Every day, thousands of young people experience bullying from their peers at school, after school in their neighborhoods, and even when they are at home, through social media and texts. There are many ways to support bullying prevention as an individual or with friends, family, your school, or your entire community.
What Parents Should Know About Bullying
Definition, Impact and Roles
Laws and Policy
Helping Your Child
Working with the School
Mobile and Online Safety
Red Ribbon Week: October 23 – 31, 2022
Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was a special agent who worked for the Drug Enforcement Administration. In 1985, he was kidnapped by drug traffickers in Guadalajara, Mexico. His murder and death brought anger to the community and was a catalyst for the Red Ribbon Campaign.
Together in Kiki’s honor, parents and youth in communities nationwide began wearing Red Ribbons as a symbol of their commitment to raise awareness around his killing and the destruction caused by drugs in America.
Beginning October 1st, students, families, and schools across America are invited to participate in the 12th Annual National Red Ribbon Week Photo Contest aimed at raising visibility to live drug-free by being creative. The contest will award more than $20,000 to K-12 schools in cities across America.
For more information click here.
Facts About Fentanyl
Buying Drugs Online – What You Should Know & How to Protect Your Kids
Where are kids getting drugs? Twenty years ago, the answer to this question would only have been: from classmates at school, from friends at a party, or from a medicine cabinet. Fast forward to today and you’ll find that young people are also getting drugs online perhaps now more than ever. Learn more.
Volunteer Opportunities
There are a variety of volunteer opportunities at awesome nonprofits throughout Westchester and Putnam Counties. To view these opportunities, please check out Volunteer New York!
Yorktown Leos Club
Leadership, Experience, Opportunity! The Yorktown Leos are a community service club for people ages 12-25 willing to help others in the community. They host and participate in a variety of fun and collaborative events. The Yorktown Leos Club has been helping the Yorktown community for over 25 years and to learn how to get involved, click here.
Upcoming Events
October 2: Supporting Emotional Regulation in Kids
Despite our best efforts to prepare children to manage big storms of emotions, they will struggle sometimes. Managing emotional storms takes emotional & physical maturity, and practice. In this webinar we’ll look at the warning signs that indicate an emotional storm is on the horizon, interventions to support children when they feel an emotional storm brewing, and how to reduce the impact of the storm. Register here.
October 11: Understanding Anxiety
Occasional anxiety is an expected part of life. But anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry. An accessible guide to understanding what causes anxiety disorders and the types of anxiety, their symptoms, common misconceptions, and how relationships are impacted. Register here.
October 19: Virtual Naloxone Training
Naloxone is a prescription medicine that reverses an overdose by blocking heroin or other opioids in the nervous system for 30-90 minutes. Naloxone is administered by injection or intranasal. Following training, participants receive a kit by mail. Presented by our partners at Drug Crisis in Our Backyard. Register by email: ssal@drugcrisisinourbackyard.com
October 21: Invitation to Change Workshop with CRAFT Strategies
CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) presented by Center for Motivation and Change and our partners at Drug Crisis in Our Backyard. Learn tools that can give you hope, help a loved one move away from substance use and apply better techniques to help you take care of yourself. Excellent workshop for anyone hoping to influence change in a loved one’s behavior. Register here.
October 25: Communication Do’s and Don’ts
Understanding how mental health impacts thinking and behavior helps to reduce frustration & stress, and improves outcomes for everyone. Learn simple tools to manage conflict and express feelings with a licensed therapist. Register here.
Weekly Spotlight Family Support Groups
From our partners at Drug Crisis in Our Backyard, weekly Spotlight Family Support Groups, held virtually every Tuesday and Wednesday via Zoom. Spotlight on Recovery is a Family Educational and Support Group for families struggling with a loved one misusing substances. For more information, click here.
The Parent Support Network
The Parent Support Network is a program of The Youth Mental Health Project that seeks to provide support for parents and guardians who are concerned about the mental health of their children (ages 1 -25) through confidential, peer-to-peer meetings. For a list of upcoming virtual meetings, click here.
NAMI Westchester
The families and members of NAMI Westchester are here to help! They offer understanding to anyone concerned about mental illnesses and the treatment of mental illness. To view their calendar, click here.
Westchester Breathes is an ongoing program offered by the Westchester Library System offering an experience of gentle movement, breathing and relaxation exercises that reduce stress and anxiety and increase a sense of calm and well-being. These exercises are simple and evidence-based – which is to say …they work! They are free and on Zoom. Register here