time frame that
often proves to be rich in information.
Responding to Grief
and Loss
What is the school’s responsibility
to facilitate the expression of grief
following the death of a school
community member? Is a response
needed even during a holiday
or summer death? How should
schools respond to very public
deaths, multiple deaths or deaths on
campus? This discussion will focus
on paying attention to the natural
grieving process among students and
staff in a school community.
Trauma and Youth
Trauma is often a core issue presenting
in many youth we work with.
Recognizing trauma and knowing how
to work with youth who have been
traumatized is becoming a critical skill
set for education and social services
professionals.
This workshop provides practical
strategies for those who work
with youth who have experienced
trauma and may be manifesting
behavioral health issues as a result.
The presentation includes signs and
symptoms of trauma in children and
youth, neurobiological effects, and
practical strategies for working with
youth who have experienced trauma.
It also covers vicarious trauma and self
care for workers, and ways to create
safe environments for youth and
families suffering the effects of trauma.
This is a dynamic, interactive program
that combines large and small group
activities, video illustrations and
discussion. This training is useful for
anyone who works with children and
adolescents who have experienced
trauma, including clinicians,
behavioral assistants, DYFS workers,
juvenile justice workers, guidance
counselors, case managers, social
workers, child study team members,
teachers, parents, and advocates
Working with Youth
with Mental Health
Disorders
This 3 hour training provides a
comprehensive overview of the most
common mental health disorders
facing youth in the juvenile justice
system. Includes presentation and
group discussion.
(continued on next page)
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Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth Newsletter
Other Trainings Offered by the TLC
(continued from previous page)
Working with
Resistant Teens
Those of us who work with teenagers
encounter resistance as part of our
work. But how we view resistance to
our services makes all the difference
in how effectively we engage our
young clients.
This workshop provides participants
with new insight and practical
strategies for building working alliances
with adolescents. It is suitable for any
professional who provides services
to teenagers, including therapists,
educators, outreach and DYFS workers.
This is a dynamic, highly interactive
and fun program using a combination
of presentation, small group discussion,
and role play that will leave participants
with fresh ideas and new confidence
in meeting the challenges of working
with resistant youth.
Managing the Crisis
in Your School
Under normal circumstances, schools
are effectively organized and efficient in
their day-to-day operation-until a crisis
occurs. This training will offer guidance
to administrators and crisis team
members about effective prevention,
intervention and post-vention practices.
Topics include building the crisis team;
revising the crisis plan; prevention
practices; thoughtful responses and
effective post-vention healing.
Crisis Planning for
Vulnerable School
Populations
What special considerations are
given for vulnerable populations of
students (and staff) within the school
community? This training session
brings special attention to students
with IEP’s, 504 Accommodation Plans,
and those other students and staff
with “invisible” needs (psychiatric
disorders, anxiety, use
of medication, fears and
disruptive behavior).
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School Safety is Every
Adult’s Responsibility
What are the responsibilities for
secretaries, bus drivers, bus aides,
classroom aides, hall monitors,
security guards, custodians, substitute
teachers, volunteers and visitors
during a school crisis? This training
offers administrators and school
safety team members a deeper look
into the potential value of all adults
in the school during a crisis, or the
potential disruption that might result
if their presence is not considered.
School Crisis –
An Administrator’s
Guide to Management
and Recovery
Leadership during a school crisis is
critical to recovery. Returning to a
pre-crisis level of functioning is always
the goal, but requires thoughtful
planning and effective intervention.
School superintendents, principals,
assistant principals and other school
leaders will be expected to be “out
front” in managing school crises.
This training will highlight skills,
attitudes and practices needed to live
through a school crisis and support a
healthy recovery.
Stress, Burnout and
Vicarious Trauma
Your work should make your life
better. But sometimes, those of us
who work in the areas of trauma,
crisis or mental health can become
overwhelmed and even symptomatic
from our work. And too often, selfcare is not prioritized in our work
environments.
