WILMINGTON, MA — Following up on the success of last October, the Town is holding another important substance abuse prevention talk for parents at St. Thomas Church (126 Middlesex Avenue) on Tuesday, May 17, from 7:30pm to 9pm.
This free event, which is intended for adults only, is organized by the Wilmington Board of Health, Wilmington Police Department, Tewksbury Police Department, the Catholic Community of Wilmington and South Tewksbury, the UMass Memorial Community Healthlink, and several other agencies.
The evening will include two presentations.
The first presentation, entitled “Substance Use And Our Youth,” will highlight the effects of substance use on the developing brain; gateway drugs; co-occuring disorders; and best practices for youth recovery.
The three presenters have worked for years providing services for youth suffering from addiction and disorders:
Melanie Amir, MS OTR/L, LADC, a licensed alcohol and drug counselor, brings to us her experiences as the Program Director for Motivating Youth Recovery (MYR- a detox and stabilization unit for youth ages 13-18 years), a program within Community HealthLink, Worcester. MYR includes the five Recovery High Schools in the Commonwealth, and Ms. Amir supervises the clinician at the Worcester Recovery High School. She is the founder and director of Highland Grace House, a 90-day program for girls between 13-17 years who seek long-term recovery from their ad- diction to drugs and/or alcohol. Highland Grace House is the only program of its kind in Massachusetts.
Anne Bodmer Lutz, M.D. is the Director of Training for the Institute for Solution Focused Therapy. Anne is a board certified adult, adolescent and child psychiatrist. Dr. Lutz is an assistant professor in psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester and adjunct professor at Framingham State University. As consulting psychiatrist for MYR, a residential treatment center for adolescent girls suffering from addiction and co-occurring disorders, Dr. Lutz utilizes solution- focused approaches within their treatment. Author of Learning Solution-Focused Therapy: An Illustrated Guide, she provides solution focused psychiatric treatment within her private practice in West Boylston.
Maria Ruggiero is the Program Director for the Substance Abuse Prevention Collaborative (SAPC) at the Tewksbury Police Department. Maria works regionally with the communities of Dracut, Chelmsford, Lowell, Billerica, Westford and Wilmington. Maria’s concentration is primary prevention for underage drinking and other drug use in our youth.
The second presentation, entitled “Hidden In Plain Sight,” will highlight the signs and symptoms a child may display when using drugs and alcohol.
Have a question about the event? Contact Parish Social Worker Joanie Barclay at 978-658-4665 ext. 108 or Wilmington Public Health Director Shelly Newhouse at 978-658-4298.
(NOTE: Some of the above information comes from the latest St. Thomas/St. Dorothy Church Bulletin.)
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