I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Facing Addiction Task Force

1

In the Community 2

NJ PMP Training 3

Sticker Shock 3

S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 V O L U M E 4

U PCOMING

SC RATCH

MEETINGS :

July 8

(no August

meeting)

Sept. 9

All meetings are

from 9-10:30am at

Inspira Hospital,

501 W. Front St.,

Elmer NJ 08318 in

the Community

Room on the

2nd Floor

The SCRATCH Post

S C R A T C H I N G O U T S U B S T A N C E A B U S E S I N C E 2 0 1 2

An initiative of The Southwest Council, Inc.

SCRATCH Coalition Coordinator Cory Gilden

1405 N. Delsea Dr. 856-794-1011, x316

cory@southwestcouncil.org

SCRATCH Presents to State Task Force The Salem-Cumberland Regional

Action Toward Community Health

(SCRATCH) Coalition was invited to

Trenton on June 17 to present its recent

efforts to the Governor Christie’s Facing

Addiction Task Force. The task force con-

sists of 12 leaders and experts from inside

and outside of government to fight drug

addiction through treatment and prevention.

SCRATCH was one of four regional

coalitions from across the state asked to

present at the meeting. Other coalitions that

gave presentations were from Essex,

Hunterdon/Somerset, and Ocean Counties.

Cory Gilden, SCRATCH Coalition

Coordinator, presented on behalf of the coa-

lition. Cory was accompanied by the coali-

tion’s chairperson, Connie Cossaboom, and

vice-chair, Beth Thomas.

Cory shared the coalition’s recent efforts

to target funeral homes, hospice and

homecare facilities to enact policy change

geared toward educating the public about

proper prescription drug disposal.

Organizations were asked to agree to pass

along information about drug drop boxes at

local police stations, as well as write in their

policies that employ-

ees would continue to

do so in the future.

Members of the

task force were

excited to hear about

the initiatives of

SCRATCH and the

other coalitions and

asked how they could

bring our local efforts

up to the state level.

The Facing Ad-

diction Task Force is

chaired by Pastor Joe A. Carter and also

includes the following public members:

former Governor Jim McGreevey; former

New York Jets quarterback and Addiction

Peer Counselor Ray Lucas; West Long

Branch Police Chief Larry Mihlon;

Physician at Hunterdon Medical Center

Soumen Samddar; and Daytop Director

Evelyn Sullivan. In addition to its public

members, the following state officials also

sit on the task force: Department of Human

Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez;

Department of Health Commissioner Mary

O'Dowd; Department of Children and Fami-

lies Commissioner Allison Blake; Attorney

General John Hoffman; Department of Cor-

rections Commissioner Gary Lanigan; and

State Parole Board Chairman James Plousis.

The SCRATCH Coalition’s goals align

directly with the Facing Addiction Task-

force’s aim to “develop additional preven-

tion strategies and efforts in New Jersey.”

Other goals of the task force include:

developing additional strategies to reduce

stigma associated with substance abuse and

addiction; reviewing the continuum of treat-

ment services and developing recommenda-

tions for strengthening

the treatment system;

and advising the Gov-

ernor on matters relat-

ed to stigma, addiction

and substance abuse.

The SCRATCH

Coalition is excited to

foster this new rela-

tionship with the gov-

ernor’s task force and

looks forward to work-

ing closely with them

in the future.

The Facing Addiction Task Force meets regularly at the State House in Trenton to discuss issues related to drug abuse and prevention.

P A G E 2

T H E S C R A T C H P O S T

Cumberland County college spring Fling

SCRATCH participated in Cumberland County

College’s Spring Fling event Wednesday, April 29th

from 11:30am-2:30pm. The event was held during

finals and was a time for students to let off some

steam and relax with fun activities.

A DJ played music while students enjoyed free

food, ziplining, and a Wipe Out–style obstacle course.

Students could stop by the SCRATCH table and

answer a drug-related trivia question to spin the wheel

for a prize.

Pennsville memorial high school pre-prom

assembly & Southern regional asap meeting

SCRATCH was asked to participate in Pennsville

Memorial High School’s annual Pre-Prom Assembly.

Cory engaged an auditorium full of high school students

in a trivia game, having three volunteers come to the

front and answer questions about underage drinking. She

followed up the trivia with statistics and information

proving that underage drinking is not a smart choice.

SCRATCH was invited to present about its initia-

tives at the Southern Regional ASAP Meeting in May.

Most SACs from south jersey were present and learned

about how they could partner with their local coalitions.

in the

Cumberland County college community day

Community Day on Saturday, May 2nd was a day

for the college to advertise its programs and sign up

students for clubs and extracurricular activities.

SCRATCH was one of the few organizations outside

of the college that was invited to participate. Addi-

tionally, SCRATCH was designated as a “star” table,

where students had to visit to get a star sticker to be

entered in a raffle for a new tablet. “A family a fair” Resource fair in Salem

The Salem County Council for Young Children

(SCCYC) sponsored its First Annual “A Family A Fair”

outdoor resource fair in Salem on Saturday, June 13th

from 12-4pm.

The event had a block party feel, complete with a

DJ, cotton candy and the fire department spraying water

for children to play in.

The SCCYC is a collaborative of Parents, Agencies

and Community members who are committed to address-

ing community issues that directly or indirectly affect

children from pregnancy to 8 years of age.

P A G E 3

Pennsville Liquor Store Gets Sticker Shocked

NJ PMP Training Attracts Diverse Professionals

Students from the Lindsey

Meyer Teen Institute of Penns-

ville Memorial High School

joined SCRATCH members Don

Palmucci, Cory Gilden and Steph-

anie Quinzer May 6th at For-

naro’s Liquor Store in Pennsville

for a Sticker Shock Event.

Youth and coalition members

went into the store to attract atten-

tion to the fact that not all under-

age kids want to drink alcohol.

Participants wore brightly col-

ored shirts and placed fluorescent

green stickers on alcohol packag-

ing, reminding buyers the penal-

ties for purchasing alcohol for

underage teens.

The stickers say, “Keep It Le-

gal!” and state the possible penal-

ty of six months in jail and/or up

to $1,000 fine for buying alcohol

for minors.

The group was later joined by

an officer from the Pennsville Po-

lice Department, which reinforces

to store owners and the public that

local law enforcement is paying

attention to the issue and looking

out for this offense.

The SCRATCH Coalition

hopes to continue to do Sticker

Shock events throughout the re-

mainder of the year.

The SCRATCH Coalition, together with the

Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office and

Inspira Health Network, held a training for profes-

sionals about the New Jersey Prescription Moni-

toring Program on April 21 at the Luciano Confer-

ence Center of the Cumberland County College.

There were more than 25 attendees at the

event, who enjoyed an hour-long training and a

complimentary breakfast. The training was facili-

tated by Douglas Collier, MA, DEA Ret. of the NJ

Office of the Attorney General, Division of Con-

sumer Affairs.

Participants came from diverse fields and con-

sisted of doctors, professionals in the field of re-

covery, dentists, pharmacists, professionals with

the justice system, police officers, nurses and

others.

Doctors were offered a free CME for attending

the training, and nurses attending the event earned

a CE credit.

The training aimed to alert professionals to the

growing issue of prescription drug abuse in New

Jersey, educate them about the Prescription Moni-

toring Program, and encourage participants sign

up and use the NJ PMP.

The training was well received and most

participants remained after it was finished to ask

additional questions and speak with the presenter.