This workshop invites participants
to step outside of their work life and
reflect on how their engagement with
suffering in their work affects their
own lives. It equips participants with
essential knowledge for recognizing,
addressing and protecting themselves
against burnout and vicarious trauma
using a combination of presentation,
guided individual reflection and
group discussion. Participants will
leave this session with a sense of
how to find balance between their
professional and personal lives and
their own self-care plan to help put
their new ideas into action.
It is suitable for any professional who
encounters trauma in their work,
including mental health professionals,
human services professionals and
teachers, though it is targeted
specifically to those who work with
children and adolescents.
People Skills
It’s not what you say—it’s how
you say it. We may all be familiar
with this old adage, but do we
come across to others in a way
that promotes their trust and
cooperation?
Interpersonal skills are highly sought
after in every workplace and can
reap great benefits in your personal
life. With well developed personal
skills, we can handle the most difficult
coworker, family member, child or
teenager in a way that leaves both
parties feeling understood and ready
to cooperate.
Most of us learn to interact with
other people from experience. This
workshop takes what we know
instinctively and delves deeper into
the mysteries underlying human
communication. It discusses the role
of emotions and how unrecognized
negative emotions lead to the
behaviors that often cause conflict in
relationships. It discusses the role of
anger and how unexpressed anger
affects us in our relationships with
others. It teaches participants how to
recognize feelings in themselves and
others and to use that information
to resolve conflict and enhance
relationships.
This workshop is suitable for all
audiences, but will be particularly
helpful for those who work in
situations where they encounter a lot
of conflict, such as youth workers,
teachers, human services and juvenile
justice professionals.
In the Spotlight –
Come to a County Coalition Meeting
Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth Newsletter
Atlantic County
Patty Weeks
Bergen County
Sue Heguy
Dennis Burd
MEETING SCHEDULE FOR 20122013 SCHOOL YEAR:
October 2, 2012; December 4, 2012;
February 5, 2013; March 5, 2013;
April 2, 2013; May 7, 2013
Meetings are held from 1:00 pm to
3:00 pm at the Southern Regional
Institute & ETTC, 10 W. Jimmie Leeds
Road, Galloway, NJ 08204.
Coalition meetings are open to
school personnel, representatives
from community and municipal
agencies, school resource officers,
police, emergency management
responders, and any individuals
interested in developing and
maintaining a network of support
for the children in our communities
following a traumatic loss event. We
encourage you to invite interested
colleagues to coalition activities.
For more information about
the Atlantic County TLC call the
SRI&ETTC at 609-626-3850 or visit
the Atlantic County TLC Website:
www.ettc.net/traumaticloss
Sue Heguy reports that the TLC
in Bergen County will hold its first
coalition meeting for the new school
year on October 4 at Care Plus, 610
Valley Health Plaza in Paramus. The
meeting will be held from 10-12:00.
Their first meeting will welcome new
members to the team; discuss crisis
responses that occurred over the
summer and share trauma resources
and important training information.
The Lead Response Team (LRT)
meeting for PTSM drill practice will
be held on November 8 – same place
and time as above.
Sue Heguy,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
201-797-2660 x129
Burlington County
Elfrieda Francis
Patty Weeks,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
609-625-6051
The first coalition meeting scheduled
by Frieda Francis will be held on
October 3. The location for the
meeting is the Burlington County
Human Services Bldg., Café 2, 795
Woodlane Rd. in Westhampton, and
the time is 3:00-4:30 pm.
Dennis Burd,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
609-626-3850
Wendy Moluf, a coalition member
who attended the Connect Program’s
Prevention/Intervention training, will
be giving an overview of the training.
Our Wonderful TLC Coordinators
The Burlington County School Crisis
Response Team meetings, facilitated
by Josephine Mercantini-Bocci, will
be held on September 24; October 2;
October 30 and December 13, 2012.
Frieda will be presenting on the
Traumatic Loss Coalitions program
at the October 2 meeting. These
meetings are held at the BCSSSD
Media Center from 8 – 8:30 a.m.
with training from 8:30 to 11:45 a.m.
