Coalition Staff

Joel Torres, CHES, ADAPT Senior Coordinator, is a graduate of Montclair State University with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and is currently pursuing his Masters in Public and Organizational Relations at Montclair State University. Joel is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) with over five years of experience in community organizing, outreach, advocacy, and grassroots campaigns. He has also worked with municipal health departments and non-profit organizations to bring programs and services to under-served, low-income members of the community.

Along with being ADAPT’s Senior Coordinator, Joel is the community liaison for the Eastern Region of Essex County, which includes Newark, East Orange, Belleville, Bloomfield, Nutley, Glen Ridge, and Montclair. In addition, he sits as a Policy Advocacy Advisor for ADAPT’s Policy Workgroup, which facilitates the planning and implementation of local- and county-level advocacy campaigns on priority issues.

Jaclyn Lagasca, CPS, ADAPT Project Coordinator, has her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from New Jersey City University and is currently pursuing her Masters in Social Work at Rutgers University. Jackie has previously worked with Coalitions, community organizing, and prevention services in Hudson County. She has also been trained by Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) and is well-versed in the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) Model used by ADAPT.

Along with being the Project Coordinator, Jaclyn is the community liaison for the Southern Region of Essex County, which includes Orange, Irvington, South Orange, Maplewood, Millburn, and Livingston. In addition, she is the Youth Advisor for ADAPT’s Youth Leadership Workgroup. As the Youth Advisor, Jaclyn works with local youth to develop regional- and county-level Youth Leader groups, plan and implement environmental strategies and awareness campaigns, and create public awareness campaigns to educate the local community.

Lisa Joseph, ADAPT Regional Organizer, is a recent graduate of Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health. Throughout her college career, she served as a peer educator on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Awareness servicing the various student organizations on campus. Lisa previously worked for ADAPT as an intern where she created and administered a prevention program for parents on prescription drug awareness. She is also trained in the nationally recognized program Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol (CMCA) to reduce youth access to alcohol by changing community access and practices.

Along with being the Regional Organizer, Lisa is the community liaison for the Western Region of Essex County, which includes, West Orange, Roseland, Essex Fells, Verona, Cedar Grove, Caldwell, North Caldwell, West Caldwell, and Fairfield. In addition, she is the Training Advisor for ADAPT’s Training Workgroup, which provides training’s for Coalition members, local community members, and various stakeholders throughout the county.

 

Coalition Members

These are just a few of ADAPT’s members throughout Essex County:

ShaRonda Amon, Ming Montello, and Abigail Priece, Prevention Specialists at Barnabas Health, Institute for Prevention

• ShaRonda, Ming, and Abigail implement Project T.A.L.K. (Teaching Alternative Lifeskills to Kids) which serves children ages six through fourteen who are at risk for experiencing behavioral problems. The program uses a research-based approved curriculum that has produced consistent positive results. The program is currently at Chancellor Avenue School and McKinley Elementary School in Newark, NJ and Ecole Toussiant Louverture Elementary School in East Orange, NJ.

Paulette Banko, Assistant at Caldwell College, Counseling Department

• Assists in implementing substance awareness programs

Sister Deborah Lynch, O.P., Counselor/Substance Awareness Educator at Caldwell College

• Educates students and Implements Substance Awareness Programs at Caldwell College

Gail Barry, Municipal Alliance Coordinator for Millburn Municipal Alliance Committee

• Catalyst that facilitates mission of providing drug and alcohol awareness, prevention and education programs for families, students and senior citizens for Millburn. As coordinator, she strives to create a healthy community and focus on developing good character and good decisions making skills as a means to living a healthy lifestyle. Much of MMAC’s work is done in collaboration with our Township schools. They also coordinate activities with the township rec department, township senior’s coordinator and other community partners. Their volunteer parent network is an integral part of program implementation plans and their communication process. They host monthly meetings targeted towards PTO parents, bring in parent ed speakers and educational programs for students during health classes and assembly programs. Their focus is on a PSA campaign monthly in the local print media by delivering a direct message with the tagline, “because we love our kids”. In addition to parent volunteers, MMAC’s program strategy is guided by a 12 member volunteer executive board. The Millburn Municipal Alliance Committee is a vibrant, proactive township committee.

Rosanne Bornstein, Municipal Alliance Coordinator for Verona Municipal Alliance Committee

• Grant Coordinator for the Verona Municipal Alliance Committee for 17 years. She manages a $39,000 grant from the Governor’s Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse to bring prevention awareness and programs to the Verona community. Their programs reach all ages within the community with the majority of their funds in the schools programs.

