Check out our upcoming events and free support groups below! In recognition of overdose awareness day (August 31st) and suicide prevention month (starting September 1st), Positive Directions is offering several life-saving trainings both online and in-person. Whether you're a teen, parent, teacher, business owner, or community leader, make sure you know how to recognize warning signs and how you can reach out to save a life! We're also excited to announce several free teen support groups, both online and in Norwalk. Great timing for back-to-school! Also, please read about our other support groups and our one-on-one peer support for teens and young adults here. Finally, please stay tuned for our upcoming Alternatives to Suicide support group, launching this fall! Scroll down to see the flyers or register, and download flyers at the bottom of this post Overdose Lunch & Learn for International Overdose Awareness Day: Learn about today's drug crisis and get a Narcan kit! August 31st, 2022, 12:30-1:30PM at The Westport Library, Open to Westport Residents & Town Employees, RSVP HERE High School Stressor Support Group: Teens, get a strong start to the school year by getting support to handle the stress! Tuesdays 4-5PM (Virtual), Starting September 6th, 2022, Led by Karlene Barnett, LADC, Open to High School Students in CT, RSVP HERE Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training: September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month--a great time for everyone to get trained to reach out and support someone in an emotional crisis? September 28th, 2022 (Virtual) - Open to All 16+, RSVP HERE Can't make it? We offer a free training on Zoom every month in the evening, and our partners over at The Hub offer trainings twice a month on Zoom in the daytime. See details in flyer below. Westport Together: Help Prevent Suicide: In recognition of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, the Town of Westport encourages residents and town employees to join us for a Lunch & Learn. The Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Training will cover warning signs, a 3-step process, and a group role play to practice the skills. September 30th, 2022, 11AM-12:30PM at The Westport Library, Open to Westport Residents & Town Employees, RSVP HERE Free Groups for Norwalk Teens: Positive Directions has been partnering with the Youth Business Initiative to offer a SMART Teens group and a girls' support group this summer. Kids can join SMART Teens at any time all year and our boys' group will be starting up at the end of September. Fall 2022, Open to High Schoolers from Norwalk, Learn More Here Download each flyer here:

Positive Directions is excited to announce that Clarice Grens, APRN, PMHNP-BC has joined the Positive Directions team as an Adolescent and Adult Nurse Practitioner! Clarice provides medication management for symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, antepartum and postpartum, body acceptance, self-esteem issues, and mood disorders. She also provides EMDR, CBT, and Motivational Interviewing. Clarice has been a nurse practitioner for many years in local hospitals and at the West Haven VA. She will be seeing both adults and adolescents both in-person and virtually. To set up an initial appointment with Clarice, please call the office at 203-227-7644. Learn more about Clarice in her full bio here: https://www.positivedirections.org/clarice-grens-aprn-pmhnp-bc

