PD Blog: New staff, programs & recorded talks
- info450094
- Jun 26
- 4 min read
To kick off the summer, Positive Directions has great updates to share! In this blog post:
Learn about our new clinical staff and play therapy space
Watch videos of recent alcohol & cannabis discussions organized by our Prevention Division & stream an awareness film at home for free
Learn about our new, free SMART Recovery support groups and facilitator
Read blog posts by our Staples HS interns written for our CT Support Group project.
News from our Behavioral Health Clinic
Introducing our new Clinical Director, Melanie Vollono, LMFT
Melanie Vollono is a Marriage and Family Therapist licensed in CT and NY, who received her Master's at Iona College. Melanie specializes in the treatment of eating disorders, OCD, anxiety, specific phobias, and school refusal/avoidance. Her approach is systemic, solution-focused, and strengths based. She looks forward to bringing SPACE treatment to Positive Directions!
Read her full bio here, and reach her at mvollono@positivedirections.org. Welcome, Melanie!
Medication management returns with our new APRN, Lori Lang
Lori is a nurse practitioner providing medication management for clients at Positive Directions.
Prior to joining Positive Directions, she had many years of experience treating patients with blood cancers. During this time, she became increasingly comfortable managing not only the physical, but also the mental health and emotional concerns of this chronically-ill population.
Read her full bio on our webpage here.
Welcome, Lori!
Play Therapy room opens!
Thanks to generous grants received from the New Canaan Community Foundation (NCCF) and Westport Rotary Club, we are breaking ground on our "Child Therapy Playroom" here at Positive Directions! The Play Room is stocked with therapeutic toys and games to use with clients age 5-12 and facilitated by our clinical staff with expertise in play therapy interventions.
In addition to our new Play Therapy space, we will soon be starting a build-out project to improve our client waiting area to better serve our community.
Prevention Department Resources
Westport's Relationship with Alcohol: A Community Discussion
During Alcohol Awareness Month, we organized a panel discussion to explore Westport's relationship alcohol, together with members of our Westport Prevention Coalition. Many thanks to our wonderful panelists, listed below. Watch the video by clicking on the image, and be sure to check out the panelists' programs & services on their websites:
Renny Affoumado, Progressive Institute
Mary Dobson, LIFT Wellness
Kevin Godburn, Westport Youth Services
Vanessa Hurta, Aspetuck Health District
Brian McGunagle, Westport Pride
Sam Sandrew, Teen Awareness Group (TAG)
Nat Smitobol, Saugatuck PTA
Margaret Watt, Positive Directions
For more resources, visit NIH's Rethinking Drinking website; the CT Dept of Mental Health & Addiction Services CT Stronger site; and CDC's Alcohol webpages.
Impact of Today's Cannabis on Youth
Big thanks to Dr. Amy Swift, Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Silver Hill Hospital, who shared what the treatment community is seeing with our Mid Fairfield Youth Cannabis Prevention Project steering committee!
Click the picture to watch the recording, and definitely check out the Q&A starting around 10 minutes in to learn why Dr. Swift says cannabis is riskier than alcohol in many respects--especially for youth.
"If They Had Known" Available through Summer!
We're making our license of the half-hour film "If They Had Known" available to screen at home through the end of the summer.
The true stories of two young men who died from accidental overdoses is an important awareness-raiser that can start conversations among parents and young adults. Consider watching & discussing the film's messages before students head off to college this fall.
Updates from our Peer Support Team
Meet our new SMART Recovery facilitator, Teraya Broaden
Teraya has been in the Human Services field for over 14 years. She has provided peer support and case management to promote recovery from substance use disorders. She has also worked with clients with severe mental health issues that include conducting active outreach and in home engagement with providers/community agencies on a daily to weekly basis.
Welcome, Teraya!
Free SMART Recovery Support Group
We recently relaunched our SMART Recovery support group for those seeking to make positive changes in their life. SMART Recovery is a non-clinical support group where participants share challenges and learn skills to help them:
build motivation to change
cope with urges
manage thoughts, feelings & behaviors
live a balanced life
The group meets every Tuesday at 6pm, online, for free! Click here to receive our Zoom link.
Free SMART Family & Friends Group
Our SMART Family & Friends group is a weekly meeting to support those who are coping with a loved one struggling with a substance use disorder. It meets every Thursday at 6pm, online, for free! Click here to receive our Zoom link.
CT Support Group Project
The CT Support Group project is our statewide youth & young adult platform for connection, peer support, and community, created by and for young people in CT.
Check out some of the recent blog posts written by local Westport teens! Sebastian wrote about culture and mental health and mental health in athletics and Avery shared about being a "glass child."
We encourage teens and young adults to check out the CT Support Group Discord server, where Quinn, Therell and others are hosting drop-in activities & offering online peer support hours. Quinn is also available to provide free one-on-one peer support. (See flyer above; schedule meetings here.)
Alternatives to Suicide Support Group
Our weekly "Alt2Su" group continues to meet every Tuesday at 7pm on Zoom. It's a safe space to share about difficult emotions and thoughts related to suicide or self-harm. The group is facilitated by Jen Lord, an amazing Recovery Coach who has also been making a huge impact working for us as a counselor at Brien McMahon HS & the Center for Global Studies this past semester.
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