Toms River, NJ -- The Saint Barnabas Institute for Prevention recently hosted a reunion celebration and dinner for the participant families and friends of their Strengthening Families Program, entitled Project CONNECT. The theme of Project CONNECT is "Connecting families, connecting communities." Project CONNECT is a 14-week program designed to increase parenting skills, improve family organization and communication, by teaching skills and connecting the families to necessary support services throughout the community. This reunion brought together families and referring community agencies to reinforce skills learned throughout the year and to celebrate their successes. The program, offered by the prevention specialists at the Saint Barnabas Institute for Prevention, is a state-wide, evidence-based substance abuse, delinquency and family skills training program funded by the N.J. Department of Human Services, Division of Addiction Services.
Over one hundred people attended this very special evening which was comprised of a dinner, music, dancing and an awards ceremony for the parents and their children who completed the program. More than 22 families came to the celebration and were joined by the staff of the Saint Barnabas Institute for Prevention and the Saint Barnabas Behavioral Health Center. In addition, Donald Hallcom, Director of Prevention Services, NJ State Department of Human Services, Division of Addiction Services; Bill Sette, Chief Executive Officer, Preferred Behavioral Health; Michael Blatt, Vice President, Preferred Behavioral Health; and Rick DeGeronimo, Executive Director, Ocean Partnership for Children were also in attendance to extend their congratulations to all the participants of the program.
Special awards were presented to each of the families which included family board games that they could play together on family night, a concept taught and practiced in the program whereby the family gets together to talk and play games without interruption from the television, cell phones, or the computer. This allows the family to spend quality time together, have fun, and get to know one another better. Each family also received a family portrait and a Target gift certificate.
This event was a reunion for all families who participated in the program throughout the year. There were three different cycles of the program held during 2009, serving over 30 families. All of the families who participated were invited to this reunion to reinforce the lessons learned during their program cycle and to celebrate their accomplishments. All of the families also were offered case management services in order to help facilitate their successful linkage to necessary support services.
“Each of the families reported a more comfortable and happy home following involvement in this program because they understand each other better,” explains Connie Greene, Vice President of the Saint Barnabas Institute For Prevention. “Now they have developed stronger skills to enable them to more peacefully communicate, accept their differences and resolve conflict.”
“I strongly encourage any family who is having a difficult time as a family unit to get involved with this program next year. It can really make a life-long difference that will benefit each and every member of the family,” says Greene.
There will be 4 cycles of the program offered in 2010 with the first scheduled to begin on Thursday, February 4.
For further information about the Project CONNECT Strengthening Families program or to register a family for an upcoming session, please contact Heidi Rodrick at 732.754.8800 or hrodrick@sbhcs.com; or visit the website at www.instituteforprevention.com.
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| (Left to Right) Christian, Eddie and Ana Martinez, participants in Saint Barnabas Institute for Prevention’s Strengthening Families program, pause their Uno game for a family photograph at the graduation celebration. |
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