July is Disability Pride Month. This observance “celebrates disabled persons embracing their disabilities as integral parts of who they are, reclaiming visibility in public and interacting fully with their disabilities out in the open, and rejecting shame and internalized ableism.” It is also National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, also known as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Month. It is a time to raise awareness of the disparities in access to quality mental health and substance use treatment for different racial and ethnic groups. In order to shed some light and hope on these topics, our own Malaika Boyer-Seme, MS, LPCA, a Licensed Professional Counselor here at Positive Directions shares some of her experiences as a minority mental health professional and disability advocate. Malaika is a black woman who immigrated from Haiti and she is a bilateral amputee. Malaika inspires others by her positive attitude, courage, and self-efficacy. From Disability to Advocacy There are two models to view disability: the medical model and the social model. Disability pride focuses on the social model, which makes a distinction between disabilities and impairments. An impairment is the physical way the body is different, like lacking a limb or the inability to see or hear. The disability comes from society not making accommodations for those with impairments, which excludes them from many aspects of life. Therefore the focus in the social model is on fixing the societal attitudes and structural barriers, not “fixing” the impaired person. The medical model views disability as a defect and as a medical problem that needs treatment. Many people with impairments find the stigma, physical structures, societal norms and people’s general attitude to be the main disadvantages. Malaika, who lost both of her legs below the knee at the age of 16, knows these challenges well. “People weren’t sure how to act around me when I lost my legs as a teenager. They weren’t sure what I could and couldn’t do, so sometimes I was excluded from things,” she said. She also said that many people think disabilities are always visible, but that’s not true. “I have prosthetic legs and walk very well, so people don’t see my disability when they look at me.” As a result, she is sometimes given unfriendly looks when she parks in a handicap parking spot and at times when she requests accommodations, like avoiding waiting in lines because standing for too long causes a great deal of pain. Some also think that having a physical impairment means a person isn’t smart, but of course it has nothing to do with intelligence. "I have a handicap, I am not my handicap." Throughout the emotionally challenging periods of her life, Malaika leaned on her parents, family and her faith to get her through those times.“You need to surround yourself with people who focus on your abilities, not what you can’t do,” she said. Malaika has taken her life experiences and dedicated much of her time to advocating for those with disabilities. She is currently a motivational speaker on disability rights and awareness in Haiti and the US and an amputee advocate for Haiti. She also founded the Malaika Boyer Foundation which was active until 2010. Through the foundation, she raised awareness and funds to provide prosthetic care for amputees. Additionally, she co-hosted a local cable community TV show “Your Family is My Family”, which tackled social issues relevant to Fairfield County and included many guest speakers. Malaika was also a Supported Employment Specialist for 11 years with various agencies through DMHAS & BRS (Department of Mental Health and Addictions Services; Bureau of Rehab Services). She hopes her work locally and abroad will inspire and motivate others who may be feeling hopeless or lost. “You need to have hope no matter what. When you focus on hope and how you want to feel, even if you feel bad now, you can begin to work towards taking steps to feel better.” For a variety of resources, visit the ADA Network website. Minority Mental Health: Treatment Disparities Research shows that BIPOC people are less likely to receive mental health care. A 2015 report found that of those with any mental illness, 48% of whites received mental health services, while only 31% of blacks and Hispanics, and 22% of Asians did. There are many factors that play a role in access to care for diverse ethnic/racial populations. The American Psychiatric Association has identified the following challenges: Lack of insurance, underinsurance Mental illness stigma, often greater among minority populations Lack of diversity among mental health care providers Lack of culturally competent providers Language barriers Distrust in the health care system Inadequate support for mental health service in safety net settings (uninsured, Medicaid, Health Insurance Coverage other vulnerable patients) Racism and bias can impact the treatment that people receive. For example, BIPOC youth with behavioral health issues are more likely to be referred to the juvenile justice system than to another doctor, compared with white youth. There is also overdiagnosis and underdiagnosis of conditions within certain populations. Black and African-American men with severe depression are four times more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia but are underdiagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mood disorders, like depression. BIPOC individuals who identify as LGBTQ face a great deal of challenges when finding culturally sensitive treatment. LGBTQ people, regardless of race, are more than twice as likely as heterosexual men and women to have a mental health disorder in their lifetime. When it comes to suicide, nearly 31% of all transgender people considered suicide compared to 2.3% of heterosexual people and 4.4% of those who are gay or lesbian. BIPOC people who are transgender are at an even higher risk for suicide. In Malaika’s experience, she has seen black individuals treated differently. She has seen relatives rushed through appointments and have their problems minimized. She said that there is often a belief that black people are stronger and can handle things better due to what they have historically endured. Of course this is not true; anyone can be impacted by mental health struggles and the color of a person’s skin has nothing to do with how much emotional stress they can handle. Malaika highlights the importance of increasing the number and accessibility of minority treatment providers. As a part of the Positive Directions team, she is proud to be a part of this change and continues to advocate for the mental health of BIPOC people and disabled persons. Becoming a Mental Health Professional When Malaika was a kid, she wanted to be a doctor because she wanted to help people, but when she got older and found out about psychology, she realized that was the path for her. “I wanted to understand humans.” She graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Minor in Sociology from the University of Connecticut and went on to get her master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Bridgeport. As a counselor at Positive Directions, her focus is to provide a safe and solution-focused environment for each client learning how to accept and cope with identified challenges including: Grief, PTSD & Limb loss, Depression, Anxiety, Vocational Stress, Spirituality, and Substance Use. Many French and Creole-speaking clients seek Malaika out because she is fluent in both languages. She believes that every human being no matter their skin color, age, disability, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs deserve love, a strong support system, a positive environment and full grace in order to overcome their physical or/and mental challenges and that is what she brings to the lives she touches. You can learn more about the issues impacting different racial and ethnic groups on the Mental Health America website. You can find a variety of mental health resources on their resource list. Positive Directions is Here for You We encourage BIPOC and disabled persons to reach out for help when they are struggling. Positive Directions is proud to hold a diverse team of mental health professionals who believe that all individuals deserve the support and resources that they need to live a healthy life. Currently, Malaika is co-facilitating a 10-week group for Norwalk teen girls, a partnership between Positive Directions and the Youth Business Initiative. The group focuses on issues such as depression, self-esteem, grief, and interpersonal conflicts. A similar 10-week group for boys will be offered next. Each of these groups will run four times throughout the year. Thank you to the City of Norwalk for making these groups possible through their Relief and Recovery Fund. For more information on these groups and other services offered at Positive Directions, call us at 203-227-7644 or visit our website at www.positivedirections.org.

