Cape Assist & CMCHCC Host Networking Breakfast for Prevention Pros

Guest speakers at the Fall Breakfast touched on the importance of addressing mental health as well as creating a safe environment and providing resources for young adults to make healthy choices.

Wildwood, NJ – The Cape May County Healthy Community Coalition (CMCHCC), alongside Cape Assist, gathered with other likeminded organizations from across the county to network, hear from guest speakers, and enjoy a breakfast together.

The Fall Networking Breakfast was held on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at Avalon Links and the guests represented multiple community sectors including educators, law enforcement, healthcare, mental health and substance misuse counselors, government officials, and others.

Among the two guest speakers featured at the event was Kym Laube, Executive director of Hugs Inc., a prevention education organization aiming to reduce high risk activities in youth. Titled “Phew, I Wasn’t Sure I Was Going to Make It!” - her presentation addressed mental health in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Laube says she saw how members of her field and in other helping professions were increasingly experiencing compassion fatigue and burnout. Not only did professionals have to deal with the stress of their own situations, but often, those they helped would need to unload their own burdens. Laube led a workshop aimed to address vicarious trauma in the field and showed how to repurpose professional development and leadership skills to help others.

“Kym’s words resonated with us all. I think everyone can relate to how taxing the pandemic was for people in the healthcare field,” said Cape Assist Executive Director Katie Faldetta. “Her workshop reminded us how to step back and take stock of our mental wellbeing, a step that I think any professional in any field should take the time to do in order to better help those in their care.”

The second speaker of the day was Joe Faldetta, Cape Assist’s own Director of Prevention Services. Faldetta spoke on the legalization of recreational cannabis in New Jersey and how prevention educators must adapt. Organizations in New Jersey are working toward new ways to reach youth and teach them about how to make healthy choices.

“Joe put into words what I think many of us in the field of prevention have at the front of our minds,” said Natalia Leusner, CMCHCC Coordinator. “and that is we have to prioritize youth mental health.”

Events such as this help strengthen the bonds between the CMCHCC, Cape Assist and other organizations with common goals. The CMCHCC and Cape Assist plan to host similar events in the future to form connections with more like-minded prevention organizations. Visit cmchcc.org or capeassist.org to learn more about upcoming events, workshops, and programs.