Frieda Francis,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
609-265-5538
Camden County
Barbara Maronski
Barbara Maronski has scheduled
the Camden County School Crisis
Response Team/TLC Lead Response
Team and School Based Crisis Team
meetings back-to-back with the
TLC Networking Meetings. The
meetings run from 8:30 to Noon
at the Camden County Educational
Services Commission, 225 White
Horse Ave. in Clementon. The dates
for these meetings are October 4 and
December 7, 2012 and January 18;
March 1 and April 26, 2013.
Barbara Maronski,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
609-230-8933
9
Come to a County Coalition Meeting
Cape May County
Chris Miller
TLC and LRT meetings have been
scheduled by Chris Miller for the Cape
May County coalition. Join Chris on
October 11, 2012; January 10; March
14 and May 9, 2013. Meetings start
at 9:30 am at Cape Counseling, 1129
Rt. 9 in Cape May Court House.
Chris Miller,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
609-465-4100 x141
Cumberland County
Elvira Smith
With summer officially over, the TLC
of Cumberland County would like
to welcome everyone to the 20122013 school year. This year’s coalition
meetings will be held on October
24, 2012 and January 16; March 20
and May 22, 2013 at South Jersey’s
Healthcare Fitness Connection, second
floor Board Room in Vineland from
1:00 to 3:00 p.m. The Lead Response
Team meetings will immediately follow.
Elvira Smith has collaborated
with Cumberland’s Interagency
Coordinating Council to host Jamie
Anderson, RNC, IBCC, NJ Parent Link
administrator from the NJ Department
of Health. She will be presenting on
the new web resource, NJ Parent Link.
All are welcome to come learn about
this resource and share the information
with families and colleagues.
10
Elvira Smith, TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
856-305-2138
Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth Newsletter
Essex County
Arlene O’Connell
The first coalition meeting of this
school year in Essex County will
be held on October 17. Arlene
O’Connell is excited that the Rachel
Coalition will present, In Her Shoes:
an experiential and interactive
workshop for the community. Have
you ever wondered: why a woman
stays in an abusive relationship? Why
does a woman make the choices she
does? How does a woman cope?
Then, this workshop will allow you to
experience first-hand what a victim
of domestic violence has to do once
she decides to reach out for help.
In Her Shoes will help participants
understand in a very compressed
period of time, the ups and downs
a victim of domestic violence
experiences over the course of many
years.
Coalition meetings are held at Temple
Shalom of West Essex, 760 Pompton
Avenue in Cedar Grove from 9:45 am
until Noon. CEU’s are given at these
meetings. Coalition meeting dates
are: October 17 and December 12,
2012 and February 13 and April 17,
2013.
Lead Response Team meetings are
held at the Mental Health Association,
33 South Fullerton Avenue in
Montclair beginning at 10:00 am.
LRT meeting dates are: September
12 and November 14, 2012 and
January 16; March 13 and May 15,
2013.
Arlene O’Connell,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
973-239-5382
Gloucester County
Barbara Maronski
Barbara Maronski has set the
schedule for Gloucester’s Coalition
and LRT meetings. All meetings
are held at the Gloucester County
College, Community Board Room in
the Library. Coalition meetings begin
at 8:30 am and are immediately
followed by the LRT meetings.
Scheduled for this school year are:
October 12 and December 13, 2012
(confirmed) and January 25; March
22 and May 3, 2013 (TBC).
Barbara Maronski,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
609-230-8933
Hudson County
Silvana Gomez
Coalition and Lead Response Team
meetings are set for the 2012-2013
school year. Silvana Gomez will hold
the meetings at the Secaucus Library
from 8:30 to 11:30, back-to-back.
The dates scheduled are September
28; November 14 and December 21,
2012 and February 15; April 12 and
May 24, 2013.
The Secaucus Public Library and
Business Resource Center is located at
1379 Paterson Plank Rd. in Secaucus.
Silvana Gomez,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
201-915-2268
Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth Newsletter
Hunterdon County
Sherri Neville-Fontini
Traumatic Loss Coalition meetings
scheduled by Sherri Neville will
be held on October 17, 2012 and
February 27 and April 24, 2013.
