RCASA’s mission is to strategically address our substance abuse problem that youth in Reading, Massachusetts abuse alcohol, prescription drugs, tobacco, and other illegal drugs at unacceptably high rates that emerge early in adolescence, happen frequently, and indicate heavy use. To realize our mission, we will promote a healthy community environment using the strategic prevention framework to ensure everyone who lives, works, or goes to school in Reading can enjoy an optimum quality of life.”

RCASA Board of Directors Meeting-September 13, 2018 (rescheduled from August 30, 2018)

SPOTLIGHT

RCASA was honored at the National Recovery Month Award Luncheon in Washington, D.C. on September 6, 2018 for their work on the 2017 Reading Unites for Recovery Project. Sherri VandenAkker, Board Member, represented RCASA at the luncheon and accepted the award from Captain Ohuoha, MD, MPH, Director of the SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Special thanks to Julianne for identifying this award opportunity and to Sherri for representing RCASA. Travel was provided by SAMHSA. Our success story was posted on the national Drug Free Communities website. A press release will be released after review by the Executive Board. We will feature more award details at the Annual Meeting. Let’s celebrate this amazing recognition as 1 of 3 organizations in the country that was honored this year for their work on promoting recovery! Messages of congratulations are included on pages 4 and 5.

FOCUS

1. Board Information: Please note all board packets are posted on the RCASA website

https://www.reading.k12.ma.us/community/rcasa/board-directors/ 2. Welcome to new Board Members

Kate Boynton, Principal of the Reading Memorial High School

Matt Vatcher, School Resource Officer

The Board calendar prepared by Julianne is attached for members to review on page 6. Our next RCASA Board Meeting is Thursday September 27, 2018 at the RMHS PAC, 62 Oakland Rd. from 7-8:30pm. The Annual Meeting is the only meeting scheduled at a later time and different location.

3. Erica McNamara, RCASA Director, stepped down to take a position at UMASS Lowell as the Program Director of Student Mental Health & Wellness.

Erica will continue to support RCASA to ensure a smooth transition until a replacement has been identified. She will be working part-time on nights and weekends to manage the grant. She looks forward to seeing the Board at the September 27th Annual Meeting.

Julianne will continue in her role as the RCASA Outreach Coordinator. She is supported by Lt. Abate for day to day supervision needs. Julianne is looking for board volunteers to serve as Hidden in

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Plain Sight tour guides, 1-hr slots are available. Check out her sly reply. Special thanks to Lt. Abate and the Detectives Division who have all supported Erica and Julianne through this transition.

Staffing Update from Chief Segalla and Supt. Doherty

The RCASA Director’s position was posted on August 23, 2018 with the support of the Town Manager, Chief and Superintendent. Posting available on School Spring, Town and RCASA websites. The Director’s Job description and School Spring posting are attached on pages 7-11.

Discuss status of applicant pool and interview process.

Does the Board have any input on hiring a new Director?

4. Nominating Committee needs to be appointed to address the following tasks (2-3 members needed, work can be done by email and phone with Director). Annually…

Board elects a President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary (election process should be started prior to the Annual Meeting)

Board renews board members and/or appoints new members. Vacancies are discussed for potential recruitment (may be postponed to a later date)

Board reviews their by-laws (may be postponed to a later date) 5. RCASA Annual Meeting scheduled for September 27, 2018 from 7-8:30pm at the RMHS PAC.

Erica McNamara, former Director to share annual highlights including our recent award. Sherri VandenAkker will be our featured speaker on “What I Wish I Knew: When Someone You Love Suffers from a Substance Use Disorder…“. The Annual Board photo and board business will be conducted from 8-8:30pm.

6. RCASA: What in a name? Kate Grant, Jen Hillery, and Erica McNamara met on July 26th at 5:30 pm in the

RPD community room to review pros/cons of a possible name change while retaining the RCASA acronym. Kate/Jen would like to share their insights.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Hidden in Plain Site info was sent out in our e-newsletter and posted on the RCASA website for September’s 3-day exhibit coordinated by Julianne DeAngelis, RCASA Outreach Coordinator. Mission of Deeds will donate bedroom furniture. The Burbank YMCA and Reading Police are co-sponsors. Special thanks to John Feudo, Lt. Abate, Det. Muolo, SRO Lewis, SRO Vatcher for their support on this project. Julianne is looking for board volunteers to serve as tour guides, 1-hr slots are available. Check out her sly reply. DIRECTOR’S UPDATES – AUGUST 2018

RCASA hosted their information table at the 2nd Annual Jams for Jake on Sunday August 5, 2018 at Symonds Field http://jamsforjake.com/

The Director submitted the 6-month report for the Drug Free Communities Grant Project. The report was approved by Dan Fletcher, SAMHSA Project Officer.

