FEBRUARY 2023
Upcoming Events
March 20: SAVE THE DATE!
WHEN has engaged Laura Crain to present "Marijuana and Beyond" for our community. The tentative schedule is below. Please mark your calendars now so you don't miss this special opportunity.
Laura Crain: Marijuana and Beyond: March 20, 2023
Morning Session 9:00-10:00 a.m. – Breakfast presentation for parents. We will require registration and will extend an invitation to parents of students attending public, private, and parochial schools within our district.
Lunch Session 12:00-1:00 p.m. – In-person training for our coalition members and any other coalitions from our immediate region.
Afternoon Session 3:30-4:30 p.m. – Training for our K-12 school administration team.
Evening Session 6:30-7:30 p.m. – Parent/Community member presentation at Spry Middle School in the cafetorium designed for all parents, but particularly those of kids in grades 5-8.
Webster Headlines
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WHEN Research and Assessment Committee Chair, Steve Guadioso, is in the process of compiling data from our recent high school focus groups. We expect to share findings at our Annual Meeting in April.
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Our Communications team is working on content for signs planned for WCSD grounds that promote protective factors. The team has met a couple of times and content is being refined in advance of presenting our recommendations to the school district.
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WHEN's Steering Committee met with Sarah Smolinski of Seneca County regarding tips for starting a youth coalition based on their considerable success. WHEN members Dustin and Joe have volunteered to assist with getting a youth coalition off the ground, and additional volunteers are very welcome. Please email Janine if you are interested.
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WHEN member, Lexi Popovici of the The American Lung Association shares that the ALA, in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics, announced the launch of a new online training. This one-hour course provides an overview for healthcare professionals, school personnel and community members in youth-supportive roles to conduct a brief intervention for teens who use tobacco, especially those at high-risk. Based on the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Youth Tobacco Cessation: Considerations for Clinicians, the course outlines the steps of Ask, Counsel, Treat, and provides guidance, support and best practices for effectively delivering ACT as a brief intervention for adolescents who identify as tobacco users, including e-cigarettes. Learn more and register for training here.
PSA: URMC is now offering Nicotine Dependence Treatment for all ages. In-person appointments, telehealth, and free Commit to Quit group sessions are all available. This is an amazing resource for our community and has the potential to help so many struggling with nicotine addiction. It's particularly beneficial to our youth population who have seen an increase in nicotine dependence, but have had few resources to help them quit.
Winter Wellness
Protective Factors: Emotional Control, Attachment and Bonding to the Family, Opportunities for prosocial involvement in the family.
By WHEN member, Judi Swanson, LCSW~R
There is a quote by Rebecca Raiden that says, “The plants and the earth are resting. Maybe we should too. The long days will be here soon enough.” During the winter months with shortened days and colder temperatures, plants and animals hibernate, spending time in a dormant, suspended state. Winter provides a much needed rest from all the energy exerted during the other months of the year.
“Most everything will work for a couple of minutes if you unplug it, including you.” - Anne Lamott
Sometimes we minimize the essential role self-care has in our emotional and physical health. Our do more, be more world has us caught in the merry-go-round of being and doing too much, eventually running out of energy and burning out. Some people love the winter months, using the time for personal hibernation or outdoor activities in the cold and snow. However, for other people, less sunlight and colder temps lead to less social connection and less activity. An article in Psychology Today states, “ What happens in winter is the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin is decreased, while the neurotransmitter melatonin associated with sleepiness is increased.” Winter blahs and seasonal affective disorder can make doing anything challenging and difficult.
“Talk to yourself like someone you love.” - Brené Brown
The encouraging news is that there are actions you can take for your winter self-care.
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Go and play in the snow.
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Snuggle up with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa.
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Play board games as a family or go build a snow person together.
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Try a new hobby or recipe as a family.
The Psychology Today article also says to “make sure you see, hear, taste, feel, and smell enriching things'' with your self-care. When you make self-care a priority, it improves your mental and physical health. WHEN thinks you are worth it! Or try this: challenge yourself to make a BINGO by completing five activities below each week.
Upcoming Meetings
We meet in person AND online via Google Meet the second Wednesday of each month at noon.
Please note these changes to upcoming meetings:
There will be no February coalition meeting. Rest and recharge.
The April coalition meeting will be our Annual Meeting – an opportunity to review accomplishments of the past year, note plans for the coming year, and vote on any business matters. Please attend (virtually or in person) if you are able to. Lunch will be provided for those attending in person at NEQALS.
RSVP here for details and to get the virtual meeting link. (Click on the Monthly Coalition Meeting, then click "Select Different Date" if you wish to RSVP for a subsequent meeting.)
Reminders
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Go and play in the snow.
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Snuggle up with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa.
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Play board games as a family or go build a snow person together.
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Try a new hobby or recipe as a family.
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See, hear, taste, feel, and smell enriching things.