SOUTHCOAST DA hosts safety summit for teens, parents

Bristol County District Attorney Tom Quinn and his office’s Underage Drinking Task Force will host a Teen Safety Summit Wednesday, April 5.

The event is set for 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Venus De Milo in Swansea. After registration, breakfast and a tour of the exhibit hall, Quinn will provide welcoming remarks at 9 a.m.

The event is a free conference to bolster education and bring awareness to various risk issues that today’s teens face. Topics include underage drinking, suicide, mental health, opiate addiction, gang violence and cyber safety, according to a news release.

The conference will engage more than 325 registrants of all ages, backgrounds, and professions. Attendees will include middle and high school students from across the county, law enforcement, court personnel, youth-based organizations, healthcare providers, social service providers, prevention specialists, school personnel, college administrators, public officials, lawyers and parents, the release said.

A series of workshops will be offered by expert speakers and organizations specializing in various fields. These workshops will be geared to both youth and adults, designated according to two different workshop tracks: Youth, and Community and Law Enforcement.

The event’s keynote speakers will be Sean Moore, CEO of Precision Labs in Ohio and the founder of the Isle of Palms Recovery Centers in Florida. Moore is “living proof” that it is possible to come back from the vice grip of addiction to live a healthy, productive, life full of love and hope and giving, the district attorney’s office said. A broken vertebrae in his neck from a car accident introduced Moore to prescription pills and the world of opiates. As someone who never took as much as a Tylenol until he was in his early 30s, opiates began to take over his life. Over the course of several months, he was on the verge of losing all that he had worked for, including that which he holds most dear, his family. After completing a grueling drug rehabilitation process, he has dedicated the remainder of his life to help individuals and families who are dealing with substance abuse issues.

Other speakers and workshop leaders:

n Stephanie Joyal, the education and outreach coordinator at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Bristol County, will present a workshop on “Cyber Safety and the Do’s and Don’ts for Keeping Safe From Online Predators.” Participants will learn about safe posting, unsafe posting, sexting, and legal and social risks, and gain a better understanding of “grooming” techniques used by online predators.

n Treniece Lewis Harris, assistant professor and director of child psychology outpatient training for Harvard Medical School/Cambridge Health Alliance, will present a workshop on improving stress-management for teens. The workshop will provide information about the health consequences of poor stress-management and will provide participants with practical skills for reducing stress and maintaining mental wellness.

n Kathleen Gately and Oscar Delgado, directors of 1a1 Human Trafficking Prevention Program and AWAKE Virtual Reality, will present a workshop on the reality of human trafficking for teens and young adults. Through discussion of real-life examples and the use of innovative virtual reality technology, participants will learn all about human trafficking, how one becomes a victim and how to become part of the solution.

n Sarah Terrell of Anchor Ministries will also present an adults-only workshop on human trafficking. This workshop is geared towards parents and caregivers and strives to teach them how to recognize the key indicators of trafficking through real life examples.

n Members of the Fall River Police Department’s gang unit will present a workshop, “Street Gangs: Uncut and Unreal.”

n Laura Washington, director of marketing and promotion for Begin Now Treatment, will lead a lunch-time panel discussion on addiction.

The summit will also include an exhibit hall with exhibitors from AAA of New England, SSTAR/BOLD Coalition, the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office, the New Bedford Health Department, New Hope, Family Services Therapeutic Mentors and members of the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.

Sponsors include Community Counseling of Bristol County, Rep. Jay Barows/Together We Can, Saint Anne’s Hospital, Bay State Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 30, the Norton Police Department, the New Bedford Health Department, Blount Fine Foods, Greater Fall River Partners for a Healthy Community, Taunton High School’s SADD Chapter, Venus De Milo and Cory’s Cause Foundation.