20231017 - Stigma Free Meeting Minutes

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.