Since 1971, Positive Directions has been a thriving nonprofit behavioral health organization providing a continuum of Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery support to adults and adolescents. We provide families with the skills,support and resources needed to live a healthy life and to contribute to a strong community. We are currently fighting the mental health/substance use crisis magnified by the COVID 19 pandemic. Positive Directions has experienced a 50% increase in client referrals and many of these clients have been impacted psychologically and financially by the pandemic. We have never let a person's inability to pay be a barrier to receiving critical life-changing services. Thanks to donors like you, we have been able to provide high-quality Prevention, Treatment and Recovery support to those most in need. With our established "Treatment Fund" we are able to provide financial assistance to those most in need. We ask that you make a tax deductible donation to help us continue improving the lives and health of individuals and families in our community. Thank you. DONATE TODAY USE YOUR PHONE'S CAMERA TO SCAN AND BE DIRECTED TO OUR DONATION PAGE

Positive Directions is excited to announce that Emily Farrell has joined the Positive Directions team as our new Office Administrator & Clinic Coordinator! Emily is in her second full week at Positive Directions, and boy has she hit the ground running. Emily will be handling new referrals, assisting clients with questions, and scheduling counseling appointments, along with a whole slew of other things! Emily can be reached directly by calling our main number at 203-227-7644 x820 or by email at info@positivedirections.org. Learn more about Emily in her full bio here: https://www.positivedirections.org/emilyfarrell As a reminder, clients can reach their counselors directly by calling our main number and dialing their extension. A full list of our clinical team is below. Bob Vietro, LADC, ICGCII – 203-227-7644 x826 Colleen Maloney, LMSW – cmaloney@positivedirections.org, 203-227-7644 x835 Danielle Glick, LPCA – dglick@positivedirections.org, 203-227-7644 x837 Karen Krupnik, LPC – kkrupnik@positivedirections.org, 203-227-7644 x834 Karlene Barnett, LADC – kbarnett@positivedirections.org, 203-227-7644 x838 Malaika Boyer-Seme, LPCA – mboyerseme@positivedirections.org, 203-227-7644 x829 Robin Kallman, LCSW – rkallman@positivedirections.org, 203-227-7644 x839 Suzanne Gallagher, APRN – sgallagher@positivedirections.org, 203-227-7644 x840

