10/17/23 Stigma Free Meeting

Attendees: Sheila Brogan, Corinne Scarpa, Danielle Pagani, Surbhi Kapadia, Deanna Schablik, Denise DePalma, Jan Bottcher, Dana Napoletano, Stephanie McTigue, Mary Davy, and John Judge

Minutes:

·       Jan reported on the Out of Darkness event that took place Sun 10/15 at Saddle River County Park. The event raised over $144 thousand. It was a beautiful day and there were approximately a thousand to fifteen hundred people attended, though Dawn and Jan walked for Ridgewood.  There was discussion about possible reasons behind the low traction for Stigma Free in Ridgewood, such as the location being Saddle River, not Ridgewood, parents being wrapped up in sporting and other activities, and no longer having a student representative on the committee. Corinne also tabled at the event with New Bridge, and agreed it was a successful.

·       Dana reported on the professional development seminar “Let’s Talk about Suicide” that took place Mon 10/16 at the county offices in Hackensack.  There were approximately 110 attendees. Dr. Scott Poland, who spoke to the group in the morning, was very engaging and well received. Dana offered to send his power point presentation to everyone to review.  In the afternoon, there were breakout sessions.  Some of the organizations leading those sessions included Society for Teen Suicide and Minding Your Mind. Next conference will be next October 2024.

·       Mary reported West Bergen Mental Healthcare has been busy the last couple of weeks due to the suicide of 2023 RHS graduate in early October.  West Bergen has partnership with High School and they were present at the school for two days. Then they had a “warm line” the days/weeks that followed, offering support to students and staff remotely.  In other news, West Bergen, Valley Community Health and Ridgewood Public Library are holding a virtual program on “Talking to Your Child About LGBTQ” on Thurs 10/19 7-8pm.

·       Deanna provided updates on upcoming events.  The annual elder dinner, hosted by Parks and Rec, Age Friendly and Healthbarn, will be held at the Old Paramus Reformed Church on 11/12 from 3-5pm.  There are currently 30 people registered.  The Board Game Carnival, organized by Age Friendly, Parks & Rec and the Civic Youth Corps, has been rescheduled for 10/21 from 2-4pm.  If it rains again, the event will be moved indoors.  The event is open to individuals of all ages.  On Sun 10/22, Parks & Rec and the Civic Youth Corp will be hosting an Engineering Escape Room from 10am-4pm at the Stable. The event is open to youth in Grades 5-8.

·       Corinne shared New Bridge Medical Center in conjunction with the Rotary Stigma Free Committee will be hosting a panel discussion on Anxiety and Depression Management. The event is 11/6 at 6pm-7:30pm at the New Bridge Auditorium.   

·       Stephanie reported that she attended the “Let’s Talk about Suicide” event at the county on Monday.  She agreed the speakers were engaging.  In regards to finding a new student representative to sit on the Ridgewood Stigma Free Committee, she recommended reaching out to the Peer Counselor Advisory Group at the high school.

·       Sheila Brogan reported that peer counselors at the High School will be attending Mental Health First Aid training. She also noted that the Fall is busy time at the high school, which may be why there weren’t many Ridgewood participants in the walk.  Activities and schedules were also affected by the flooding and field issues.  On a different note, Sheila will be presenting on Medicare Part D on Tues 10/24 6:30 – 7:30 at the Library.

·       Danielle shared the Senior Health and Wellness Fair will be next Thurs 10/26 from 9:30am-12pm at Village Hall.  Currently, there are 18 exhibitors and Stephanie will be present for a meet and greet.  Danielle requested help with attendance. Dana offered to blast the flyer out to all the Stigma free committees. 

·       Dana also noted the World of Resources community event will be held 11/3 at the county.  It is an event that will highlight resources available to families.

·       John did no have anything to share. John requested to touch base with Sheila and they agreed to speak offline.

·       Jan discussed moving some events out of the Fall season if it is too busy with school activities.  Dana shared that the county schedules events based on the theme of the month. 

·       Surbhi shared that Health, the middle school principals, Kevin Feely with the high school, and Matt Bellace met about a week ago.  The middle school principals are excited about having Matt come speak to the students.  The high school has not yet determined how they want to proceed.  All agreed they were interested in following the school based programs with an evening parent presentation. They discussed tentative dates in early May, at May is Mental Health Awareness month.

·       Danielle shared an update on the Angst/Like programs with the schools. The schools received access to the movies and accompanying curriculum on 10/6.  Dan Kilday met with the Impactful/Indieflix program coordinator on 10/9, and they are beginning to discuss how to implement.    

