Rhode Island Youth Mental Health Webinar Series

by Rhode Island Student Assistance Services

Welcome to the Rhode Island Youth Mental Health Webinar Series, funded by the Rhode Island Department of Health. This series of webinars, presented by industry professionals, is designed to increase the awareness of parents, educators, and youths themselves of the mental health problems facing today's youth. For More Information, Check Out Our Social Media: Website: www.risas.org/ Facebook: @RISASorg Instagram: @risas_org Twi ...   ...  Read more

Podcast episodes

  • Season 1

  • Talk. They Hear You. Talking with your teen about alcohol, drugs and choices with Colleen Judge and Diane Ferrara

    Talk. They Hear You. Talking with your teen about alcohol, drugs and choices with Colleen Judge and Diane Ferrara

    Post Survey: https://forms.gle/fm8wwDrqMKvjR1pH7 Parents are the leading influence on teenagers’ decisions about drinking and other substance use. Many caregivers wonder how to approach this topic in a way that young people will listen. It’s not a one-time conversation but an ongoing process that can be simple and honest. What you say, how, and when you say it matters. Young people are more likely to listen if they know you are on their side. This webinar will offer strategies for connecting with youth in ways that will optimize your role as a parent to prevent substance use and support wellbeing. Diane Ferrara is a clinical supervisor at Rhode Island Student Assistant Services where she has been employed since 2001. She spent 19 of those years as the student assistance counselor at Pilgrim High School in Warwick. Prior to that, she had a 12-year career in early childhood education. In addition, Diane has been in private practice since 1999. She received her BS in Human Development, Counseling, and Family Relations from URI and her MSW from Boston University. Colleen Judge is Director of School-Based Services at RI Student Assistance Services. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with over 25 years of experience in the counseling field including providing substance use prevention and early intervention services in schools as a Student Assistance Counselor and individual and family therapy in private practice. Colleen received a master’s degree in Human Development and Family Relations from the University of Connecticut. She has her own personal experience raising four young adults. For More Information, Check Out Our Social Media: Website: www.risas.org/ Facebook: @RISASorg Instagram: @risas_org Twitter: @RISAS_Org

  • Coping with Loss During COVID19 with Frances DaLomba

    Coping with Loss During COVID19 with Frances DaLomba

    Post Survey: https://forms.gle/fm8wwDrqMKvjR1pH7 COVID19 has changed the way we look at grief and loss. Our nation is grieving the loss of our daily routine, the way we say goodbye to our loved one, and it's brought to the surface feelings of depression that we really could not identify. It’s made us face the grieving process head on with feelings of anger, depression, denial, bargaining, and finally acceptance. Let’s talk about how we as adults are dealing with all of these unpredictable feelings and how we manage talking to our children about loss and uncertainty. Frances DaLomba is a Dominican American, bilingual, (Spanish), BIPOC female, and first-generation college graduate. She is a licensed clinical social worker who has worked with children, youth, and families for over 20 years. Earning a BSW and MSW from Rhode Island College, she has the opportunity to work in psychiatric, educational, and community settings. Her experience has been working with adolescents and their families, who suffer from anxiety, depression, mood disorders, trauma, grief, and loss. For More Information, Check Out Our Social Media: Website: www.risas.org/ Facebook: @RISASorg Instagram: @risas_org Twitter: @RISAS_Org

  • Social Media: Everything parents need to know W/ Jennifer Garviria. Todo que los padres deben saber.

    Social Media: Everything parents need to know W/ Jennifer Garviria. Todo que los padres deben saber.

