On February 22, 2021, Governor Phil Murphy signed three bills into law that addressed the legalization of cannabis (the legal word for marijuana). With this, the legalization of cannabis pushed forward a discourse for all New Jersey citizens to take part in. With questions and concerns so large about the impact on youth, the justice system, and the...
A blog post was written in October 2020 to recognize October as National Eat Better, Eat Together Month. The purpose of National Eat Better, Eat Together Month is to promote healthy eating habits among individuals of all ages. Research shows there are many benefits of families frequently eating dinner together including improved social skills in ch...
September is Suicide Prevention Month. While ASYSST is assisting students throughout the year, suicide is one of the many areas we focus on. This year's theme is HELP, take one post one. There is a help sign posted outside of one of our offices, students can take a Post-It Note with a positive affirmation that speaks to or means something to him/he...
Choosing what to eat for dinner is a simple decision we can make without much thought. Difficult decisions such as where to go for college require careful and more serious thinking. In this session of Talking Points for Teens, the focus will be on making those tough decisions. We will examine the pros and cons for the different outcomes of each tou...
OORP's Dream Team of Certified Peer Recovery Specialists, spread hope and healing as they reflect on the gift of recovery and what being in recovery means to them! For some Recovery Month inspiration, check out what they have to say! 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜 Marc North, Stacey Ross, James Boozan, Brian Bittings, Jon Macciocca, Dave...
Mercer Council is looking to hire a full time Prevention Educator. Prevention Educator will offer a variety of prevention curricula in Mercer County schools and community organizations. Bachelor's degree required. Social service field preferred. We are also looking for team members who have the ability to split their time betw...
Labor Day is Monday, September 6, 2021. This holiday (which has been nationally celebrated in the U.S. since 1894) recognizes the American Labor Movement and celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers. The day signifies the end of summer, the beginning of autumn, and the anticipation of a new school year ahead. On this day, many in...
Our ASYSST (Available School Youth Support Services Team) has changed and is ready to assist the students at Ewing High this school year. We welcome our new Program Director, Dan Winter, our new Mental Health Clinician, Carly Scanlon, and our returning Developmental Specialist, Shakita Johnson. They are excited and have a lot of great things planne...
From the choices below, can you guess the type of driver (based on vehicle type) responsible for the highest percentage of alcohol-related fatal crashes in 2019? Is it A.) bus driver, B.) car driver, C.) motorcycle driver, or D.) truck driver? The correct answer is C.) motorcycle driver. Among the alcohol-impaired drivers involved in fatal cr...
4 Types of Grief Nobody Told You About | Psychology Today And why it’s important that we call them grief. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/between-the-generations/201904/4-types-grief-nobody-told-you-about#:~:text=%204%20Types%20of%20Grief%20Nobody%20Told%20You,one%E2%80%99s%20own%20life%20and%20affairs.%0AExamples%20include%3A%0AA...%20More...
On July 20, 2021 the students of ASYSST Summer Camp demonstrated an act of goodwill by providing their time and services to the community. During this day of summer camp, the students put together grief bags for the Hand to Hold organization that is housed at Ewing High School (EHS). These bags are given out to students and staff in need, but mainl...
July 26, 1990, was a date many people in the United States celebrated due to the passing of The Americans with Disabilities Act. This law, signed by President George H.W. Bush, prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. It is not nationally recognized, but due to the historic nature of such an event, it is celebrated in the United S...
In honor of June being National Safety Month, an important safety topic I would like to discuss in this blog pertains to the dangers of drunk driving, drugged driving, and underage drinking. With the official start of summer looming coupled with the anticipation that comes with social isolation lockdown restrictions being eased, people are gearing ...
Summer Camp is back at Ewing High School. It is a first come first served, up to 15 students can attend. Students will enjoy a variety of activities, games, and 3 field trips throughout the summer. Please see the attached flier for further information and to sign up.
As June is Pride Month, as well as Canadian National Indigenous History month there is a recognized need to provide services in areas that may seem more unreachable. To provide resources to a population that may not have otherwise been given access to information is an important part of prevention education. This gives the opportunity to educators ...
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. A huge part of being aware, and hopefully moving on to acceptance, is removing the stigma associated with mental health, and getting help for mental health challenges. Mercer Council and Prevention Coalition of Mercer County is proud to have been a part of several events calling to shatter the stigma ...
