Health Department Receives Funding for Behavioral Health Clinicians in Schools
St. Mary's County Health Department (SMCHD) will be partnering with St. Mary's County Public Schools (SMCPS) in the 2019-2020 school year to place Behavioral Health Clinicians in each of the high schools, middle schools and Fairlead Academies. These clinicians will provide prevention and intervention services for students, focusing on topics such as:
-- Self-monitoring mood
-- Anger management
-- Depression and anxiety
-- Risk for substance use
-- Dealing with family substance use
-- Social and emotional skills
When adolescents learn social-emotional skills such as self-monitoring mood and addressing signs of anxiety, depression, and anger, they reduce their risk for substance use and can improve functioning at home, in school, with peers, and within the community.
"Student mental health and well being is priority in SMCPS and this partnership will provide additional tools for working with the whole child," says Dr. James Scott Smith, SMCPS Superintendent.
Students at risk for mental health and substance-related disorders will participate in a twelve-week prevention/intervention program that focuses on mental health and wellness, building resiliency, and learning coping skills using a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach. This program builds upon a successful pilot model that SMCHD and SMCPS have implemented in one school over the past two years.
"With increased youth mental health and substance use concerns across the country, these prevention and intervention services in school-based settings are a critical component of improved long-term behavioral health outcomes," said Tammy Loewe, Behavioral Health Program Director at SMCHD.
To learn more about local behavioral health services, visit: www.smchd.org/behavioralhealth/
Public Notification Announcement
The St. Mary's County Metropolitan Commission is reporting a sanitary sewer leak overflow that occurred on May 30th, 2019 in the area of 47610 College Drive, St. Mary's City, MD.
St. Mary's Metropolitan Commission staff responded immediately upon notification of the leak at 1:22 pm, the leak was contained by approximately 3:30 pm, and final repairs were completed by 1:00 am.
The sanitary sewer leak occurred as a result of a pipe failure. Receiving waters affected by this leak are Merritts Pond and downstream waters of the St. Mary's River. The public is advised to avoid from any contact with the affected waterways for seven (7) days.
For additional information, please contact the St. Mary's County Health Department at (301) 475-4321, or the Metropolitan Commission at (301) 737-7400.
Public Invited to Flag Day Event
2019 Flag Day festivities, co-sponsored by the Commissioners of St. Mary's County and the Commissioners of Leonardtown, will take place on Friday, June 14 at 6 p.m.
The event will be held on the Governmental Center Lawn in Leonardtown. If inclement weather should occur, the ceremony will be moved inside the Leonard Hall Recreation Center, adjacent to the lawn.
The event will feature a procession by various color guards and veterans groups from around the county. A formal ceremony and Pause for the Pledge of Allegiance follows the procession.
At the conclusion of the formal program, members of the American Legion Post in Avenue, Maryland, will hold a flag retirement ceremony. Legion members will demonstrate the dignified and proper method of disposing of worn, torn and/or tattered flags.
The Seventh District Optimist Club will provide refreshments and free hand-held American Flags will be distributed to all in attendance.
For more information, contact ALisa Casas, Communications Director, at 301-475-4200, ext. *1342.
St. Mary's County Museum Division Offers Special Public Open Houses
The St. Mary's County Museum Division, in partnership with the Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions (UCAC), will be offering special Open Houses for visitors and the community at the Drayden African American Schoolhouse in Drayden, MD, during Juneteenth Weekend, June 15 and 16, 2019.
The Drayden African American Schoolhouse is one of the nation's best-preserved one-room African-American schoolhouses, and its story represents a significant part of St. Mary's County's African-American history. The schoolhouse was closed for several years, but with the completion of extensive building renovations in the spring of 2018, the public was able to access the site during the first open houses in 2018.
"The Division is pleased to offer open houses at the Drayden African-American Schoolhouse during Juneteenth Weekend, and offering this important piece of our county's African-American history to the public," says Karen Stone, Manager of the St. Mary's County Museum Division. "We further appreciate the continuing support of the volunteers who man it for us, most of whom are members of the UCAC."
The schoolhouse will be open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 15 and June 16. Volunteers will be available on-site during the open houses to share stories about the schoolhouse's history with visitors.
The St. Mary's County Museum Division also offers special programs for school, bus and other tour groups who would like to schedule a visit to the Drayden site. Individual visitors who would like to see the schoolhouse during times outside open house hours can contact the Piney Point Lighthouse Museum & Historic Park at 301-994-1471 to arrange a visit.
For more information about the Drayden African-American Schoolhouse Open Houses, programs, admission prices and more, visit the Drayden African-American Schoolhouse Facebook page at Facebook.com/DraydenSchool or call 301-994-1471.
Pesticide Container Summer Recycling Program
The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) is sponsoring its summer collection program for high density polyethylene (HDPE) pesticide containers for farmers, pesticide applicators, and others who wish to dispose of plastic pesticide containers properly. This program allows for county, state and federal agencies to work collaboratively for environmental protection.
The nearest location to St. Mary's County that accepts nonlocal pesticide containers is the Frederick County Landfill, 9031 Reich's Ford Road, Frederick, MD 21704; collection dates are scheduled for June 18, July 23, Aug. 20 and Sept. 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. The pesticide container recycling program is free and open to all agricultural producers and pesticide applicators.
MDA inspectors will supervise the collection to ensure only triple rinsed or pressure rinsed, clean, plastic HDPE pesticide containers are collected. Specific guidelines and the inspection checklist for the empty pesticide containers and the recycling program itself can be viewed here.
For further information, contact the Maryland Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Regulation Section at 410-841-5710 or visit their website at www.mda.maryland.gov