These meetings run from 9:30 to
11:30 am at the County Complex,
Route 12 in Flemington.
The Lead Response Team (LRT)
meetings are held from 2:30 to 3:30
pm at the 5th Floor conference Room
in the Hunterdon Medical Center.
Those meetings are scheduled for
October 17 and December 19, 2012
and February 27 and April 24, 2013.
Sherri Neville,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
908-788-6401 x 2082
Mercer County
Steve Olsen
Steve Olsen has scheduled interesting
educational components for the
Mercer County TLC meetings.
On October 16 from 8:30-12:00
pm, Nicci Spinazzola will present
Working with Surviving Families.
The November 14 and December
12 meetings will also feature Nicci
presenting Vicarious Traumatization:
The Synergy of Helping Colleagues
and Identifying the Barriers to a
Compassionate Presence: Identifying
Compassion Fatigue, Helplessness,
Hopelessness and Fear, respectively.
The coalition meetings are held on
Come to a County Coalition Meeting
Wednesdays at Catholic Charities
Mobile Response and Stabilization
Services in Mercerville.
The full day fall conference on
September 28 will feature Barent
Walsh, PhD, with a presentation
entitled, Understanding and Treating
the Complex Puzzle of Non-Suicidal
Self-Injury.
Monmouth County
George Scott
Steve Olsen,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
609-278-7924
A full schedule of coalition/LRT
meetings for this school year is as
follows: September 13; October 4;
November 1 and December 6, 2012
and January 3; February 7; March 7;
April 4; May 2 and June 6, 2013.
Middlesex County
George Scott
All meetings are held at the
Monmouth County Office of
Human Services, 3000 Kozloski Rd.,
Freehold with the exceptions of
September 13 that will be held at the
Samaritan Center, 36 South Street
in Manasquan and December 6 that
will be held at the Beech Room/
Visitor’s Center at Thompson Park in
Middletown.
The TLC/LRT meetings have
been scheduled by George Scott
at the Middlesex Office of the
Superintendent, 1460 Livingston
Avenue, Bldg. 400, 2nd Floor
conference room. Back-to-back
coalition/LRT meetings are held
from 9:00 – 12:00 pm. Dates for
this school year are: September
28; October 26; November 30 and
December 21, 2012 and January 25;
February 22; March 29; April 26 and
May 31, 2013.
George Scott,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
609-915-0684
George Scott,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
609-915-0684
Morris County
Mary Vineis
The Morris County Lead Response
Team attended the Our Youth, Their
Future event on August 25th. This
is an annual event that is held to
bring the youth of the Morristown
community together and allow them
to investigate the resources available
to them.
There will be a gathering of the
Lead Response Team on September
28th. The team will practice their
skill set and celebrate with
each other after a very
11
Come to a County Coalition Meeting
busy spring and summer. The next
Coalition meeting will be held at the
Morris County Library on October 12,
2012 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
The guest speaker will be Nicole
Morella from the New Jersey Battered
Women’s Shelter.
Mary Vineis,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
973-686-2228
Ocean County
Karen Bright
Ocean County meets the 3rd
Wednesday of each month in Toms
River. Presently, dates are being
scheduled for the Lead Response Team
(LRT) meetings. Karen is actively
recruiting additional members for
the LRT. You can contact Karen or
the Ocean Emergency Response
Committee (ERC) for information on
local training.
Karen Bright,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
732-886-4474
Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth Newsletter
Silitsky recognizes the leadership and
staff at the state park and school who
actively participated in the healing
process. He is also personally grateful
to Donna Amundson, LCSW; Mary
Vineis, BA, DRCC; Pam Legall, LPC and
Varsa Wilber, LCSW for their efforts
and devotion to the success of the
responses at the park, agencies and
schools.
