April is nationally recognized as Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the National Safety Council has postponed Distracted Driving Awareness Month to an undetermined date for later this year. Currently, there is less travel on the roadways due to the stay at home order put in place in the efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19. Even though Distracted Driving Awar...
As a child, I recall a woman in our church singing a song written by George Beverly that said “In times like these, we need a Savior; In times like these, we need an anchor; Be very sure, be very sure, you anchor holds and grips the solid Rock”When the life altering and crisis of COVID-19 arrived in the US , our lives became a storm of great unpredictability and fear. With so many aspects of our l...
The current COVID-19 pandemic situation has resulted in unprecedented challenges for the entire Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Prevention, Treatment, and Services industry. Social distancing restrictions, along with treatment center policy and medical screening enhancements, have posed additional unique restrictions on access to and delivery of SUD services. The ongoing opioid addiction crisis...
How are you spending your time of social distancing? During this time at home in our domains, it is especially important to protect our bodies and brains! Our brains and body can benefit from the following things, try them out and experience the joy it brings! (Brain craft featured in collage picture courtesy of My Amazing Brain by TeachersPayTeachers website, link below) Check out the follo...
In light of the recent pandemic, Mercer Council decided after careful consideration, to close our office space in order to do our part to limit the spread of COVID-19. Mercer Council Team is working from home remotely as we navigate this pandemic. Amidst disruptions to work and life in general, our team is working hard and doing the best we can considering the circumstances. We are proud of what o...
Simple stress relief activites that can be done at home during this lockdown. I hope all is well, we will all get through this.
As our days seem to be filled with the unknown, the anxiety we feel seems to be increasing. COVID-19 has affected everyone in some capacity. As a LifeSkills Training facilitator, I have had to apply the skills that I teach my students to myself and my family. One thing that I have decided to use is my logic side of the brain and not my anxiety side. My logic side sent me right to the LST technique...
Our brain is the boss of our body, in charge of everything we do as human beings, and the most important part of our body. These statements are just a few of the many important messages children learn in the Protecting You, Protecting Me alcohol use prevention program delivered by Mercer Council. Our brain is so important, it has a whole week dedicated to it! Brain Awareness week was introduced in...
On Wednesday January 22nd, Ewing High School’s ASYSST Program observed Celebrate Life Day with an artistic flair! Using a rainbow of paint chips and Sharpies, students wrote out what things give them the most joy in life. Students arranged these, along with inspirational quotes and encouraging messages, into a colorful poster surrounded by the quote “Your life is a canvas, make sure you paint your...
On January 20, 2020, the ASYSST staff and two lovely students volunteered for a day of service at the Mercer County Community College(MCCC), James Kerney Campus in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther king Jr.. The day of service began with prayer, followed by a powerful message from Rev. Dr. Alyn Waller and then all the volunteers disbursed into mini groups for the different tasks they volunteered fo...
Known for our dedication to substance related prevention in the Mercer County Community over the past 40+ years, many familiar with Mercer Council are unaware that we facilitate an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that provides free, short-term, confidential counseling services for employees and household members of approximately 15-20 local businesses. Mercer Council has licensed and...
(Our very own Malissa, stood for two alliances- Ewing and Lawrence) On Wednesday, January 16th, The Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse sponsored the annual Municipal Alliance Volunteer Recognition Dinner. It was a night full of networking, recognizing common goals, and bringing to light all the hard work townships do every year. It was a night of celebrating and featuring a par...
January 9, 2020 was Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Thanks to our School Security Coordinator, Don Ellison, for connecting us with retired local, law enforcement officer, George Cahill. Mr. Cahill also works for the Ewing High School district, and agreed to speak with our students in observance of the day. Our goal was to host a discussion about bridging the relationship gap between law en...
Several ASYSST Members met the staff on Saturday December 28 at Preferred Care Nursing and Rehab Center to meet and greet a group of nursing home residents for a combined art project. The initiative was spearheaded by Shakita Johnson ( youth development specialits) who organized New Year stencils and colored pencils and markers. Students strategically sat at the tables with the residents and engaged in friendly "chit chat" while coloring. The residents enjoyed the opportunity to interact with students and vice versa. 90 year old resident Esther P. quipped "They are such well behaved kids, they can visit us anytime". 16 year old ASYSST Student Morris reported " I learned a lot from the seniors... I really liked doing this!"
Program Director Gregory Smith said "Our hope is to engage the students from ASYSST in similar projects in the future as a way to learn to give back and in the process receive so much more"
On Thursday December 5, 2019, Mercer Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction hosted a company holiday dinner. The evening was filled with an abundance of good food, good friends, and good times. This exquisite event was not only a time of gathering and reflection, but also a time of appreciation. Mercer Council celebrated each other with heart-filled words of affirmation that was shared by the Me...
