CAHS Executive Director Jan Laughinghouse, PhD, LCSW-BACS, LAC, CCS, joined Prevention Coordinators Ricki Davis and Alicia Richbourg, PSIT, at the “Healing a Generation” youth rally, held Aug. 10, at the Johnson Courtyard in Baton Rouge.
Dr. Laughinghouse was the featured speaker, talking about mental health issues among children and adolescents and the importance of knowing when to seek help.
She also spoke about CAHS’ comprehensive services for adults and children and joined Davis and Richbourg in distributing medication disposal bags, medication charts, and Narcan kits (the medication that reverses the deadly effects of opioid overdoses).
Back-to-school supplies were distributed to the youth, who also enjoyed playing games and learned valuable health and safety tips for their wellbeing. The event was supported by various community partners, including Acadian Ambulance, the Baton Rouge Police Department, the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, and CAHS.
The event included a notable success story of a young man who asked about Narcan after discovering a potential need in his household. He brought his mother to the rally, and they shared that a family member had experienced an opioid overdose, which was successfully treated with life-saving Narcan.