·       It is also time to begin thinking about the Cards of Joy campaign. After reviewing dates of the winter holidays, it was decided that 11/1 would be the date to begin advertising and putting out the card collection boxes.  The Library was the location where most cards were collected.  The schools and youth groups, such as Girls Scouts, were wonderful at sending in cards.  There is a new teen room at the Library, as it was part of their renovation.  It was recommended to have card making supplies available to the teens in the Teen Room.
 

September Stigma-Free Meeting Minutes- 9.19.23

Attendees: Dawn Cetrulo, Danielle Pagani, Surbhi Kapadia, Deanna Schablik, Sheila Brogan, Jan Bottcher, Beth Abbott, Corinne Scarpa, Mark Schwarz, and Dan Kilday

Minutes:

·       The meeting began with each member introducing their self.  Committee also welcomed Superintendent of Schools Mark Schwarz for joining the meeting.  Mark shared his personal experiences and his strong support for the Stigma Free campaign to destigmatize mental health services. 

o   If anyone has any book recommendations to share related to mental health,  please share

·       In honor of October being Suicide Prevention Month, Danielle reviewed resources from SAMSA, NAMI, and 988.

o   Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a great resource. There’s a social media toolkit, list of upcoming events, information on how to help (includes educating yourself and others about suicide prevention)

o   988 lifeline.org is also a great resource to utilize - https://988lifeline.org/promote-national-suicide-prevention-month/

o   NAMI also a great resource - https://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/Awareness-Events/Suicide-Prevention-Month

o   Valley Health System also has various webinars related to mental health- https://www.valleyhealth.com/services/health-education-videos

·       Health Department shared updates on community programs funded through the Enhancing Local Public Health Infrastructure grant. 

·       The paperwork for payment to Impactful/Indieflix for a one-year subscription to the Angst and Like movies and accompanying curriculum is complete.  Ann Skrobut, the Impactful/Indieflix representative Danielle has been working with, will provide name of curriculum specialists and access codes to their online curriculum.  Danielle to share all this information with Dan and the public schools in the upcoming week or two, so school administrators can begin to look the curriculum and implementation.

·       Surbhi shared that funding for a program with Matt Bellace, PhD for either school based assembly and/or parent program has been approved for Year 2 spending.  Matt Bellace is a professional speaker and standup comedian who has holds a PhD in clinical neuropsychology.  In May 2023, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Health Department hosted a comedy show with Matt at the Ridgewood Public Library for the adult residents. It was an entertaining way to raise awareness around mental health and the program was well-received by those attending.  As Matt Bellace has experience working with middle and high school students providing programs such as “A Better High” and “How to Get High Naturally,” the Health Department wanted to collaborate with Matt again to provide a program for Ridgewood youth.  Mark shared Matt had run a program in the Madison district while he worked there and that Matt’s program was well received.  Mark recommended reaching out to the principals of the schools.  Surbhi will be attending the Municipal Alliance meeting scheduled for the end, which includes the high school and middle school principals, and will introduce the information there as well. Dan asked for more information on the Matt’s upcoming events to see if he could attend and learn more about his message.  Surbhi to send Dan the information.

·       Jan spoke about the Out of Darkness/Suicide Prevention Walk to be held on 10/15/23 at Saddle River County Park.  Jan created a Ridgewood Team on the walk’s website page.  Jan made note that all Ridgewood residents, not just Ridgewood employees, are welcome to join the team.  Anyone who wants to participate in the walk can stop by the Health Department to pick up a Ridgewood Stigma Free t-shirt to wear the day of the walk. 

o   Join here: https://supporting.afsp.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=9338

·       Surbhi gave an update on the new Covid booster.  On September 12, 2023, CDC recommended an updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine for everyone aged 6 months and older. Vaccination remains the best protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and even death.  The single dose booster can be administered at least 2 months after the last dose. If you’re 65 or older, you can now get a second updated COVID vaccine beginning 4 months after your first.  Also, if you have a weakened immune system, you can now get a second updated COVID vaccine beginning 2 months after your first dose. You can get more doses after that if your doctor recommends them. Everyone 5 yrs and older are considered up to date, once you receive one 2023-2024 Covid-19 vaccine.  Children aged 6month-5years are considered up to date, once they receive 3 doses, including at least one dose of the 2023-2024 Covid-19 vaccine. The vaccine is approved for 5 yrs and older. The vaccine is authorized for children 6mo – 4 yrs.  If you recently had COVID-19, you still need to stay up to date with your vaccines, but you may consider delaying your vaccine by 3 months. Covid-19 vaccine can be given simultaneously with other vaccines, such a flu, RSV, pneumonia, etc.  The only vaccine it should not be given in conjunction with is Jynneos or MPox vaccine. Mixing and matching of vaccine product (Moderna, Pfizer, Novovax, etc) is allowed with the booster, but it is advised not to switch product for the initial 2 dose series.  As the Public Health Emergency was declared over 5/11, the vaccines will now be billed to private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, with no out-of-pocket expense to the patient.  If a patient is uninsured or underinsured, they can receive vaccine through from 317 and Bridge program providers.  As the Health Department is neither 317 nor Bridge provider, we will not be hosting any Covid-19 vaccine clinics.  Walgreens and CVS have been identified as the Bridge Program providers. 