Issues to address and ways to improve “This year, Pride Month is going to be different for me. I want people to know that I'm proud of who I am. I don't care what they have to say about who I love. This month is for people like me to showcase the pride we have in our sexuality as well as the community. I will be celebrating all month as much as I can. I hope to take one of my brothers and his boyfriend to their first Pride parade, it would be my first too! I'm so excited to celebrate this month!” - Dominique, TurningPointCT Project Assistant at Positive Directions (read Dominique’s full post here) LGBTQ youth are at higher risk of mental health conditions and suicide, but their sexual orientation or gender identity does not make them inherently at higher risk. The trauma and stress associated with stigma, discrimination, violence and rejection are factors that increase that risk. According to data from The Trevor Project, LGBTQ youth are more than four times likely to attempt suicide than their peers and rates are higher among LGBTQ youth of color. They also experience higher rates of anxiety and depression. Transgender youth are at even higher risk. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports transgender youth are twice as likely to experience symptoms of depression, seriously consider suicide and attmept suicide. Data from the 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health from The Trevor Project supports these facts; 73% of LGBTQ youth participants reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety and 58% reported symptoms of depression. Locally, student surveys have shown the same trends. A 2021 survey conducted by Positive Directions revealed that 20% of LGBTQ youth in one Fairfield County town attempted suicide in the past year compared to 6% of students overall. The LGBTQ students also reported higher rates of depression, anxiety and substance use than their peers. 4 Factors That Increase the Risk of Mental Health Problems and Suicide Rejection & Discrimination LGBTQ youth are coming out at younger ages and some face rejection from their family, faith groups, peers and many are rejected by society in general. Some even thrown out of their home; they are at more than double the risk of facing homeless. A 2015 study found only one-third are accepted by their parents, one-third face parental rejection and one-third choose not to come out until they are adults due to the fear of rejection. Some surveys show even higher numbers with 40% reporting rejection by a family member or close friend. These relationships play a critical role in a child’s development, so when teens and young adults are rejected by their own parents or another close friend or relative, it’s no surprise that they are at a higher risk of mental health problems and suicide. One study found that LGB young adults who report high levels of parental rejection are eight times more likely to attempt suicide and six times more likely to experience high levels of depression. Families who are supportive can help decrease the risk for negative outcomes. The Family Acceptance Project offers the following ways you support LGBTQ youth: Talk with your child about their LGBT identity Express affection when your child tells you or when you learn that your child is gay or transgender Support your child’s LGBT identity even though you may feel uncomfortable Advocate for your child when he or she is mistreated because of their LGBT identity Require that other family members respect your LGBT child Bring your child to LGBT organizations or events Talk with clergy and help your faith community to support LGBT people Connect your child with an LGBT adult role model to show them options for the future Welcome your child’s LGBT friends & partners to your home Support your child’s gender expression, including their pronoun choice Believe your child can have a happy future as an LGBT adult You can download their full guide, “Supportive Families, Healthy Children Helping Families with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Children” for additional information. When it comes to discrimination, LGBTQ people face discrimination in all areas of their life, including school, the workplace, healthcare settings and the law. Laws in some states that prohibit access to gender-affirming medical treatment for transgender youth is a current example of discrimination. Get tips for becoming an LGBTQ ally from The Human Rights Council. Find ways to support LGBTQ youth of color on the GLSEN website. Lack Of Affirming Spaces Not having LGBTQ-affirming spaces increases the risk of suicide. In a 2020 Trevor Project report, only 43% of LGBTQ youth said that home was an LGBTQ-affirming space, 36% said that their workplace was LGBTQ affirming, and only 29% reported that events in their community were LGBTQ-affirming. The good news is 62% reported their school was an affirming space. Although there is still a lot of room for improvement, it’s important that this number is higher because “affirming school environments were found to have the strongest association with reduced odds of a past-year suicide attempt.” LGBTQ youth who reported having at least one LGBTQ-affirming space had 35% reduced odds of reporting a suicide attempt in the past year and transgender and nonbinary youth had 25% reduced odds if they reported having at least one gender-affirming space. “I felt safe to openly talk about my sexuality and identity because my peer specialist had large safe space signs and Pride flags." -Participant, TurningPointCT peer support at Positive Directions, age 17 Find tips for supporting LGBTQ youth at school on the CDC website. Physical Harm Another area that disproportionately affects LGBTQ people is physical violence. A study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law found LGBT people are nearly four times more likely to experience rape, sexual assault and other violent assualts. LGBT youth experience physical violence and bullying, which increases their risk for suicide. According to data from The Trevor Project, “36% of LGBTQ youth reported that they have been physically threatened or harmed, and those who did attempted suicide at nearly triple the rate of those who did not in the past year.” When it comes to bullying, more than half of LGBTQ middle and high school students reported being builled in person or electronically in the past year and those who were bullied had three times greater risk of attempting suicide. Access To Mental Health Care Access to mental health care is a challenge for many people, not just the LGBTQ community. However, finding LGBTQ-competent mental health care is even more challenging. The 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health showed 82% of LGBTQ youth wanted mental health care and of those who wanted it, only 40% got it. The top three reasons for not receiving care were: Fear of discussing mental health concerns Concerns with obtaining parent/caregiver permission Fear of not being taken seriously Additionally, LGBTQ youth of color didn’t feel that the provider would understand their culture. "When I was asked my pronouns at my first session, I felt like it actually mattered to my peer specialist because I was asked." -Participant, TurningPointCT peer support at Positive Directions, age 18 If you’re looking for LGBTQ-competent mental health care, NAMI has a variety of helpful resources. You can also find local resources on The Hub website. Additional Resources Triangle Community Center (Norwalk) CT LGBTQIA Equality CT Department of Children and Families Kids in Crisis The Hub The Trevor Project GLSEN GLADD CDC Youth Resources American Psychological Association Glossary of LGBTQIA terms The Gender Unicorn (Great for kids, youth and families!) What does the scholarly research say about the link between family acceptance and LGBT youth well-being?