LRT meetings follow the coalition
meetings and are held on Wednesdays
at the Passaic County Vocational
Institute, 45 Reinhardt Rd. in Wayne
promptly at 9:30 a.m. The speaker
at the first coalition meeting will talk
about what helped her in dealing with
the loss of a significant other. TLC/LRT
meetings are scheduled for September
19 and November 14, 2012 and
January 16; March 13 and May 8,
2013. Potential topics for coalition
meetings are Bipolar Disorder in the
School Child; Dealing with Sexual
Assault; Bullying; Depression; Anxiety
and Conduct Disorder in the Schools;
Care for the Caregiver and Positive
Approaches to Dealing with Stress on
the Job.
Dan Silitsky, Ph.D.,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
732-718-3535
Salem County
Joanne Comninos
Passaic County
Dan Silitsky
During the summer months, the
Passaic County Lead Response Team
was involved in responses to deaths
by drowning and vehicular accidents.
The team provided individual and
group responses on site
and within a school. Dan
12
The Traumatic Loss Coalition for
Youth program is welcoming a new
Coordinator to the county. Bridget
DeFiccio, LPC, will be taking over the
reins from Joanne Comninos. Bridget
is a Program Director at Robins Nest
in Glassboro and has many years of
experience in the mental health field,
including working with children who
have been sexually abused. Bridget
will be taking the PTSM training in
November and is looking forward to
building upon the relationships in
TLC developed by Joanne. Welcome,
Bridget!
Of course when someone starts, there
is someone who is finishing. The TLC
extends its best wishes to Joanne as
she accepts new challenges in her
career. It was a pleasure working
with Joanne and watching her
development of the Salem County
TLC. Best of Luck, Joanne!
Bridget DeFiccio,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
856-881-8689 x203
Somerset County
Melissa Callen
The Somerset County TLC meetings
are held at Richard Hall Community
Mental Health Center from 9:30 to
11:00 am. The first meeting of the
2012-2013 school year will be held on
Friday, October 12, 2012. The focus of
the meeting will be on understanding
how the TLC can help your school
or community and what services are
offered at the Center. Staff will also be
presenting their favorite tools in their
toolbox to add to your own toolbox.
Other TLC meetings are scheduled for
December 14, 2012 and March 8 and
May 10, 2013.
Melissa Callen,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
908-253-3103
Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth Newsletter
Sussex County
Dan Silitsky
Dan Silitsky, TLC Coordinator,
welcomes everyone back to the 20122013 school year. The first Coalition/
Lead Response Team meeting will be
held on Thursday, September 20, at
9:30 am at Sussex County Technical
High School, 105 N Church Rd. in
Sparta in the School Based Support
Program Lounge. Speaking at this
meeting will be a therapist from
Newton Medical Center discussing
dialectic and cognitive therapy as
related to suicide in children and teens.
All Coalition meetings are followed
directly by the LRT meetings. Dan
always welcomes new participants
to the Sussex County Traumatic Loss
Coalition program. The meetings
scheduled for this year are:
Thursday, September 20; Tuesday,
November 13; Thursday, January 17;
Thursday, March 14 and Thursday,
May 9, 2013. All meetings begin at
9:30 a.m.
Dan Silitsky, Ph.D.,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
732-718-3535
Come to a County Coalition Meeting
Union County
Krizia Jimenez-Medrano
We have a new coordinator who will
guide and build upon Union County’s
Traumatic Loss Coalition. Welcome
to Krizia Jimenez-Medrano, CMRSS
Program Coordinator at Trinitas
Regional Medical Center. Krizia is an
energetic and fast worker who has
already scheduled coalition and LRT
meetings for the 2012-2013 school
year.
October’s coalition meeting will be
held on the 24th and will feature
Lisa Athan from Grief Speaks. Lisa’s
presentation will be, What the 21st
Century School Professional Needs
to Know About the Grieving Student.
On February 20, Michael Litterer
will present, Drug Trends-Prevention
Links, and Tyree Creeden from
Hudson Pride will speak on LGBTQ’s
at the May 22 meeting. These
meetings will be held at Trinitas
Regional Medical Center (TRMC) –
New Point Campus, 655 East Jersey
St. in Elizabeth. Meetings are held
from 9:30 until Noon.