·       Upcoming events:

o   9/20: Addiction Resource Fair

o   10/1: Ridgewood PBA event for Cancer Research

o   10/3: Ridgewood Flu Clinic

o   10/6-10/8: Access Weekend

o   10/11 and 10/25: Mental health first aid hosted by the County

o   10/15: Out of Darkness Walk

o   10/26: SAVE THE DATE – Ridgewood Annual Senior Fair

·       Next meeting is scheduled for 10/17/23 at 3pm.

o   Stay tuned for meeting minutes email for various flyers and information

Stigma-Free Meeting Minutes 8.22.23

Attendees: Danielle Pagani, Surbhi Kapadia, Stephanie McTigue, Sheila Brogan, Jan Bottcher, Gabrielle Milani, Corinne Scarpa, Denise DePalma, Deanna Schablik

Minutes:

• Sheila has invited Mark Schwarz, the new Superintendent of Ridgewood Schools, to attend the September meeting. Danielle will add him to the email list. 
• Danielle reported the resolution for Angst/Like movie program and curriculum were approved.  She is working with Indieflix/Impactful on paperwork to move forward with payment.  The paperwork process has been complicated and drawn out due to company using both names Indieflix and Impactful. However, all is moving forward.
• Danielle also shared the Health Department would like to invite Matt Bellace back to do a program in the schools for students and possibly with parents in the evening.  At the moment, the Health Department is working on securing the grant funding. Surbhi suggested reaching out to the parents at the Home and School Organizations to ask for their help with coordinating the program, especially the evening program for parents.  Sheila shared the name of the HSA presidents:  Carolyn Holt, Federated HSA; Mary Micale, RHS HSA; Claudia Fortunado and Anna Salerno, BFMS HSA. Surbhi to reach out to them once funding is secured.
• Jan reported on 3 items.  First, she shared that the Citizens for Swimming camp had another successful year.  This was the first year that the camp was able to secure the YMCA as a rain location for when Graydon is closed due to bad weather.  Second, she noted she has made a “Ridgewood Stigma Free” team for the Bergen County Out of Dark Walk that will be on Sunday 10/15/23 at Saddle River County Park.  Committee discussed and agreed that the name of the team should be general and allow for all residents/employees of Ridgewood to attend.  The Health Department had Ridgewood Stigma Free t-shirts available for pickup for anyone who wants to walk with the team.  Creating a flyer for the team was also discussed a way to help promote the event and encourage participation.  Lastly, Jan recommended that the YMCA be invited to Stigma Free meetings and collaborate more with Health.  Danielle shared she had a meeting with Ramon Hache, YMCA Executive Director, earlier this month to try to facilitate the same.  He had introduced her to Megan Nayden, Sr Director Membership & Volunteer Engagement.  Danielle has included both Megan and Ramon on the invitation to today’s meeting.  Danielle would gladly include Michael on future invitations in the hopes that a YMCA representative would attend.
• Deanna spoke about upcoming Parks and Recreation events and programs that pertain to seniors and those with disabilities. On 9/7 from 10:30-11:30 at Village Hall, two professional physical therapist will be leading an exercise and falls prevention workshop. On 9/26 from 11am-12pm at the Community Center, Jeff Rosenberg will be giving a presentation on “Alzheimer’s Gardens: Designed for Healing.”  This program is being advertised to residents, landscapers, local gardening groups, and open space committee.  On 10/6, as part of ACCESS Weekend, a senior event will be held at the community center. Last year the event was a carnival theme and as the seniors enjoyed it, the same theme will be applied and expanded. The Ridgewood Senior Dinner will be held on 11/12 from 3pm-5pm at the Old Paramus Reformed Church, and entertainment has been arranged.  Though not a Recreation Parks and Recreation on 9/12, Bergen County will again host a Senior Festival in Van Saun Park in Paramus.  The Northwest Senior Center will be offering transportation to and from the event. 
• Gabrielle shared that the Lukin Center is has a number of therapy groups that will begin this falls.  These groups include: an ADHD Support Group, a children’s Social Skills group, a divorced men’s group, a women’s divorce and separation group, and a teens DBT-informed.  Gabrielle to forward the flyers with the details about each group. 
• Corinne from Bergen New Bridge Medical Center shared that New Bridge has various event coming up this month and next.  Will share the information with Danielle post meeting to share with the group. Corinne did mention that New Bridge is hosting a Suicide Awareness and Prevention Symposium on September 14 along with a Youth Mental Health First Aid Training for First Responders on September 23 from 9 am to 3 pm.