    Post Survey: https://forms.gle/x8abVF7Qcr9izhip6 Jennifer Gaviria es de descendensia Colombiana y creció entre Central Falls y Pawtucket, RI. Es su crianza que la motiva a ayudar a su comunidad, en particular, a la comunidad Latinx. Ella se graduó de Providence College y pronto su trabajo en el campo de la equidad educativa comenzó. Después se graduó con su Maestría en Trabajo Social de Washington University en St. Louis. Jennifer ha trabajado los últimos 10 años en organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro. Más recientemente, se ha enfocado en la equidad de la salud y salud mental y el desarrollo de la fuerza laboral en su rol de Consejera y Supervisora a estudiantes de Trabajo Social en Thundermist Health Center. Jennifer es la Cofundadora del Latino Mental Health Network de RI, una iniciativa comunitaria que busca reclutar y retener proveedores de salud mental Latinx y/o multilingües dándoles apoyo y desarrollo profesional. Ella también Jennifer Gaviria is of Colombian descent and grew up in Central Falls and Pawtucket, RI. It is her upbringing that motivates her to give back to her community, in particular, the Latinx community. She graduated with her Bachelor’s from Providence College and shortly after her work in education equity began. She then obtained her Master’s in Social Work from Washington University In St. Louis. Jennifer has been working in the nonprofit space in RI for the past ten years. Most recently, she has focused on health and mental health equity and workforce development in her role as a Behavioral Health Clinician and Supervisor to Social Work students at Thundermist Health Center. Jennifer is the Co-Founder of The Latino Mental Health Network of RI, a community initiative that seeks to recruit and retain Latinx and multilingual mental health providers by providing support and professional development. She has also served on the board of the National Latino Behavioral Health Association, a national nonprofit that aims to eliminate disparities in mental health care for the Latino community. Para más información, Echa un vistazo a nuestras redes sociales: Sitio web: www.risas.org/ Facebook:@RISASorg Instagram: @risas_org Twitter: @RISAS_Org

  • Bringing neuroscience to schools: what educators need to know about addiction and the brain with Lee Dalphonse

    Bringing neuroscience to schools: what educators need to know about addiction and the brain with Lee Dalphonse

    Post Survey: https://forms.gle/fm8wwDrqMKvjR1pH7 This webinar will provide participants with an introductory overview of the latest research on the etiology, progression, and recovery from substance use disorders. A brief review of the evolving theories about addiction will be followed by a more detailed review of current research on the neurobiology of addiction and the evidence that addiction is a brain-based illness. Emphasis will also be placed on encouraging participants to identify a personal goal related to the reduction of addiction-related stigma by Bringing Science to the Streets through the sharing of information learned in this presentation, and from the various references cited in the handouts. Lee Dalphonse is an educator, organizational consultant, and psychotherapist with thirty-plus years of experience planning, implementing, and evaluating a number of innovative outpatients, residential, home, and hospital-based programs and services for individuals with co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders. Lee has provided training and consultation for a variety of audiences, and for a number of health, human service, and governmental organizations throughout the United States and Canada. For More Information, Check Out Our Social Media: Website: www.risas.org/ Facebook: @RISASorg Instagram: @risas_org Twitter: @RISAS_Org

  • Youth Empowerment

    Youth Empowerment

    Post Survey: https://forms.gle/fm8wwDrqMKvjR1pH7 Join us in learning about empowerment and why it is so important to give youth voice and autonomy- leave the training with strategies to implement with young people. Lisa joined Sojourner House in 2019. She has over 20 years of experience and has developed and facilitated hundreds of training and workshops for a variety of audiences nationwide. She is a graduate of Rhode Island College, where she is an adjunct faculty for the Health and Physical Education Department, and was the former Director of the RIC Women’s Center. She works closely with school districts and agencies to provide professional and youth development, training, consultations, curriculum development, and assistance setting up peer education and advocacy programs. She is a co-founder and active member of the RI HIV STI prevention coalition and an active member of the RI Cross Campus Collaborative to prevent sexual assault on campus. She is also a certified curriculum developer and trainer for the Rhode Island police academy and is a co-chair of the RI crime victim service providers and co-chair of the Providence Health and wellness- healthy relationship subcommittee. She specializes in inclusive, comprehensive sexuality education and interpersonal violence prevention. Hannah Woodhouse is an educator with years of experience in the fields of violence prevention, social justice, sexual health, and gender equity. Though she works with people of all ages, she is especially passionate about talking about these issues with young people and empowering the next generation of leaders through conversation, collaboration, peer education, and advocacy. She hopes to build empathy and compassion through education, and Sojourner House offers the perfect platform to achieve that goal. For More Information, Check Out Our Social Media: Website: www.risas.org/ Facebook: @RISASorg Instagram: @risas_org Twitter: @RISAS_Org