RECENT EVENTS
CCSA hosts several community education events every year, focusing on topics that impact the Jewish community, raising awareness and creating dialogue. It is our goal to shatter the stigma associated with substance use and addiction as well as shine the light on other stigmatized issues that have been kept in the dark far too long. In recent months, CCSA conducted two incredibly informative and important virtual symposiums.
We are all in this Together: A Communal Response to the Opioid Epidemic, October 24th
This powerful and compelling event focused on the recent spike in opioid addictions and overdoses, especially since the start of the COVID pandemic. Lisa Daniels-Goldman shared her personal story about her son Jamie, his struggles with anxiety and depression, his substance use issues in college and his ultimate tragic death due to an opioid overdose. Jeffrey A. Berman, MD, DFASAM, noted mental health and addiction treatment specialist, spoke on current trends surrounding substance use disorders and best practices in selecting an addiction professional for treatment.
The event culminated with an opioid overdose training, training participants on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of an overdose and administer Narcan, the life-saving emergency treatment to reverse an overdose. All attendees were mailed a free Narcan kit upon completion of the course.
A tremendous “thank you” to the Alliance of Coalitions for conducting the Narcan training; our presenters, Lisa Daniels-Goldman and Jeffrey A. Berman, MD, DFASAM; and our sponsors The Jamie Daniels Foundation and Yeshivat Chovevei Torah.
“We Don’t Talk about THAT!” Taboo Topics in Jewish Life,
December 12th
From its inception, CCSA’s mission has been to eliminate the stigma surrounding ALL mental health issues and addictions in the Jewish community. We cannot address problems or properly support members of our community unless and until we talk about these issues and other stigmatized challenges openly and honestly. To that end, CCSA conducted a symposium to highlight subjects that are too often kept in the dark and treated as shameful secrets.
“Fighting domestic violence starts with talking about it. Acknowledging that controlling and abusive relationships exist within our frum communities helps to normalize the experience of those suffering from it. It is conversations such as these that embolden survivors to step forward with their stories and connect to meaningful support.” - Eden Mitrany, domestic violence survivor
Dr. Shoshannah Frydman of the Shalom Task Force, spoke about what domestic violence can look like within the Jewish community and societal barriers to getting help. Kim Susser, Esq. of Shalom Task Force talked about the legal implications of domestic abuse, and Breezy Schwartz, a survivor, related her experiences and how she now advocates for victims of domestic violence.
Practitioners/therapists Rabbi Shmuel Maybruch and Rachel Slochowsky and speaker Eli Nash discussed the topic of sex/porn addiction, how prevalent it is in the Jewish community, and how the deep shame and stigma associated with this addiction makes it hard for those suffering to come forward and ask for the help and support they need to make changes in their life.
In addition, Elizabeth Rebein, Esq. and Sgt. Frank Gallucci of the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, and attorney Jason Flynn addressed the painful but necessary topic of legal rights and ramifications of substance use, such as what happens when a family member is arrested due to drug possession, or how to handle custody issues with a family member who can no longer care for their own children due to substance use issues.
Dr. Stephen Dewey, Director of Research Education at Seafield Center, spoke about the science of addiction, how various addictions, including drugs, gambling and nicotine, affect brain activity and how brain development plays a part of treatment.
