Collaboration Council Newsletter
September 2018
 
Please welcome Jade-Ann Rennie our new Prevention Coordinator 


We are thrilled to welcome Jade-Ann Rennie as the Prevention Coordinator at the Montgomery County Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families, Inc. Jade-Ann is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, where she received a BSc. in Community Health.
Prior to joining the Collaboration Council, Jade-Ann served as the Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Medication Assisted Treatment - Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction (MAT-PDOA) grant.  She was primarily responsible for coordinating and providing both training and technical assistance to 28 state grantee project directors and over 96 treatment providers. The MAT-PDOA grant was charged to expand and enhance medication assisted treatment (MAT) to individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD). 
In her new role as Prevention Coordinator, Jade-Ann will work to reduce opioid misuse and fatalities, as well as prevent overall substance abuse in Montgomery County, particularly within the youth and young adult populations. 

Collaborative Corner:
Excel Beyond the Bell

Our community partners make it possible for us to have a real impact on children, youth and families in Montgomery County. Each month we will acknowledge and celebrate a collaborative partnership that makes the work we do on behalf of children, youth and families possible. This month we are excited to highlight the Montgomery County Recreation Department, our partner in the high quality out-of-school time program, Excel Beyond the Bell (EBB.)
 
The Montgomery County Recreation Department is responsible for the day-to-day operations at all 14 EBB programs; 4 elementary sites (with 2 additional sites starting in January 2019) and 8 Middle School sites. The direct service management and coordination efforts of the Montgomery County Recreation Youth Development department are at the center of the EBB Middle School collaborative, which includes Montgomery County Public Schools and the Collaboration Council. Annually, Montgomery County Recreation spearheads the search for quality out-of-school Time (OST) program providers and works with the Collaboration Council to support and sustain the work of the OST Provider community. Together with MCPS, community partners and providers, we celebrated the start of a new year of programming at our EBB kickoff event on September 17, 2018. Monica Clark-Phillips, (pictured above) the Youth Development Manager for Montgomery County Recreation, shared this special message about the upcoming EBB year.  We are looking forward to another fun and productive year.
 

Community of Practice

Plan ahead for powerful youth development workshops with our Community of Practice team in October. Click here to see a list of upcoming workshops that youth providers can attend free of charge.
 
Here's a video from one of our recent workshops "Real Talk 4 Girls: Using Restorative Circles to Engage Girls of Color." In this workshop participants learned how to create a psychologically safe place for disengaged girls of color to become reconnected to a program, consequently building positive relationships with adults and their peers. In using the restorative teen circle process, participants learn how to create a safe place for girls to openly share without fear of judgment, criticism or rejection and to dismantle their "tough walls."  Dr. Tonya Featherston, workshop facilitaor ( pictured above) shares her thoughts on engaging girls of color in this video . Dr.Tonya is the founder of The Center for Social Emotional Wellness.



Many Voices for Smart Choices 

If you work in the field of prevention, we invite you to join us for a special networking night on Wednesday October 17, 2018  from 5pm - 6pm. Learn about the many efforts to prevent opioid misuse and substance abuse and find out how you can help keep Montgomery County safe.  The meeting will take place at the Collaboration Council's office at 1801 Research Blvd.  Please contact  Jade-Ann Rennie , prevention coordinator for additional information or to RSVP.

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