On October 30, 2023 Community In Crisis (CiC) of Bernardsville was honored by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) as a Blue Ribbon Coalition. At the National Youth Substance Use Prevention Summit, CiC founder Jody D’Agostini and Consulting Director Toni Knoll were recognized for their outstanding work in prevention, early action, recovery and support, to ensure young people can lead healthy and fulfilling lives. Along with CiC, Fiona Vitali of Bernards High School attended the Summit. She is a BHS junior who has a lead role in the CiC Youth Leadership Council. She was one of only four youths across the nation asked to participate in a panel discussion with Dr. Gupta, the Director of ONDCP. Fiona discussed the importance of youth substance use prevention, why she chose to become involved, the impact in her community, and her hopes for the future. “Words cannot describe how honored I was to represent both CiC and BHS at this event,” she shared. “These past years at CiC have truly changed how I view the world, and I am so grateful for all of the opportunities we have had together. This has been another fantastic year of prevention work!”
As a district, the administration and staff are incredibly proud of the leadership and involvement of students such as Fiona, in important matters addressing substance use, substance misuse, and the overdose epidemic.
The mission of Community in Crisis is to lead and unite communities to reduce the incidence and consequences of the misuse of substances through education, prevention and holistic support in an environment free of stigma. If you or someone you know is in need of assistance you can contact Community in Crisis or SAMHSA.