Daniela Cannuscio, Coordinator for Strengthening Families of Essex (SFOE) Program at Family Connections

• Coordinates SFOE programs

John Christadore, Essex County Municipal Alliance Coordinator for the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

• County level coordinator for the Essex County communities participating in the Municipal Alliance program

Tony Emering, Substance Abuse Counselor at West Essex Regional H.S./ Licensed Professional Counselor

• Provides Mental health services to students grades 9-12

Irene Gallagher, Sr. Director of School Age Child Care (SACC) at South Mountain YMCA

• Oversees approximately 600 elementary school students and staff at 5 Before School sites and 9 After Care sites for the South Mountain YMCA. She hires, supervises and performs much of the training for a staff of about 70 people.

Jasmine Harden, Case Developer for the Newark Youth Court at Court Innovation

• Manages and coordinates court hearings for The Newark Youth Court. A program for young people aged 10 – 18 referred by local schools, truancy court and police officers for offenses such as curfew violations, vandalism, disorderly conduct and truancy. These young people appear before a judge and jury of their peers – other neighborhood teens– who determine fair and appropriate responses. The Newark Youth Court is a restorative justice program.

 

Jane Hecht, Municipal Alliance Coordinator for Livingston Municipal Alliance Committee

 

 

Carla Helb, BCLPC, SAC, MAC, CART, CSW, private practice in North Caldwell and Student Assistance Counselor at West Orange H.S.

• Position includes intervention, referral and short term counseling of teen underage drug use. Specializes in teen and adult mental health.

Craig Helfer, Team Leader and Drug Court Coordinator for Essex County Family Drug Court

• Supervise Abuse and Neglect docket for Essex County Family Court

Erika Holcomb, Director of Community Resource Development at Partnership for Children of Essex

• Creates and advocates for resources needed for youth with behavioral and emotional challenges in Essex County between the ages of 5-21 years old.

Tami Howe, Coordinator for Family Success Center of Orange

 

 

Andy Kafel, Master Probation Officer at New Jersey Probation Services, Essex Juvenile Unit,

• Conducts community supervision of Juveniles adjudicated for delinquency and placed on Juvenile Probation by the Superior Court/Family Part, and enforcement of court orders.

Evangelist Sandra Kearney, Chairperson for Shiloh Baptist Church Prison Ministry

• In the church, she assists the pastor in the community outreach. She also works with the Superior court with first time offenders and ministers to youth at the Essex County Detention center.

Diane Malloy, Municipal Alliance Coordinator for South Orange Municipal Alliance/ Executive Director at YouthNet

• YouthNet is a 501(c3) non profit that builds a community where all students, regardless of differences, fulfill their potential and achieve success

Michele Murchison, Coordinator for East Orange School District’s Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program.

• Coordinates East Orange School District Safe and Drug-free Schools Program. One of the program’s thrusts is ATOD prevention and intervention for district students and community education and involvement

Amanda Picone, Manager of School Based Programs for Family Connections, Inc.

• Manages School Based Programs for Family Connections at The Loft at Columbia High School, The Den at Bloomfield High School, The Hub at Maplewood Middle School, and The Space at Orange High School.

Philadelphia Prokop, LCSW, LCADC, SACI at Essex County Hospital Center

• Assesses Co-Occurring Disorders, performs treatment planning, and individual and group therapy for inpatient population with Co-Occurring Disorders.

Susan Ridley, Ph.D., Community Services and Director of Livingston Youth and Community Services (LYCS)

• Supervises LYCS, a community-based, after-school program teaching substance abuse prevention education and leadership skills to students Gr 1 - 12 in Livingston Township

Robert Roe, Health Officer and Dept. Head for Maplewood Health Department/ Maplewood Municipal Alliance Coordinator

Eric Rowles, CMCA Trainer, Youth Leadership Institute and President, Leading To Change

La’Tesha Sampson, Director of Residential Services at Easter Seals of NJ

• Oversees therapeutic residential placements for individuals 18 and older with Serious Persistent Mental Illness

Barbara Velazquez, Executive Director for NJ Kindness Campaign

Sue Seidenfeld, Executive Director at COPE Center

• Oversees all operations, program design, and development of COPE Center

Bebe Landis, Assistant at COPE Center

• Works on special projects such as grant preparation for COPE Center. Formerly, she administered the Montclair Community Intervention Alliance under the auspices of the Montclair Health Department.

AND MORE….