March 10 is National Fentanyl Awareness Day. Fentanyl is the #1 cause of death for those aged 18-45, and is tied to about 2/3 of all drug fatalities. While many who are addicted to opioids seek out fentanyl on the “street”, other times fentanyl is included in cocaine, meth and fake prescription pills like hydrocodone and Xanax. It is incumbent …
Late last month, Jacqueline, Mary and I virtually met with Lisa Arnold, Clinical Director of the Collegiate Recovery Program (CRP) at Fairfield University. I consider Lisa one of NCPSG’s key partners, because of her enthusiasm for recovery in general and collegiate recovery in particular. It was great to get an update, as it had been 2 and a half years …
In Honor of My Mother My mother was a beautiful woman. She had a laugh that could make even the saddest soul grin, a smile that felt like a field of sunflowers, and an ability to make anyone feel safe when in her arms. This was my real mother, the one before the drugs took over. The mother before I …
Earlier this week, I had a great virtual visit with Sandy Valentine, Leader of UConn’s collegiate recovery program which they call URC (UConn Recovery Community). Our Social Media Intern Mary and parent Jacqueline joined me. We “met” at the Cordial Storrs House, a centuries-old building dedicated to all things student recovery. The goal of URC, as Sandy described it, is …
Recently, the cover of Berkeley’s Alumni Quarterly magazine caught my eye. I love the pop art from the 60’s and 70’s, but why was it being used? Because Berkeley has decided to reestablish–perhaps in tribute to the free spirits of the past like Timothy Leary–a center to encourage and encourage the use of psychedelics to “enhance well-being and deepen spirituality”. …
In our April 5th Pathway Session on Self-compassion, Karen Walant, Phd, LCSW shared her insights and tips on how we can generate compassion for ourselves. Karen is a fan of both Dr. Kristin Neff and Dr. Tara Brach, who have done significant research in how we can reach our full potential when we show kindness to ourselves. As Karen pointed …
At one of our recent parent support meetings, Wayne mentioned that he found Brené Brown’s new book Atlas of the Heart powerful. In it, Brené covers ALL the emotions & experiences that can help us connect with others. Just last month, HBO Max launched the 5-episode docuseries, which is also lauded by Wayne. Go here for more info: https://decider.com/2022/03/31/brene-brown-atlas-of-the-heart-hbo-max-review/.
A visit to the student recovery house at Sacred Heart University reminded us of the opportunities now available for young adults to start/finish college in recovery. James Cafran, SHU’s Collegiate Recovery Program Coordinator, gave our Intern Mary Kowal-Foley and me a house tour. James then described the background into SHU’s foray in collegiate recovery. First, there were already collegiate recovery …
On Wednesday, March 16, Erica Lubetkin, LMHC described CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) and how parents can benefit. CRAFT is a skill set for those who support a loved one struggling with substance use. There are 4 major goals with CRAFT: 1) decrease the harmful substance use: 2) engage the user into treatment; 3) increase the family member’s own …
Mary Kowal-Foley, a senior at Sacred Heart University majoring in Sociology, has joined our team as our 2022 Social Media Intern. This is a great opportunity for a “win-win” outcome. NCPSG will benefit with increased publicity and effectiveness of our communications,, and Mary gets hands-on training in all aspects of our digital tools and strategies. She will be responsible for …
