Association of Student Assistance Professionals March 26, 2015

2015 Conference Highlights

Pat Horvath, Jim Mulhern Award Recipient, SAC Ocean City HS, and members of Southern Region and Atlantic County

Keynote

The Scary Guy Donna Gaudio, Conference Chair & SAC Williamstown HS!

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Retirement… Congratulations to…!

Jon Gaspich, MA, CSW, CSAC, CADC. Jon has been employed by the Toms River School District

for 35 years. He began as an Industrial Arts and Technology instructor and later became the

lead teacher of the first Alternate School in Ocean County. Jon has served as ASAP-NJ President as well as Legislative and Ocean County Chairperson. Jon has held positions on the New Jersey Governors Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. He appeared in the MSNBC documentary, “A Drug Called Ecstasy” in 2001 and “Club Drugs in New Jersey” on Perspective New Jersey - WPVI Channel 6, Philadelphia. Jon also served as a panel member at the National Institute of Justice-Science and Technology committee presentation on “School Safety”.

ASAP-NJ NEWS Promoting Safe | Healthy | Schools

The Scary Guy is a United Kingdom-based American/British motivational speaker who campaigns worldwide to eliminate hate, violence, prejudice, and bullying in schools and corporations. More info: thescaryguy.com

!

Association of Student Assistance Professionals March 26, 2015

Suzanne Fico, Vice President ASAP-NJ Bill Kane, Director NJ Lawyer Assistance ProgramKelly Brown, President ASAP-NJ

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Kudos to Dr. Rafe Vecere, SAC Burlington Township

“I wanted to share a success story with you and recognize the outstanding Community Drug Awareness & Prevention Program that took place in Burlington Township. Dr. Rafe Vecere, created a very informative and moving program that I was honored to have been a part of. He did this after a difficult week where the district lost two students to suicides. It would have been easy for him to just cancel the event, but he knew how important this topic was and he managed to pull everyone in the community together and conduct one of the best awareness events that I have ever attended. At least 100 members of the community attended and we all walked away with a great insight to the problem of addiction in their Township and our society as a whole.” Joseph Conlin, Drug Free Communities Coalition Coord.

Actor - Psychologist - Poet!Dr. Michael Fowlin ( a.k.a. Mykee ) has assembled exciting programs on the issues of race,discrimination, violence prevention and personal identity. His original and powerful presentations, now seen by over a million people, bring a heightened awareness of these issues to your students, faculty, administrators and parents. They also suggest SOLUTIONS. Currently Mykee is performing the classic "You Don't Know Me Until You Know Me" along with three new shows. More info: michaelfowlin.com

Kelly Brown, ASAP PresidentJoseph Coronato, Ocean County Prosecutor and Staff

Friends of ASAP ASAP Unsung Hero Award

Keynote

Mykee Fowlin

Association of Student Assistance Professionals March 26, 2015

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Mary Sutton, SAC Raritan HS,Awarded 2015 Educator of the Year by Masonic Lodge,Bayshore

Having  just  returned  from  the  29th  annual  Associa8on  of  Student  Assistance  Professionals  of  New  Jersey  Conference    8tled  SACs  Key  to  Successful  Schools  held  in  Atlan8c  City  Feb  26-­‐27  2015,    I  am  compelled  to  report  on  the  extensive  two  day  program. First  of  all,  I’m  grateful  that  I  was  able  to  aNend.  The  workshops  were  comprised  of  content-­‐rich  educa8onal  programming  so  necessary  for  our  training  as  SACs.  The  combina8on  of  high  caliber  presenters,  on  relevant  behavioral  health  topics  made  for  a  very  inspiring  and  impacQul  conference.  I  believe  all  aNendees  walked  away  with  invaluable  tools  and  insights  to  equip  them  in  their  crucial  role  as  crisis  interven8on  counselors  and  student  assistance  coordinators.This  year’s  ASAPNJ  president  Kelly  Brown  opened  the  conference  with  a  welcoming  message  that  included  a  personal  story  of  her  own  journey  as  a  SAC  and  her  underlying  passion  to  help  youth  that  was  inspired  by  the  tragic  role  addic8on  played  with  her  younger  adopted  brother. The  workshops  included  topics  ranging  from  effec8ve  assessment  and  interven8on  models,  for  Addic8on,  Suicide,  HIB,  Threat  and  Risk  management,  Ea8ng  Disorders,  Drug  trends,  Student  Resiliency  training,    Legal  issues  rela8ng  to  Suicide  preven8on,  Grief  and  Bereavement  ,  Crisis  response  teams,  and  many  more  topics  including  Medita8on  and  Mindfulness,  and  Human  Trafficking.  

Peaceful Living…

North Shore, Kauai - December 2014 Editor: Suzanne Fico, VP ASAP-NJ!

CongratulationsThoughts from Phillip Lester, Essex County Chair

(con8nued  from  page  3)  

The  efficiency  and  flow  of  the  extensive  workshops  and  ac8vi8es  revealed  the  forethought,  hard  work,  and  prepara8on  from  the  conference  planning  commiNee  spearheaded  by  Donna  Gaudio,  the  Southern  Region  and  all  those  volunteers  serving  behind  the  scenes.  Special  recogni8on  should  also  go  to  treasurer  Rebecca  Balaguer  for  handling  the  financial  challenges  of  such  an  undertaking.  Thanks  to  all  exhibiters,  adver8sers,  providers,  and  presenters,  who  played  a  part  in  making  this  such  an  outstanding  and  resourceful  conference.    

This  conference  once  again  demonstrated  that  ASAP-­‐NJ  is  a  thriving  associa8on  fueled  by  those  passionate  for  assis8ng  troubled  young  people  needing  a  safe  and  responsive  place  to  go  in  school  in  order  to  thrive.    

I  am  convinced  that  this  conference  is  the  foremost  professional  development  and  

Have ASAP-NJ news? Email:

sfico@rumsonfairhaven.org

!Many thanks

to all who contributed to this issue

;)

Association of Student Assistance Professionals March 26, 2015

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