Mercer Council News

 Your brain is the command center and boss of your body. It enables you to think, learn, move, create, feel emotions, as well as, controlling every blink, breath, and heartbeat. Please join us for a free virtual Zoom event where you will learn all about the human brain from a neuroscientist, discover what makes it so fascinating, and why it is especially important to protect it as you grow! T...

Mercer Council has been privileged to service the DMHAS-funded Opioid Overdose Recovery Program (OORP) contract in Mercer County since 2017.  Through year end 2020, our team of Certified Peer Recovery Specialists and Patient Navigators have serviced nearly 1000 total clients struggling with Opioid-related challenges, providing referrals and linkages to all levels of Substance Use Disorder Car...

Jack L  Jack L wasn’t a famous or even a known black history icon, but he certainly was an unsung hero to me and countless others who struggled with addiction in the New Brunswick area in the early 1980s.  I was introduced to Jack at a local substance abuse treatment facility. I was 21, completely naive to substance misuse and I was placed there during my first year of undergraduate...

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.“ “Sobriety is the key to emancipation.” - Frederick Douglass Since we are nearing the end of Black History Month, I wanted to talk about one black man who has worked in alcohol and drug education. I had the pleasure of interviewing Mercer Council's very own, Cy Jones.     He first started off his career as someone who knew...

  In less than five minutes, you can make a big difference in the health and well-being of your community.  Every year, the Prevention Coaliiton of Mercer County distributes this survey in order to help us get a snapshot of our community's progress towards healthy, safe and drug-free environments.  It also assists us in making adjustments to our current and future strategic planning...

This February, the ASYSST Team at Ewing High School, is hosting some fun, virtual activities. Every day, a new post is shared with the students featuring a summary about a prominent/influential African American individual and their contribution to history. We are also hosting a virtual "movie party" every Friday which features a film, selected by students, that shares the story of an African Ameri...

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and we all know that the day of romance is symbolized by hearts. Chocolate boxes, balloons, cards, candles, and much more are formed in the shape of a heart and given as gifts to loved ones on this day. The heart being the symbol of love and passion has existed for a long time in history. Ancient Greek and Roman thinkers, including Aristotle, considered th...

Hello everyone! On January 28th, I did another Let’s Have A Conversation, I talked about helping children with the Anger and Coping Skills through some Life Skills Training and added research to help. While it introduced new concepts, the practical advice could be very useful for those looking at doable practices. Here is the link to the January 28th meeting: We are featuring two of Mercer Council...

TALKING POINTS FOR TEENS Now That Marijuana Is Legal, What Does It Mean For Teens? Is marijuana safe now that it is legal? Is it legal for everyone? Are there dangers to using marijuana? These are some of the questions teens might be having when it comes to the legalization of marijuana. My name is Amy Argiriou, I am the facilitator for the Botvins LifeSkills Training program for middle school stu...

Hello everyone! On January 21st, I did another Let’s Have A Conversation, I talked about helping children with the Anxiety/Stress Management through some Life Skills Training and added research to help. It introduces some new concepts, but it also reiterates practical advice. Here is the link to the January 21st meeting: The program schedule is as follows for the month of February: January 28th, H...

The stresses of the pandemic as well as the social isolation felt from distancing measures takes a toll on all of us.  Older adults and their caregivers are also a group that can been hit hard by feelings of loneliness, anxiety and boredom.  Find out in our next "Morning Conversations" how to build senior and caregiver resilience during the COVID pandemic and beyond with Dale Ofei-Ayisi....

In the Protecting You, Protecting Me program, children learn about the constant communication that happens between the human brain and the rest of the body. They learn that their brain and body send each other messages all day, every day, to keep their body working so they can do everything they are meant to do as human beings. In honor of National Lego day on January 28, 2021, I came up with an i...

Hello all!  Happy New Year and I hope the holidays have treated you well.  Last year, we touched upon many topics in this parenting series. While I am just someone who is a dashboard for parenting concerns and information, I have found such inspriation in my coworkers and their expertise on different topics. This year they will be featured in between our regularly scheduled programs. Whi...

In the program I teach called Protecting You, Protecting Me (for children in grades K-5), one of the topics I discuss with students is the reasons for rules and laws. They learn that rules and laws are in place to protect themselves and others (i.e. wearing a helmet to protect the brain), show respect toward others (i.e. being polite), and to show order (i.e. not cutting others while in line at a ...

You are witnessing STICKER SHOCK! (at Joe Canal's Discount Liquors in Lawrenceville) So what is sticker shock? A sticker shock is where youth and leaders approach an alcohol retailer in our community and arrange to place a sticker reminder on packaged goods. On some color boxes, the circular neon green stickers really POP out and grab your attention. Often the PCMC members and youth sticker over 1...

A special thank you to all who participated in the Healthy Family Food Recipe Submission Contest. Three winners have been selected to receive a $25 ShopRite gift card, a goodie bag filled with Mercer Council giveaway items, and have their recipes featured in an upcoming recipe book. Congratulations Gionna, Vanya, and Isabelle! Your recipes look and sound delicious and are truly a healthy choice fo...

Dear Mercer Council Family, Friends and Community –   At the close of the year 2020, a year quite like no other, we reflect on the hardships, the uncertainty, the pain and loss, social and physical isolation, among many other challenges the year has thrown at us.  This year has been an emotional roller coaster, at times very difficult and uncomfortable to bear.  We’ve seen our colle...

On Thursday's at 12pm for the past two months, I have had the pleasure of hosting and answering questions for our "Let's Have A Conversation" series. Last week's presenation, LGBTQIA+ Youth and Drug Use Trends touched upon many important topics and concerns- thank you to those who attended. Here is the link to that YouTube video:  The last presentation of the year on December 17th, Signs To K...

Last week on December 3rd, I had the pleasure of talking to the group about having conversations with children before it matters. We discussed not only word choice, brain development, and trauma, but navigating through unknowns with children. Here is the link to the last parenting program:  This week, 12/10, LGBTQIA Youth and How To Help Them Get Through Adolesence  and What Can You Do T...

On Thursday, November 19th, I talked about stress and peer pressure for teens during Covid-19 and the Holidays. Meetings are still taking place every Thursday at 12:00PM - 1:00PM for any parenting questions you may have. Our Schedule will remain as follows:   This week, 12/3, we will be discussing how to talk to your kids BEFORE it matters. Here is the video from last meeting:  Next...