North Shore Coalition Against Substance Abuse seeks help

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In an effort to promote a healthy lifestyle and community, residents from the North Shore Central School District are forming the North Shore Coalition Against Substance Abuse (CASA). North Shore Schools Board Trustee Joanna Commander said that this organization is coming together with the goal of defeating alcohol and drug abuse in the community. She said there has been far too many alcohol, heroin, and opioid related deaths among high school students and young adults in recent years. With this coalition, she hopes members from every part of the community can get involved for a better cause.

“In the past we’ve had school efforts and we’ve had some community efforts,” she said. “I think that this effort can be more effective if everyone joins forces.”

Commander has been one of the biggest advocates for the CASA along with Legislation Action Committee board member Marty Glennon. She said that plans to form a coalition have always been on the minds of district and community members. These initiative began to blossom last year when she decided that this organization should be primarily community-based. Superintendent Dr. Ed Melnick suggested that Commander and Glennon should also form a board of directors for the organization.

“I have spent time talking to business people, senior citizens, parents, and kids just to get an idea of what their perceptions were,” Commander said. “This really helped me get a better understanding of their thoughts and feelings.”

Lisa Albanese, a local parent, said she’s excited to see this coalition forming to address this issue. Albanese helped Commander identify other parents who have a strong background in health. She has four children and she said her two oldest have lost peers to substance abuse. “Hearing about the children who died hit me in a way that it is so heart wrenching,” she said. “It’s sad for the kids, parents, and for our community as a whole.”

Albanese also explained that even with all the parenting tips, no one has ever explained to parents how to talk to children about the grieving process for someone their own age. She added that her two oldest children have lost more peers than she has. However, she feels optimistic that this coalition will raise awareness for this issue. “I’m hoping that community members will realize that this problem affects everyone,” she said. “We’re all a part of this community and we need to work together to try and do something about this. If we work together, we can make a change.”

Commander — a former Director of Health, Physical Education, and Athletics at the Lynbrook and Harborfields School Districts — health and wellness of children has been one of her top priorities throughout her career.

“I went into the profession of teaching to protect children,” she said. “I think this coalition is one of the ultimate ways of doing just that.”

Commander said the organization is currently working on developing four pillars which will represent each member of the community which is parents, children, school representatives, and community leaders. Each group will have their own leader who will help to focus on specific issues within that demographic. She said figuring out who will lead each group might take some time but she is confident that this organization will get the ball rolling very soon.

“I feel a very, very positive energy about this and that really excites me,” she said. “Based on every conversation that I’ve had, I sense that the community is in a great place to start moving forward with this.”

CASA will hold their first public meeting on April 26 at North Shore High School’s library at 7 p.m. During this meeting, the board of directors for the organization will be announced.