DO- GOODER
happy to help UPPER SADDLE RIVER TEEN
STEPHANIE REIFMAN WINS NATIONAL AWARD FOR HEROIN EDUCATION PROGRAM
WRITTEN BY MARSHA STOLTZ
The problem with student heroin education , Stephanie Reifman decidedat age 13 , was that no one was listening .
Five years later , Reifman ’ s HAPPY ( Heroin Addiction Prevents People ’ sYears ) Week heroin program for middle and high school students has earned her a $ 36,000 Helen Diller Foundation Teen Tikkun Olam Award , one of only 15 granted nationwide .
Her program nowreaches 40 New Jersey and New Yorkpublic schools and their 15,000 students — onazero-basedbudget .
Reifman ’ s inspiration to become involved sprang from the July 2013 heroin-related death of actor Cory Monteith , who had played the conflicted singingfootball quarterback Finn Hudson in the Fox series Glee . Reifman says she was shocked to learn that well-heeled Bergen County , where she lived , was not exempt from the drug epidemic , now estimated at 99 drug-related deaths in 2016 , the last year for whichdatais available .
“ I wanted to develop something students wouldpay attention to ,” Reifman says . So , she started with avideo , shown to her classmates at Cavallini Middle School , and an interviewwith arecovering young-adult addict from the Spring House halfway program in Paramus .
When she started high school at NorthernHighlands Regional in Allendale , Reifman ’ s program came to the attention of aparent whose child had died of aheroin overdose . The parent contacted Reifman , offering to tell the child ’ s story of drugs hidden in stuffed
animals and ahabit financed by stealing money from her purse . Aparent segment was then added to the program .
“ She truly amazed us with her passion and dedication in dealing head-on with the opioid epidemicthat has ravaged our communities ,” says Highlands PrincipalJoseph Occhino . “ Her HAPPY program was well received here , as well as surrounding school districts .”
Reifman thought an interview format would be moreappealing to her listeners . “ After the video , it ’ s dialogue , me and the young adult , me and the parent . We ’ re talking to each other ,” Reifman says . “ We avoid alecture . Then we do aquestion-and-answerperiod with the audience .”
It is duringthe Q & A that Reifman
STEPHANIE REIFMAN says she can tell the students are engaged . “ They are usinginformation they heard during the program to ask questions ,” she says . “ They wantedtoknow the effect of addiction on asibling , on achild . It ’ s very different when theinformation is coming from someone firsthand .”
Reifman received help along the way fromthe Bergen County Office of Alcohol and Drug Dependency , the New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the New Jersey State Board of Education . Rabbi Shelley Kniaz , director of congregational education at Temple Emanuel of Pascack ValleyinWoodcliff Lake , recommendedReifman for her award .
For her work , Reifman has additionally been named a “ CBS New York 50 People to Know .” She ’ s received the PrudentialSpirit of Community President ’ s Volunteer Service Award , theHughO ’ Brien Youth Magic Makers Award for work on heroin addiction and prevention and New Jersey State Board of Education honors for community service and leadership , and she is an American AssociationofUniversity Women Hall of Fame inductee .
Scheduledtobegin studies at the University of Michiganthis autumn , Reifman says she will be turning over operation of her program to her sister , Melissa .
“ The next step is to develop awritten curriculum to go with theprogram ,” Reifman says . “ Our volunteers are anxious to reach as many students as possible with our message : Don ’ t start .” ●
For more information about HAPPY ( Heroin Addiction Prevents People ’ s Years ), visithappyweek . org .
MARSHA STOLTZ
8 FALL 2018 | ( 201 ) FAMILY