NHS Cares Coalition Meeting Minutes
January 13, 2016
Attendees:
 Youth: Marissa Miller
 Parents: Aimee Miller, Roxana Dorsey
 School: Chris Cook (Secondary School Dean of Students), David Lieberman (Director of Pupil Services)
 NHS Cares Board of Directors: Laurie Skoroda-BOD/Parent, Pam Milcarek-BOD/Business
 Project Director: Barbara Gross
 Project Coordinator: Joanne Reszka
Welcome: Barbara Gross, Project Director, welcomed all and introductions were made.
Motion made by Laurie Skoroda to approve the December 2015 meeting minutes and seconded by Joanne Reszka. A
vote was taken, all present in favor.
Special Guest: Melanie Swanson, M.Ed., CPS, CTTS Certified Prevention Specialist with The Council of Southeast
Pennsylvania, Inc.
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Melanie led a discussion about the Student Assistance Program (SAP) in the New Hope-Solebury School
District-what they do and who they serve. The discussion centered around ways to promote awareness of
their services.
NHS Cares would like to promote SAP services and has been doing research and coordinating meetings to
become educated on how it works in our district. Goal is to create increased awareness of their services
amongst youth and adults.
Melanie provided an overview and described how referrals happen. Can come from several sources –
teachers, parent, peers, to name a few. NH-S has an anonymous referral box in the guidance office.
Once identified, the SAP team discusses what supports are available. If it is determined an assessment by a
SAP team member is needed, they will meet with the student. It is a confidential process. Must have parent
permission to do the assessment. The student chooses who the assessment info is shared with.
Melanie provided a brochure covering their services.
Much discussion around how the process is put in place to help the student, to help find supports to address
issues.
Resources/supports are found both in the school and within the community.
What role can NHS Cares play? We can help in getting the word out – educating both students and parents
and helping them understand what a valuable service this is to those in need. We need to brand and
promote in a positive way, emphasizing the non-punitive nature of the service. We discussed that we believe
the program is not known to many and would benefit from additional promotion.
We discussed that NHS Cares will work to translate our SAP promotional materials into Spanish. The Hispanic
population is a group that we have identified for outreach, so this fits in well with our goals.
The mission of NHS Cares is to provide the building blocks that empower our community to make a meaningful and sustainable difference towards
reducing youth substance abuse through education, collaboration, and environmental change.
SECTOR REPORTS
Youth Activities
• Barbara reported that Carrie Kaiser, one of the new Project Coordinators, will be working with P.I.S.C.
students on their handball tournament scheduled for 1/22/16 and on other projects. Giuseppe’s is donating
14 free pies. Their name will go on the t-shirts.
• Project Sticker Shock – labels that NHS Cares provides are attached to cases of beer and on pizza boxes
around Super Bowl Sunday, to warn adults that is unlawful to buy or serve alcohol to anyone under the age
of 21. Students will be involved in this activity.
• Students in P.S.I.C. will be promoting National Drug Facts Week, January 25-31. They have different activities
planned and will create a drug fact bulletin board.
School
• Chris Cook shared that Roxy Ballet would be coming to NHSD to present a program around the theme of
diversity. We discussed whether there might be a tie-in with NHS Cares’ activities.
• David Lieberman– March 4th during Staff Development Day, Dr. Kathrine Dahlsgaard, Psychologist and
Anxiety Disorder Specialist, will be presenting on anxiety. The school has also engaged someone to talk to
staff on gender issues.
• Dr. Matt Bellis will be coming to speak to the 7th and 8th graders this evening, January 13.
Business
Pam Milcarek, Board Treasurer: Pam’s employer, Janney Montgomery Scott of New Hope, will be donating $3000 to
NHS Cares, to be used to support the coalition’s efforts. She expressed that there was interest in using some of the
funds to help the school obtain Narcan, an opioid antidote.
COALITION UPDATES/PROJECT DIRECTOR REPORT
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NHS Cares article, info ad, and photo will appear in the upcoming New Hope News, January 26th.
Barbara, Carrie, and Joanne will be attending the annual CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America)
forum in D.C. in early February.
Funds for law enforcement training will be provided to help increase DUI checks and sobriety checkpoints in
our community
We will continue to research speakers to bring to the community.
Barbara and the Project Coordinators will be attending the upcoming UES meeting to introduce the new staff
and exchange ideas about future collaboration.
Met with Pastor Chuck Wilson. The coalition discussed setting up a table at a Sunday morning service and will
pilot at Pastor Wilson’s New Hope Community Church. NHS Cares is also reaching out to realtors, to discuss
home selling safety issues regarding prescription drugs.
New Business
Feedback on sexting assembly with Matt Weintraub was discussed.
Meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m. by Laurie Skoroda, seconded by Aimee Miller.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Laurie Skoroda, NHS Cares Board Secretary
The mission of NHS Cares is to provide the building blocks that empower our community to make a meaningful and sustainable difference towards
reducing youth substance abuse through education, collaboration, and environmental change.