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Perinatal Addictions Project

Perinatal Addictions Project

What is the Perinatal Addiction Prevention Project?

The Perinatal Addictions Prevention Project (PAPP) team provides educational resources about the impacts of tobacco, marijuana, alcohol and drug use on children, teens, adults, and pregnant people and their unborn infants. The PAPP team also provides emotional support, education in stress management techniques, and referrals to community organizations for those in need of substance abuse treatment, certified substance abuse professionals, counseling, and other family services.

What the Perinatal Addictions Team Does for You:

We work with individuals, families and groups to teach ways to avoid problems like using too much alcohol or drugs and how to deal with tough times and bad experiences, especially during pregnancy. We do this by:

  • Presenting seminars sharing tips on handling stress
  • Talking about how to manage emotions and stressful situations
  • Learning about the effects of drugs and alcohol
  • Providing materials like informational brochures, directories, and flyers.

We join in public events like health fairs and community baby showers, and we go to places like schools, churches, family centers and group homes to present and help people.

All services, referral and materials are free. If you think you or someone you know would benefit from our services, please contact our Perinatal Risk Reduction Coordinator Debbie Riscica, BS, OTR, CADC, WTS, CTTS at driscica@cjfhc.org.

Resources For You

Alcohol use and Pregnancy

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) can cause permanent brain damage and is 100% preventable. FASD can develop when a pregnant person drinks any amount of alcohol during pregnancy.

NJ Department of Human Services FASD Guide – This guide is a starting point for anyone who wants to understand what services New Jersey has for individuals with FASD and their families. This guide will assist anyone in need of FASD related services in accessing New Jersey’s state system of programs and services for individuals with FASD.

Tobacco, Marijuana and Other Drugs

Using tobacco, marijuana, or other drugs can:

  • Prevent a teenage brain from fully developing.
  • Worsen mental health issues in teens and young adults
  • Cause emotional distress and anxiety in adults.
  • Can cause birth defects and other pregnancy complications when used at any point during pregnancy.

DEA Warns of Brightly Colored Fentanyl Used to Target Young Americans –  Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing this country. This article will tell you how to spot fentanyl in various forms and what to do if you encounter fentanyl.
NJ Prevention Hub – New Jersey’s state wide source to support individuals, youth and families with drug prevention and addiction support.
Pediatric Edible Cannabis Exposure and Acute Toxicity: 2017-2021 – This report details the impact of edibles on children when accidentally ingested.

Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking happens when people, no matter their age, are taken or made to do things against the law or their will so that someone else can benefit. This usually means they're made to do things they don't want to do, like being forced to work manually or for sexual exploitation.

Sex Trafficking PSA and Labor Trafficking Here and Beyond PSA – These Public Service Announcements (PSA) are from the New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking (NJCAHT).

 

Contact Us

The Perinatal Addictions Prevention team does not provide direct substance abuse counseling services, but we can connect you to programs and support services in your area, give you free educational resources about alcohol and drug use in children, teens, adults, and pregnancy, and give you free stress management techniques and emotional support. Contact our Perinatal Risk Reduction Coordinator Debbie Riscica, BS, OTR, CADC, WTS, CTTS at driscica@cjfhc.org for any of these supports or if you have any questions on what the Perinatal Addiction Prevention team can do for you.

 

 

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