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Parent Connection
Prevention Edition Spring 2018
9 Facts About Addiction
People Usually Get Wrong
Ellington Youth Services
31 Arbor Way
860-870-3130
Youth.ellington-ct.gov
Decidetobekind.com
Director
Diane Lasher-Penti
Prevention Coordinator
Deborah Stauffer
dstauffer@ellington-ct.gov
Youth Program Coordinator/Rise Above Advisor
Tressa Giordano
#1 FACT:
Substance use changes the brain, which can make
drug use compulsive.
#2 FACT:
Expecting your child to "just quit" cold
turkey is unrealistic.
#3 FACT:
Intervening early is more effective than waiting for "rock bottom."
#4 FACT:
Your child can be ambivalent about treatment and it can still be effective.
#5 FACT:
Relapse is common and represents a learning opportunity.
#6 FACT:
Positive behavior and communication skills are more effective than punishment.
#7 FACT:
Finding an effective approach for treatment can mean investigating different doctors or programs before finding a good "match."
#8 FACT:
Medication-assisted treatment coupled with counseling, is the preferred treatment for heroin and other opioids.
#9 FACT:
Many people struggling with substance use require longer-term and/or repeated treatment.
**For details on these facts, visit www.drugfree.org.
The Opposite of Addiction is
CONNECTION
Vaping
How dangerous is vaping to your teen? See inside for details on Vaping.
Youth Services is happy to share their most recent project to provide more information about anxiety. "Be Kind to Your Mind" is a logo created to encourage the community conversation about anxiety in our youth and adults. In March and April, we showed the movie ANGST and provided information and an opportunity for discussion.
Thanks to our talented staff, a booklet was created called "More Than Okay: A guidebook for Preventing and Managing Everyday Anxiety," and was given out at the movie screenings. This guidebook is not meant to replace traditional counseling or therapy but rather a starting point to learn more about anxiety, find some tips and techniques and feel empowered.
For your free copy, visit Youth Services at 31 Arbor Way.
In addition to the above, we have created an animated series starring Mel the Cow and trusted adult Billie the Goat. With help from Billie, Mel is able to refer to the Worry Map and use tools to help with some situations that cause anxiety.
The Kind Farm Series - Afraid of the Dark
Program Instructor
Kayla Condron
kcondron@ellington-ct.gov
Inside this issue:
Be Kind to Your Mind 1
Brain Development 2
Teen Brain Explained 3
Screen Addiction 4
EPS Healthy Home Habits 5
Ellington Student Survey 6-7
DPYC Needs Members 8
Vaping 101 9-10