Lead Response Team (LRT) meetings
are held at TRMC – New Point
The TLC Newsletter is a publication of the Traumatic Loss
Coalitions for Youth Program, 151 Centennial Avenue,
Piscataway, NJ 08854, 732-235-2810. The TLC is funded
by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families
Division of Child Behavioral Health Services through
the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
(UMDNJ) - University Behavioral HealthCare (UBHC) Behavioral Research and Training Institute (BRTI).
Campus, 655 Livingston St., 1st floor
conference room in the Monastery
building. The LRT meeting dates are:
October 24; November TBA; February
20; May 22 and June TBA from 12:30
pm until 1:30 pm.
Krizia Jimenez-Medrano,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
908-994-7148
Warren County
Darrell Buckner
The first Warren County Coalition
meeting is scheduled for 9:30 – 11:00
am on October 18. The meeting will
be held at the Warren County Public
Safety Building located at 1024 Route
57, Washington. A Lead Response
Team (LRT) meeting will be held
following the coalition meeting.
Darrell Buckner,
TLC Coordinator
[email protected]
908-454-4470, ext. 301
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Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth Newsletter
Appreciation Letters
TLC Central
To: Donna and Colleagues
Thank you so much for your
support and assistance during
this difficult time for the Old
Bridge Community. We are most
appreciative of your knowledge and
insight in addressing student and staff
needs. We look forward to working
with you.
Sincerely,
Donna M. Kibbler
Assistant Superintendent for
Curriculum & Instruction
Old Bridge Township Public Schools
♦♦♦♦
To: Donna Amundson,
Program Manager and
Coordinators: Melissa Callen;
George Scott; Barbara Maronski;
Elvira Smith; Arlene O’Connell;
Patty Weeks and Mary Vineis
Between August 2011 and
March 2012 the New Jersey
Department of Education, Office of
School Preparedness & Emergency
Planning, conducted twelve statewide LEA Minimum Requirements:
School Safety & Emergency Planning
trainings entitled, “Safer Schools
for A Better Tomorrow”. These
training sessions, which hosted over
700 attendees, shared important
information with chief school
administrators, school administrators,
and key stakeholders who partner
with schools and personnel who
oversee the implementation
of district-wide School Safety
& Security Plans. Joining the
department in this endeavor was the
Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth
(TLC).
I would like to thank you and the
TLC County Coordinators for their
assistance during this training.
Everyone shared their expertise
in the field of crisis planning and
response and fostered a positive
attitude of cooperation
14
and collaboration. We look forward to
working with you on future projects.
Sincerely,
Anthony Bland
State Coordinator
NJ Department of Education
♦♦♦♦
To: Donna Amundson
I wanted to extend my thank you for
the instructive, informative and much
needed presentation on the CASE
method at our Wednesday, May 9th
SBYSP Director’s meeting.
Having you there Donna to provide
the professional development on such
an important topic to SBYSP center
directors was a recognition of the
work our staff seek to accomplish
and providing tools, such as the CASE
method is what our staff requires.
Many thanks to our DCF regional
coordinators for organizing the event
and I look forward to seeing you again
soon.
Sincerely,
Therese T. Hendrickson
Program Coordinator
School Based Youth Service Program
Keansburg High School
♦♦♦♦
Burlington County
To: Frieda Francis, TLC Coordinator
I just want to thank you for all of the
support you’ve given to Greg and MVP
over the last few weeks. You have been
a wonderful resource and we thank you
for all you do.
Best,
Patricia Bruder
Educational Information & Resource
Center
♦♦♦♦
Cape May County
To: Chris Miller, TLC
Coordinator
No one is ever prepared for the loss
of a colleague. Even if the loss follows
a prolonged illness, staff members are
bound to feel bereft. In the case of
our Peggy, a vital, healthy woman
whose laughter echoed in our halls
and whose kindness embraced
all of us, the word bereft cannot
convey our sense of loss. Peggy was
the heart and soul of our building,
and everyone knew it, everyone felt
it. How could we go on without our
heart?
