Positive Directions is a non-profit behavioral health organization providing prevention, counseling, medication management, and support groups to adolescents and adults struggling with mental health or substance use disorders. One-on-One Peer Support For people in their teens & 20s Our Peer Support Specialist, Ally Kernan , is recognized statewide as an advocate for recovery, a motivational speaker, and a young adult who uses her lived experience with mental illness and substance use to provide support and guidance to others. Ally is trained as a Recovery Support Specialist (mental health), Recovery Coach (substance use), and SMART Recovery facilitator, and a Drug & Alcohol Recovery Counselor. She is available two mornings a week on a first-come, first-served basis for free individual peer support. Text her at 203-227-7644 x842 to schedule. Download flyer

Positive Directions is a non-profit behavioral health organization providing prevention, counseling, medication management, and support groups to adolescents and adults struggling with mental health or substance use disorders. Games We’re on a mission to help kids, teens, and families learn more about substance use and how to stay safe through fun and interactive games! Pick the ones that match your age and see how much you already know. You’ll discover cool facts, test your smarts, and explore smart ways to make healthy choices. Let’s level up your knowledge and power up your future! Click below to play some games! Kids Substance Misuse Prevention Coping with Stress Youth Take care of your body Coping with Stress Teens National Drug & Alcohol IQ Challenge Coping with Stress This curriculum, material, and/or resource was developed by the Stanford REACH Lab, a Stanford research lab focused on promoting adolescent and young adult health through collaborative research, education, and advocacy. Questions Kids Ask! Check out these videos of kids talking to experts at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) What is Addiction? Why are drugs so hard to quit? What is the worst drug? Parents, if you want to find out about more resources that can support your kids, check these out: Talk. They Hear You (free app from SAMHSA) OperationParent.org DrugFree.org

Jessica Branson < Back Jessica Branson Interim Executive Director Jess joins Positive Directions as Interim Executive Director having lived in Westport, Norwalk and Fairfield County for over 30 years. Her upbringing in a family of empathetic healers and devoted community leaders instilled in her the importance of listening, nurturing, and empowering others. These values have guided her 25+ years of experience in business, media and marketing strategy for fortune 100 companies and her own growth consultancy. A compassionate and determined leader, she’s helped hundreds of brands and organizations raise awareness, build resilience, and create meaningful change by blending a for profit mindset with a nonprofit heart. As a people person, Jess’ superpower is building connections. She leverages the talents and resources of individuals and organizations to inspire action, promote mental health awareness, and strengthen communities. “Making connections lights me up, and as a lifelong competitor, delivering results fills my cup.” No stranger to adversity, Jess’s determined spirit was tested after contracting Guillan Barre Syndrome (GBS), a neurological nerve disease that paralyzed her for over 10 months. After a year in a wheelchair and years in therapy and rehab, her tenacity, grit and faith have helped her persevere. She has deep empathy for those battling mental and physical health challenges. Jess’ experience changed her profoundly and inspired her mission to build healthier, more connected communities, perfectly synergistic with Positive Directions' vision “to strengthen the mental wellbeing of individuals and communities.” Her husband (Bill), family and friends were vital parts of her healing and life re-entry. She is forever thankful for the support of her caretakers, nurses, doctors, and therapists. She knows first-hand it takes a village, and she is honored to be a part of Positive Directions’. Jess can be reached by email at jbranson@positivedirections.org and by phone at 203-227-7644.

< Back Nikoletta Moschidi, MFA Clinical Intern Nikoletta is a second‐year master’s student in Clinical Social Work at Liberty University. She’s grateful to be returning to Positive Directions for her second internship, where she continues to grow alongside a supportive and inspiring team of clinicians. Before entering the clinical field, she worked as an art instructor in NYC, encouraging students to express themselves and build confidence through creativity. Nikoletta has experience working with individuals, families, and the broader community. She leads with empathy and collaboration, using trauma‐informed care and a blend of therapeutic modalities to meet clients where they are. Her work centers on empowerment, helping clients deepen self‐understanding, strengthen emotional well‐being, and move toward meaningful growth, healing, and self‐discovery. Outside of work, Nikoletta enjoys spending her time in ways that help her stay balanced and connected. She loves getting lost in a good book, discovering new music, and taking long walks that allow her to slow down and reflect. Whenever she can, she heads outdoors to hike and explore nature. Most of all, she cherishes time with her family, who keep her grounded and bring joy into her everyday life.

