Region 7 leaders, Ed Advance present at conference

WINSTED/LITCHFIELD >> EdAdvance’s Richard Carmelich and Jonathan Costa collaborated with Dr. Judith Palmer, Regional School District No. 7 Superintendent, presented “Working Together for Our Children” as a workshop at the American Superintendent’s Annual Conference on March 4, in New Orleans.

Their presentation described the startup and innovative work of the Northwestern Connecticut Youth and Adolescent Mental Health Coalition.

The Coalition was organized in 2014 in response to increasing substance use and mental health needs in students identified by Region 7 and other school districts in northwest CT. These issues were escalating at an alarming rate, impacting students’ ability to learn and impeding their abilities to lead productive and healthy lives.

Realizing that these complex health and psychosocial issues were best addressed within a regional and community context, Regional School District No. 7 reached out to EdAdvance, the Regional Educational Service Center in western CT, to facilitate and guide the Coalition’s formation and strategic planning.

Carmelich, Costa, and Dr. Palmer shared the progressive steps undertaken to form the Coalition, recruit multi-sector volunteers, and the Coalition’s impact within the community. One of the major community impacts is launching of a Youth Mental Health First Aid training initiative, Project AWARE, in NW CT, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Dr. Palmer said, “It is our hope that the information we shared will assist other school districts across the country struggling with these same issues, and that they will benefit from our experiences working with diverse partners in our communities.”

The Northwestern Connecticut Youth and Mental Health Coalition meets regularly and welcomes new members. If you are interested in helping to improve mental health and substance use services for youth and adolescents in the region, please contact Richard Carmelich, Coalition CoChair, at 860-567-0863.

For more information on EdAdvance’s programs and services, visit www.edadvance.org.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Dr. Judith Palmer, Regional School District No. 7 Superintendent, discusses “Working Together for Our Children” as a workshop at the American Superintendent’s Annual Conference on March 4 in New Orleans.