On behalf of the students and staff
at Crest Memorial, let us thank you
and your colleagues at the Traumatic
Loss Coalition for supporting us every
step of the way through that first
terrible, crucial day back at school.
We needed a clear plan of action
and a unified message to staff
and students. We needed safe
environments in which students
and staff could share feelings,
memories and grieve together. Most
of all, we needed to know that there
were steady, compassionate hands
to guide us as we stumbled through
the day. You and your team were
those hands. It was clear to us
from the moment you arrived that
you understood what we were going
through, and that you were genuinely
sympathetic. You weren’t just doing
a job; you were helping fellow
human beings in need.
All of us felt your compassion,
your understanding. Thanks to your
guidance, both students and staff felt
supported, affirmed and comforted.
Speaking personally let us thank you
for lifting part of the burden from our
shoulders. Because we had help, we
were able to breathe a bit easier, and
maybe be a bit more helpful to others.
Know that you made a difference in our
lives on Monday. When we think of
Peggy and mourn our loss, we’ll also
Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth Newsletter
Appreciation Letters
remember our first day back, and we’ll
remember how, with your guidance,
we comforted one another. We will
remember you and your team.
Sincerely,
Ann-Maria Guevara, Principal
Dennis J. Anderson,
Superintendent
Wildwood Crest School District
♦♦♦♦
Essex County
To: Arlene O’Connell, TLC
Coordinator
I want to thank you again, for your help
and support during our recent crisis. It
has been an overwhelmingly busy
two weeks, as you can imagine. Our
focus has been on all of the details
related to school opening, while
also preparing to continue on-going
support and “watchfulness” regarding
our students.
Arlene – I am so glad that we
reached out to Essex County TLC
right away. When I had time to
reflect, I realized that you provided
exactly the type of support needed.
You helped us think systematically at
a time when it is most difficult to do
that. It is so important to have that
type of support. As a SAC, I am
very grateful.
Kevin Barnes would like to write a
letter of thanks – and he would also
like to send a note to Kim.
Thanks, again – and let me know
when you are available for a phone
check-in. I’d love to touch base
and talk with you.
Mary B. Cunningham, LPC, SAC
Student Assistance Coordinator
James Caldwell High School
West Caldwell
♦♦♦♦
Middlesex County
To: George Scott, TLC
Coordinator and Donna
Amundson
It was a pleasure meeting you both
last Saturday. And thank you for the
wonderful presentation and much
needed information. Our youth
ministers greatly benefited from the
training. As I said, this was our first
step to bring this issue to the forefront
and give our youth ministries the tools
to assist in the development and growth
of healthy adults.
Dorothy Holman
Donna Howard
Sharon Rudolph
Donnie Foster
Annah Pledger-Foster
Janet Lewis
We will certainly continue to be in
touch and collaborate in building safer
communities. Do keep us informed
about upcoming events and meetings as
I would like to be part of the coalition.
To: Dan Silitsky, TLC Coordinator
May you have a blessed week,
Javier W. Bustamante
Director, Youth & Young Adult Ministry
Diocese of Metuchen
♦♦♦♦
Morris County
To: Mary Vineis, TLC Coordinator
On behalf of the Our Youth Their
Future Organization, we would like to
take this opportunity to thank Morris
County Traumatic Loss Coalition for
supporting our 3rd Annual Youth Rally.
On Saturday, August 25, 2012, our
organization sponsored a Community
Youth Rally, wherein the youth enjoyed
food, music, performances, pony rides
and a basketball tournament. It was a
huge success!
It is our goal to continue to provide
activities for our youth in an effort to
educate and to encourage awareness in
diverse areas which will help them build
confidence and self-esteem.
Your contribution is greatly appreciated
and we, again, thank you. As we strive
to continue in our mission of “education
and awareness,” and as we look
forward to planning additional events
for our youth, we hope we can count on
your further support and participation.