Ethan Wattley < Back Ethan Wattley, MA, LPC Lic. Professional Counselor Ethan joins Positive Directions with experiences in multiple Inpatient and Outpatient settings, including Hospital settings and residential treatment facilities. He has worked with people to lessen symptoms of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and severe psychosis. Ethan approaches therapy from the perspective of wanting to understand what it would mean for his clients to have a meaningful life, and what is currently blocking that. Therapy is a collaborative process, to which Ethan brings training in different modalities (such as Internal Family Systems and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy) as well psychopathology and the therapeutic relationship. But he recognizes that clients also bring their own expertise and understanding of what it means to be them and what they want out of life. Together, he works together with clients to discover the internal strength and healing they already hold inside, even if they do not know it yet. Ethan has a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and is level 2 trained in Internal Family Systems and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. In addition a level 1 training in Clinical Hypnosis and experience working with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. Ethan is a Licensed Professional Counselor by the State of CT.

Melanie DeLapp, MS, LMFT < Back Melanie DeLapp, MS, LMFT Clinical Director Melanie DeLapp is a Marriage and Family Therapist licensed in CT and NY, and received her Master's education from Iona College. Melanie has 9 years of experience working for a broad range of community-based mental health services and is trained in: DBT, ERP, FBT (The Maudsley method,) and SPACE (supportive parenting for anxious childhood emotions.) 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. Prior to joining the Positive Directions Team, Melanie spent 5 years as a clinical coordinator for a non-profit organization, and has extensive experience in both residential and partial hospitalization eating disorder treatment. In her spare time, Melanie enjoys baking, reading romance novels, and snuggling with her dog, Tater Tot. Melanie can be contacted by phone at 203-227-7644 ext 851.

Positive Directions is a non-profit behavioral health organization providing prevention, counseling, medication management, and support groups to adolescents and adults struggling with mental health or substance use disorders. The CT Support Group Project Created by & for young people in CT Our CT Support Group project is Connecticut's online, peer-developed resource for young people seeking safe spaces to connect with others, build community, share and vent together, and access peer supports when they may be struggling with mental health, substance use, or other challenges. The CT Support Group platforms include a new (as of January 2025) Discord platform where teens and young adults can connect with others, as well as a website with a Q&A guide, media room, map, and blog posts related to mental wellness, and of course a variety of social platforms. All of it is created by and for young people in Connecticut! We encourage young people to join the Discord to meet and connect with others and build community. Our CT Support Group Project Manager, Quinn Jannetty (they/them), is a trained Recovery Support Specialist who is also available to offer free one-on-one peer support to teens or young adults throughout the state, both through regular Discord hours and on demand. Email Quinn at qjannetty@positivedirections.org for more info. Download/Share Project Flier Visit website Peer Support Flier

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< Back Therell Mayes (he/him) TurningPointCT Social Media Lead Therell joined TurningPointCT as their Social Media Assistant in September 2021. He is a young adult who wants to help other young adults who are struggling with mental health like he has. Therell is a student at Norwalk Community College, majoring in Liberal Arts & Science. His experience with social media began as a hobby in middle school. Since then, he has learned how to use various social media platforms to promote his photography, music, and YouTube videos. Therell loves to write screenplays, poetry, and lyrics as well as record music, photograph nature, and exercise. Therell can be contact via email at tmayes@positivedirections.org

< Back Quinn Jannetty (they/them) TurningPointCT Peer Support Specialist Quinn is a queer, trans non-binary researcher with a background in psychological science and criminology. Before coming to TurningPointCT, Quinn worked as a direct care provider in the mental health and addiction field during which they earned their certification in Crisis Prevention and Intervention. Quinn also spent two semesters interning for CT’s Judicial Branch in CSSD’s Multicultural Affairs Division. It was in these roles that they deepened their desire to educate folks about mental health, addiction, trauma stewardship, cultural responsiveness, identity, and marginalization. In 2020, Quinn began serving as the Advocacy Director for The Reflection Zone in Watertown, CT. They wrote and facilitated workshops about LGBTQ+ identities and collaborated with the team to plan family friendly events for their community to enjoy. Quinn is passionate about creating and holding space for the narratives of marginalized people and facilitating conversations with folks about identity, bias, power, and community care. They are an ardent believer in challenging systems rooted in oppression through education, sharing resources, and creating environments conducive to social change. In their spare time, Quinn enjoys furthering their studies of astrology (they’re a Leo sun, Gemini moon, and Scorpio rising) and doing card readings for friends and family. Most weekends, you can find Quinn out hiking and searching for new plants and fungi with their partner. When they’re not on the trails, Quinn is usually improvising on the piano, curled up with a book, or in the kitchen measuring spices with their heart and, of course, waiting on the potatoes.