Please join us in saying a very bittersweet goodbye to our beloved Office Administrator & Intake Coordinator, Erin Lent. Erin has been the face (and voice!) of Positive Directions over the last few years, and we are so thankful for all that she has contributed throughout her time here. She will be greatly missed by the team here, and we know she will be missed by all who came in contact with her at Positive Directions. We wish her all the best as she moves forward to the next step in her career. Her last day with us will be tomorrow, April 8th, so please feel free to drop her a line to wish her well before she goes! We are working hard here to find our new Office Administrator & Clinic Coordinator and make this transition as smooth as possible. While we work to fill Erin’s seat, we would ask that all clients contact their clinicians directly with any questions, concerns, or scheduling needs. We have included below a list of all of our clinicians a nd their contact information. We are confident that we will fill this position quickly and will be excited to share with you the newest addition to our team once we find the right match! Bob Vietro, LADC, ICGCII – 203-227-7644 x826 Colleen Maloney, LMSW – cmaloney@positivedirections.org, 203-227-7644 x835 Danielle Glick, LPCA – dglick@positivedirections.org, 203-227-7644 x837 Karen Krupnik, LPC – kkrupnik@positivedirections.org, 203-227-7644 x834 Karlene Barnett, LADC – kbarnett@positivedirections.org, 203-227-7644 x838 Malaika Boyer-Seme, LPCA – mboyerseme@positivedirections.org, 203-227-7644 x829 Maria Ricci, BSW – mricci@positivedirections.org, 203-227-7644 x841 Robin Kallman, LCSW – rkallman@positivedirections.org, 203-227-7644 x839 Suzanne Gallagher, APRN – sgallagher@positivedirections.org, 203-227-7644 x840

Teachers, parents, teens: Positive Directions is pleased to have new online offerings for everyone! Scroll down to learn about our new weekly drop-in teacher support group, weekly drop-in high school support group starting today, and upcoming evening dates for QPR suicide prevention trainings. RSVP to www.positivedirections.org/events to get the Zoom links. Our other free support programs include SMART Recovery groups and 1:1 peer support for youth and young adults.

High school can be a stressful time for kids. Positive Directions is offering a new support group for high school students focused on the pressures and anxieties of today's world. There is more pressure resting on our kids' shoulders than ever before. Peer pressure, good grades, the threat of school violence, and even world events can have a negative impact on their mental health and school experience. This new group for high schoolers will help kids identify their stressors, navigate their relationships, and provide strategies to keep themselves safe and healthy. This FREE group will meet virtually on Wednesdays from 4-5pm starting March 16th. Participants can obtain the meeting link by RSVPing on the Positive Directions website: positivedirections.org/events.