Very truly yours,
Our Youth Their Future
Toshiba Foster
♦♦♦♦
Passaic County
On behalf of the New Jersey
Department of Environmental
protection, Division of Parks and
Forestry and the Ringwood State Park
Staff, I would like to thank you for
your caring attention in response
to a drowning that occurred at
Ringwood State Park on Saturday,
July 14, 2012. The lifeguards who
tried in vain to rescue the teenage
victim were distraught and needed the
help that you were able to offer.
Division staff and Parks staff spent
Saturday evening calling various
hospitals, clinics and other resources
to find help for our distressed teenage
lifeguards and staff and had no luck
until we were put in touch with the
Traumatic Loss Coalition. We are
so thankful that we had your help.
Your compassion for dealing with
the emotions experienced by the
staff was exceptional and truly made
a difference in helping them to deal
from the loss they experienced. We
could not have asked for more caring,
helpful and understanding assistance
in this time of need.
The services that you and your
staff provide at the Traumatic Loss
Coalition are invaluable. Please pass
my heartfelt thanks on to your staff
for their prompt attention and caring
compassion in a job well done.
Sincerely,
Stephen Ellis
Acting Regional Superintendent
NJ Department of Environmental
Protection
15
Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth Coordinators
http://ubhc.umdnj.edu/brti/TLC.htm
Who to Contact in Your County
Northern Counties
Central Counties
Bergen County
Sue Heguy, LCSW
201-797-2660, x129
[email protected]
Care Plus NJ, Inc.
Hunterdon County
Sherri Neville-Fontini, MA
908-788-6401 x2082
[email protected]
Hunterdon Medical Center
Essex County
Arlene O’Connell LPC
973-239-5382
[email protected]
UMDNJ - UBHC
Mercer County
Steve Olsen
609-278-7924
[email protected]
County of Mercer
Hudson County
Silvana Gomez, MA
201-915-2268
[email protected]
Jersey City Medical Center
Morris County
Mary Vineis, BA, DRCC
973-686-2228
[email protected]
Atlantic Behavioral Health
Passaic County
Daniel Silitsky, PhD
732-718-3535
[email protected]
UMDNJ - UBHC
Middlesex County
George Scott, EdS, MFT
609-915-0684
[email protected]
UMDNJ - UBHC
Monmouth County
George Scott, EdS, MFT
609-915-0684
[email protected]
UMDNJ - UBHC
Ocean County
Karen Bright, MA
732-886-4474
[email protected]
Kimball Medical Center
Sussex County
Daniel Silitsky, PhD
732-718-3535
[email protected]
UMDNJ-UBHC
Somerset County
Melissa Callen, MA, LPC
908-253-3103
(emergency) 908-309-9087
[email protected]
Richard Hall Community
Mental Health Center
Warren County
Darrell Buckner, MSW, LSW
908-454-4470, x301
[email protected]
Warren Family Guidance Center
Union County
Krizia Jimenez-Medrano
908-994-7148
[email protected]
Trinitas Regional Medical Center
16
Southern Counties
Atlantic County
Patty Weeks, LSW
609-625-6051
[email protected]
Dennis Burd
609-626-3850
[email protected]
Richard Stockton College
Burlington County
Elfrieda Francis, MSW
609-265-5538
[email protected]
County of Burlington
Camden County
Barbara Maronski, LSW
609-230-8933
[email protected]
Center for Family Services
Cape May County
Chris Miller, MA
609-465-4100, x141
[email protected]
Cape May
Counseling Services
Cumberland County
Elvira Smith, MA, CSW
856-305-2138
[email protected]
UMDNJ - UBHC
Gloucester County
Barbara Maronski, LSW
609-230-8933
[email protected]
Center for Family Services
Salem County
Bridget DeFiccio, LPC
856-881-8689 x203
[email protected]
Robins’ Nest, Inc.
TLC Central: Office No. 732-235-2810
Donna Amundson, LCSW, Program Manager (cell 908-304-3266);
Nancy Baird, Dotty Rodrick