Stigma-Free Meeting Minutes for 7.18.23

Attendees – Danielle Pagani, Surbhi Kapadia, Stephanie McTigue, Mary Davey (West Bergen Mental Healthcare), Jan Bottcher, Dana Napoletano (Division of Mental Health & Addiction Services), Danielle Fabrizio (Valley Health System), and Denise DePalma

Notes:

Meeting started at 3:03 PM

Bergen New Bridge Medical Center and Lukin Center for Psychotherapy  could not attend.

Danielle started with updates related to the following:

·       Angst- still in progress. We have submitted everything to upper management and the council to approve. One we get the approval we plan to purchase with our grant funds. The district has chosen the film LIKE in addition to Angst.  This program includes K-12 curriculum.

·       For next year, we have budgeted for Matt Bellace to return to Ridgewood for the comedy show, but also for a program (s) to be held in the school setting (if the district is interested).  When the new Superintendent gets acclimated, we plan to bring to bring this idea to his attention.

·       Summer program offered by the County:

o   Rooftop Yoga Bergen Town Center on  July 25^th, August 1^st, 8^th, and 15^th at 9 AM

o   https://www.bergentowncenter.com/event/Rooftop-Yoga/2145571034/ ( for more information)

Jan Bottcher:

·       Jan brought up the Out of Darkness Walk (hosted by American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) being held on Sunday, October 15 in Saddle Brook.

·       Jan brought up that she would like Ridgewood Stigma-Free to have a team/ boost participation community-wide.

·       She wasn’t sure how we should push this initiative/ promote this idea yet, but we have time to decide.

·       Jan is going to register a team for Ridgewood Stigma Free and thinks we can figure this out after Labor Day.

·        Jan also shared details regarding the Citizens for Swimming program.  There are double the number of campers than last year. Camp starts 8/1. Jan shared individuals can volunteer their time, but need to complete a google form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Cfyt470gur6WcvVu5DTMNp7biSCDMTDxf7ZEqynyfEw/edit?usp=forms_home&ths=true (12:45-3:15 PM). Jan thanks community partners for their donations as well (Valley Health System donated $5,000 and Health Department donated 50 water bottles)

Bergen New Bridge Medical Center:

·       Bergen County’s Crisis Intervention Team is hosting, Unity in the Community Event 7.29.23- 11 AM – 4 PM at Overpeck County Park Ridgefield Park Area. Flyer to be shared post meeting.

Dana Napoletano:

·       National Night Out is August 1 (brings community together with Police. Event geared towards preventing drug and alcohol use)

·       Free Youth Suicide Educational Conference on Monday October 16, 2023 (all day and pending CEU’s) at Conference Center in Hackensack. Event called, Let’s Talk About Suicide. Flyer to be shared post meeting (again).  Registration likely to open in August. Being held for approximately 175-200 attendees. Open to the public, but school administrators/ professionals are the target population.

Danielle Fabrizio:

·       Not much to report on Valley. They are prepping for a busy fall.

Mary Davey:

·       West Bergen is very busy with providing services. They had to waitlist individuals as well so they are trying to catch up with the need.

·       Mary attending health fair on Thursday with us.

Danielle:

·       Mentioned how Health Department working on two grants. With the OLPH grant we increased the number of communicable diseases to focus on (COVID-19, tick-borne, rabies, and influenza).More information to be shared within meeting minutes email about current information and resources. For those with questions regarding any of these diseases, reach out to us.

·       Goal is for our website to be updated – in progress.

·       New Village Manager has social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter). Health Department working on getting an Instagram page.

·       August meeting may be canceled, but we will let the group know.

Upcoming Events:

·       Dog Days of Summer – 7.19.23 at Graydon 3:30-6:30 PM. Health Department exhibiting to provide communicable disease information and resources,

·       Health Fair with Music Under the Stars- 7.20.23, 6:30-7:30 PM

·       Lukin Center for Psychotherapy IG Live on self-care to be held Monday. Flyer pending.

·       Health Fair with Music Under the Stars – 8.1.23, 7:30-8:30 PM