Why does "having fun" always seem to involve alcohol? How many of your social relationships typically involve alcohol? What is it like living in Westport when you're sober? Alcohol consumption in coastal Fairfield County is higher than in the rest of the state. As co-chair of the Westport Prevention Coalition (WPC), Positive Directions recently hosted and helped organize an event to explore how Westport fits into this narrative. The event, "Mindful Drinking: Reimagining Our Alcohol Habits & How They Impact Our Relationships," featured a panel of local Westport residents. Our Prevention Director, Margaret Watt, moderated the panel, which included a Westport high school student, parents, professionals, and a person in recovery. Through this one-hour conversation with differing perspectives, we gained insight into the alcohol culture in Westport. Some of the issues brought up during the discussion include teen alcohol consumption, senior citizens’ alcohol use during the pandemic, and navigating how to expose your child to alcohol, especially as a parent who drinks around their children. Should parents be turning a blind eye to the underage drinking taking place because it’s just “kids being kids?” Why has there been an uptick in alcohol consumption for all ages during the pandemic? Why do most adults drink whenever they get together with friends? These are just some of the enlightening questions explored throughout this audio. Westport has a particularly high teen drinking rate. Last spring, as part of Positive Directions' prevention work, we conducted a youth survey that found 60% of high school seniors in Westport reported current alcohol use, compared to a state average of 38% of seniors in 2019. (Learn more about our surveys here.) There are serious repercussions that come with teenage drinking. Youth who drink before age 21 are significantly more likely to develop an addiction to it, with children who drink before age 11 at highest risk. Meanwhile, youth who wait until the legal drinking age are much less at risk of developing an addiction. In addition, research indicates that children whose parents start a conversation about drugs and alcohol at a young age are much less likely to use these substances at all in their teens. To learn more about why alcohol has become such a huge part of our culture here, we highly encourage Westport residents to listen to our roundtable discussion. To listen, click here. To read Dan Woog’s 06880 article about this event, visit his blog post here. For information on how parents should start the conversation about drugs & alcohol with their kids, we are offering the opportunity to watch and discuss the film “Don’t Wait” with other Westport parents. Please click here for more details about the event. To learn more about the Westport Prevention Coalition, visit www.westporttogether.org/prevention-coalition.

For eight years, hundreds of nonprofits and thousands of community members have joined together in celebration of local philanthropy on Fairfield County’s Giving Day. Fairfield County’s Giving Day is an opportunity to unite the community around causes and help nonprofit organizations connect to the larger community. Positive Directions - The Center for Prevention and Counseling is participating in this year's Fairfield County Giving Day to raise funds to support our work. Our mission is to provide leadership in the community with the aim of improving the lives and health of individuals and families through both comprehensive behavioral healthcare, including addictive behaviors, and prevention leadership. We fulfill our mission by providing a continuum of Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery support to adults and adolescents in Connecticut with an emphasis on evidence-supported clinical treatment services and community-focused prevention programs. As a behavioral health provider on the frontlines of a mental health crisis, we could use your support. On the 24th, please consider donating to one of our programs, such as community prevention and education; our Treatment Fund, established to help those struggling to afford their treatment; our free support groups; and/or our teen & young adult online resource: TurningPointCT.org.

At Positive Directions, referrals for mental health and addiction services doubled since the start of the Pandemic. Many of our clients were impacted financially by the loss of employment, health insurance, or reduced work hours. In recognition of these challenging times, we started our Treatment Fund to help offset the cost of treatment for those who are uninsured, underinsured, or struggling financially due to the Pandemic. Supporting our community has always been a priority of ours, and in 50 years of operation, Positive Directions has never let a person's inability to pay be a barrier to treatment. With mental health services in such high demand, we need your help more than ever to keep the Treatment Fund going. GivingTuesday is less than one week away! Please consider donating to our Treatment Fund on November 30th, 2021. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=V2KN8KURXGPGC If you or someone you know is in need of treatment, you can schedule an appointment by calling 203-227-7644.