The Director, Outreach Coordinator, Lt. Abate, SRO Lewis and SRO Vatcher participated in the Mystic Valley Public Health Coalition Annual Meeting. Speakers included Senator Jason Lewis, Elizabeth Parsons (Director of the Underage Drinking Grant) and Lauren Chambers (Director of the Opioid Prevention Grant). The annual report can be found at http://www.mysticvalleypublichealth.org/2018-annual-report/

Throughout the summer, the Director and SRO Lewis collaborated with Supt. Doherty, the RMHS Principal and three Assistant Principals to revise the format for the Student Handbook section on Chemical Health Violations and Education. Special thanks to Kate Boynton for bringing the new version across the finish line.

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The content of the policy has not changed. This section was revised for easier reading by students and parents. The School Committee approved the RMHS Handbook. The section is attached starting on page 12.

Julianne DeAngelis, RCASA Outreach Coordinator and Michelle Hopkinson, Health Educator collaborated during the summer to improve their Chemical Health Education class that is hosted monthly at RMHS.

The Director collaborated with Supt. Doherty and school staff to ensure the Pride Survey was completed.

The Director had a series of meetings with key staff including Sharon Angstrom, Accountant and Deputy Chief Dave Clark to discuss staff transition and grant management.

The Director supported SRO Lewis and Lauren Sabella, Behavioral Health Coach in their first solo training for Youth Mental Health First Aid. They ran a great class and certified 27 new Reading Public Schools staff.

The Outreach Coordinator, Director of Nurses, and RCASA Director met to review the plan for SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment) for 2018-2019. Students will be screened using the CRAFFT-II as required by state of Massachusetts. Students will be screened in grades 9 and 11. Screening forms, parent information and student handouts were updated. Julianne was trained on SBIRT Data Entry. Special thanks to RMHS for their collaboration on this project including Tom Zaya, Asst. Principal at RMHS for sharing his office space throughout the year for RCASA staff. FAQs on SBIRT

How do students know about the screening? A letter was sent home to parents at the beginning of the school year. When the Nurse is ready for a student, the main office secretary calls their class and asks for them to be sent to the nurse’s office. If they are participating in a test or critical student activity, the student and teacher can waive that appointment and be called down at another time. Once in the health office, the nurse reviews the screening procedure and questions pertaining to substance misuse are asked in a private confidential space.

What is RCASA doing during screening? RCASA staff is located onsite throughout screening in the room adjacent to the Health Office. If a student is referred to RCASA, they meet with Miss DeAngelis, a Licensed Alcohol & Drug Counselor in a private space.

When is screening? Screening is conducted every Tuesday for 8 weeks in the fall and spring.

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Award Notice to RCASA

Congratulations RCASA! The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is pleased to announce that your event was selected by a panel of judges as the winner in the Educational Events category of SAMHSA’s Recovery Month Annual Event Award Program. Your event was recognized as exceeding expectations and as a reflection of your commitment to expand the breadth and reach of National Recovery Month in 2017. Again, congratulations and thank you for your amazing efforts to promote the messages that behavioral health is essential to overall health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can and do recover!

Award Kudos from our Federal Grant Partners

“Excellent work and congratulations on this honor! We know Drug Free Communities grantees always go above and beyond to create change in their communities. Keep up the good work and as Dan suggested, share your success and lessons learned with other DFCs through the DFC Me Learning Center. “ Helen Hernandez, Administrator, Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Executive Office of the President (EOP)

“Congratulations to RCASA!!! Terrific prevention work. We very much appreciate the work you all are doing to create positive change in the lives of the people in your community! We understand that prevention work is often difficult…I hope you all will celebrate your success and that this acknowledgement will serve to highlight the fact that advances and successes are possible when people work together to make a difference.” Dan Fletcher, Senior Public Health Advisor Project Officer for Drug Free Communities U.S. Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAT)

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