May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Be good to yourself and make sure you are mentally okay. If not, then seek help. Please enjoy the PSA that ASYSST along with Ewing High School(EHS) Student Council created. This is a message for their fellow students and those in the community. Please share below, a tip to r...
Virtual Learning, Covid-19 pandemic and isolation from friends are just some of the struggles our teens have been facing since March 2020. In honor of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, Talking Points for Teens will focus on how teens can manage their emotions when life doesn't seem to be going their way. Please click the link below to access...
So many faces and voices of recovery have paved the way for countless others to reach their goals with the hope and healing that is generated through connections, support and a shared peer recovery experience. One of the faces and voices making a huge impact in the recovery community is Mercer Council's own, Stacey Ross, a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist with our Opioid Overdose Reco...
Recovery Specialists Stacey Ross and Marc North joined me to visit Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, one of Mercer Council OORP's key partners, to regroup after a period of Tele-Recovery Support services. The team pivoted to Tele-Recovery Support because of a pandemic that completely consumed our hospital partners, our community and the world. In order to do our part to...
April not only brought showers, it was also Alcohol Awareness Month. Although we are seeing a decline in teenage drinking, the numbers are still too high. In this session of Talking Points For Teens, we focus on the dangers of alcohol and underage drinking. Please click the link below to access our YouTube channel to view the Talking Points For Teens video. Enjoy the video. Stay Safe, Stay Safe He...
Mercer Council is seeking applications for a full time Program Director to oversee the School Based Youth Services Program at Ewing High School. Master's Degree in Counseling/Social Work/Psychology is required, along with a minimum of 3 years experience working with adolescents. Job position includes leading the team, as well as planning activities/programs to meet the requirements of SBYSP and be...
Mercer Council would like to thank Mercer County and the Park Commission for having Vanessa DeRosa, PYPM Program Coordinator, join them at a Bike Drive they hosted at several locations throughout the county on April 10, 2021. Bicycles were accepted (no matter the condition) and were transported to the Trenton Bike Exchange (located in Ewing, NJ). There, they will be fixed by volunteers and then so...
Hello Community Members! While New Jersey has become one of the pioneers in underage marijuana usage and law enforcement reform, the new marijuana legislation has led to frustration and confusion with parents, business owners, and law enforcement alike. While there have been news outlets and educational resources mitigating some of that confusion, the Prevention Coalition of Mercer County an...
Mercer Council extends a thank you to all participants who joined us on March 17, 2021 for the Brain Awareness Zoom webinar, “Learn Neuroscience: Alcohol and the Developing Brain”. A special thank you also to Dr. Rola Bekdash from Rutgers University for providing the students an insightful and informative presentation about the inner workings of the human mind and effects of alcohol on the develop...
Our recent antiracism training facilitated by Kimme Carlos put me in touch with many of my personal emotions. I have always felt uncomfortable discussing issues associated with racism. I know it exists and I know it is sometimes necessary, but as a black man who has lived through it, the idea of discussing it at a times when I don’t necessarily have to is very difficult. Not only does it harbor di...
Last Thursday March 25, 2021, we lost a dear Board Member of Mercer Council, Phyllis Marchand. She has been a fixture in Mercer Council's 40+ year history, being a Board Member for 26 years who held various offices within the Board during this time. She was the longest standing Board member who witnessed the transformation Mercer Council has gone through both internally in the leadership of the or...
The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) will be holding their annual event, National Alcohol and Drugs Facts Week March 22-28, 2021. This annual event brings together teens and community groups to bring awareness and 'SHATTER THE MYTHS" about drugs and alcohol. In this session of Talking Points for Teens we discuss 5 fac...
During the pandemic, violence, both physical and verbal, against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) has increased dramatically -- hate crimes of this nature, as reported by NPR (cited in a report from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University), in approximately 16 cities increased by 150% in 2020. Multiple sources, including NPR and&nbs...
Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Rider University's Dr. Jonathan Karp and Issac Harris on their Health 411 program! Together, we had a beautiful conversation that not only allowed me to highlight Mercer Council and our programs, but to engage on a multitude of topics, including: Career paths and opportunities in the field Societal factors, including social and racial justice ...
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