Matt Kiefer, owner of Kiefer Landscaping, and longstanding Board Member of the Mercer Council, planned and implemented the beginning stages of an exciting new project that the Mercer Council will begin developing in the new year. Matt has tapped into his craft to leave a lasting impact on the Mercer Council grounds and on the critical prevention work we do, and lives we touch. We...
On December 5th 2019, the Center For Family Services sponsored a workshop entitled "Creating An Infrastructure That Supports Peer Provider Integration Into Traditional Service Delivery" at the Burlington County Emergency Services Education complex in Westampton NJ. As a Peer Specialist working for MCADA on the Opioid Overdose Recovery Program (OORP), I was fortunate to be able to attend this train...
On Monday, December 2nd, 2019, New Pod City’s, Trenton Waves podcast, featured me and my affiliation with Mercer Council and the Trenton Municipal Alliance Committee. Below is the link to the conversation- it is funny, weird, and gets crazy at certain parts, but in its authenticity there were moments of interesting dialogue between myself and the hosts (Frank and Christina). One moment that should...
On the third Thursday of November, every year for more than 40 years, there has been an event called the Great American Smokeout. This tradition emerged from an effort started in 1970, where a man named Arthur P. Mullaney asked his town to give up smoking for a day and donate the money they would have used on cigarettes on a high school scholarship. Several other efforts followed, and Califor...
On October 24th and 25th, I had the pleasure of being trained in the Strengthening Families Program (SPF). It was an intense two day training that was powerful and informative. It is a program that is very easy to follow and one that I am sure is very rewarding for the families and the facilitators when the program is completed.SFP is a 14- session evidenced based family skills training program. T...
Cotton candy, gummy bear, banana smash and mint. Enticing flavors tobacco companies are using to hook a new generation of kids to their products. A ploy they’ve been using for decades -- because it works. According to the 2019 Youth Tobacco Survey, 97% of youth e-cigarette users choose flavors and four out of five who have used tobacco started with a flavored product. That’s because fl...
Mercer Council Opioid Overdose Recovery Program (OORP) team members met this afternoon for their November staff meeting. OORP’s trained and uniquely qualified Recovery Specialists (Peers) are individuals with lived experience who are in recovery from substance related challenges. Peers are dispatched to Mercer County hospitals/emergency departments to meet bedside with i...
A new drunk driving law is in effect that will require convicted first time offenders with a legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 to install ignition interlock devices as a means to stop them from driving while intoxicated. The new law also applies to individuals who refuse to provide a breath test after they are pulled over. Individuals convicted of drunk driving will be required to blo...
Mercer Council was moved by the generosity of community members in attendance at our 2nd Annual Benefit Luncheon and Silent Auction, held on September 24, 2019, at the Stone Terrace by John Henry's in Hamilton, NJ. Various sectors of the community contributed to this event, including Luncheon attendees, donators, special guest speakers, dignitaries and sponsors. Proceeds from...
(Barbara Sprechman gives her Community Champion Acceptance Speech) Last night, I was privleged to have attended Campfire NJ's 19th annual Golf Outing Fundraiser. Campfire is a wonderful organization that serves the youth of our communities in a variety of ways. Because of their dedication to and passion for shaping our youth, they deserve to be supported and celebrated. It was a ...
The 2018-2019 school year has concluded, and the Protecting You, Protecting Me (PYPM) alcohol use prevention program for grades K-5 was delivered to students at Washington Elementary School in Trenton, NJ. Over 300 students participated in PYPM, and all grades K-5 were reached! Thank you to all the staff and students who welcomed me into their school to provide this beneficial program! When asked ...
Please see the below message from Governor Phil Murphy. This is an amazing chance to take advantage of an opportunity to be equipped with this critical life saving medication! For more information Click here.
Wow, Mercer Council has been truly blessed. We have been chosen by Stop & Shop store leadership as the benefiting non-profit in the Community Bag Program for June. You can help Mercer Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction will receive a $1 donation every time a $2.50 Community Bag is sold during the month of June at the Shop & Shop sto...
Mercer Council was visited on May 14th, by 3 individuals from the State of New Jersey, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, who are involved at the state level in the Opioid Overdose Recovery Program (OORP). DMHAS representatives at Mercer Council's monthly OORP meeting, sung their praise for Mercer Council's OORP program, indicating in 2018, Mercer Council successfully linked 4...
On March 25, NJ Senate passed the bill S2179 that allows gross income tax deduction for charitable contributions to certain New Jersey-based charitable organizations. The deduction allowed by the bill mirrors the federal income tax deduction for charitable contributions and is allowed regardless of whether the federal itemized deduction is taken by the taxpayer. Mer...
Mercer Council on Alcoholism & Drug Addiction
1931 Brunswick Avenue
Lawrence Township, NJ 08648
Tel - (609) 396-5874
Email - mcada@mercercouncil.org
Hours - Mon - Fri 8am - 4pm
