End-of-year shoutouts: PD wins awards, trains hundreds, recognizes marathoners & donors
- info450094
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
During this holiday season, we'd like to thank our staff for their talent and dedication, our community partners for so many amazing collaborations, and our donors for their support. Below we're showcasing just a couple of the great things we've all accomplished together during the past couple of months -- check out some photos and videos below!
We also recognize that the holidays can be a tough time for many of us. We encourage everybody to practice self-care!
Use your coping skills, touch base with your therapist, and/or attend a support group.
Please note that Positive Directions will be seeing clients virtually throughout the holidays, except on Christmas Day and New Year's Day when the office will be closed.
Our SMART Recovery and Alternatives to Suicide support groups will be running, but our SMART Family & Friends group is canceled for 12/31 and 1/1.
With wishes for health, happiness, and a wonderful year ahead, from the PD staff
Shoutout to our Peer Support Project for 2 Awards!
Excellence in Advocacy Award
Congratulations to Quinn Jannetty, manager of our CT Support Group project, who received Advocacy Unlimited's Dr. Karen Kangas Award for Excellence in Advocacy! In their acceptance speech (download below), Quinn said, "this work is hardly ever easy. It asks a lot of us... of our hearts, our minds, our time. But it’s also full of moments that remind me why I keep showing up, why I continue to dream of what’s possible, and why I believe so deeply that while we are all that each other has, we are also all that we’ll ever need."
Health & Wellness Design award from Graphic Design USA
More congratulations to our CT Support Group project--and to our graphic designers over at Habby Design Co.!
The project launched our revamped website back in February. Visit it to find out about peer support options for young people statewide.
Shoutout to our Youth & Prevention Coalitions for Training Hundreds!
New Regional Youth Prevention Team
Our Mid-Fairfield Youth Cannabis Prevention Project has created a new Regional Youth Prevention Team with 13 high school students from New Canaan, Norwalk, Weston, Westport and Wilton.
We've trained the teens in the Johnny's Ambassadors cannabis prevention curriculum, and they are available to educate peers as well as to participate in our data collection and advocacy efforts. Andres & Yubleiska (pictured here with staff members Margaret and Francesca) have already trained 3 high school classes in Norwalk! Thanks to the youth and to our project manager, Francesca Guerrier!
Professional Development for Teachers
Our Prevention Department recently organized QPR trainings for almost 600 middle and high school faculty at Norwalk Public Schools, building their capacity to recognize and respond to possible suicidal ideation in their students. Thanks to our partners at NPS, Catalyst CT | The Hub, Kids in Crisis, Liberation Programs, Norwalk Health Department, and TPAUD for helping us provide 19 trainings in 3 days! Meanwhile, in collaboration with Westport Youth Services, we also continued to provide QPR training to students at Staples High School, which takes place each quarter in the junior health classes.
Through our Mid-Fairfield Youth Cannabis Prevention Project, we also recently brought together some 75 health teachers, PE teachers, and school counselors from 5 school districts (New Canaan, Norwalk, Weston, Westport, and Wilton) for a 3-hour Professional Development training on cannabis, hosted at Staples High School. It included a live expert speaker (Dr Feuerstein), a curriculum presenter from Stanford University, and collaboration time. Almost half the teachers said they were previously unaware of the information presented.
Regional Webinar Series on Cannabis
Our regional speaker series has kicked off, organized through our Mid Fairfield Youth Cannabis Prevention Project to raise parent awareness in the region and hear different stakeholder perspectives.
Dr. Joe Feuerstein, president of the Fairfield County Medical Association and a Weston resident, launched the virtual series. His expertise and engaging manner were very well received. Click the image to watch the video -- and check out his Cannabinoid Cookbook on how to activate your body's natural endocannabinoid system!
The second speaker in our webinar series, Jordan Davidson, is a former Weston/Westport resident, young adult in recovery, and legislative program manager for a national nonprofit. Jordan provided insights into his journey through teen addiction to recovery, as well as sharing up-to-date issues and impactful information on the national status of cannabis. We're sharing his story not only to parents and community members but also teens. Click to watch the recording.
Red Ribbon Week Recap
Shoutout to our TNP Teens clubs in Norwalk, who engaged youth and parents in an awareness activity at Norwalk Public Library during Red Ribbon Week! RRW is an annual reminder to parents & elementary school staff to talk early, talk often with young children. With increasing calls to poison control and emergency hospital visits by kids who have accidentally ingested edibles, early education is critical.
In Westport, young children picked up our RRW awareness activity sheets at two costume parades and five local restaurants: Angelina’s Trattoria; Bar Taco; Little Barn; Old Mill Grocery & Deli; and Rizzuto’s. Thanks to Westport Human Services, The Westport Library, and the participating restaurants for their support, and to our clinical intern, Nikoletta Moschidi, for supporting this project & much more!
Shoutout to Local Marathon Runners -- and donors like YOU!
Three local runners recently ran the 2025 NYC Marathon as a fundraiser for Positive Directions, and we are so grateful for their support of our mission. Congratulations to each of them for this incredible achievement! Read about the runners here. We also thank all those who supported the runners' efforts by contributing to this fundraiser.
As a nonprofit, our agency depends on fundraising to supplement our grant and contractual funding. We pride ourselves on being innovative community leaders in the areas of mental health, substance prevention, and peer support-- but much of that work is not funded!
If YOU would like to support our work, please click here to make a year-end donation! You can direct your donation toward our treatment fund (ensuring no one is turned away from counseling for inability to pay), our free support groups, our young adult peer project, our community prevention work, or to the area of greatest need. Thank you for your support!
Other News
Positive Directions Office Renovation
In order to comfortably accommodate our clients and staff, we have been renovating our space. New closets, floors, paint and a rearrangement of our space are mostly completed. Thanks to our staff who've had to work through the construction and to our clients who have found their way to the new waiting area!
We're Hiring!
We're looking for a Licensed Alcohol & Drug Counselor -- preferably bilingual -- so please spread the word to your colleagues in the field!
