Menu

Litchfield Prevention Council

Screen Age book discussion of The Amazing Generation March 31 at Oliver Wolcott Library in Litchfield, CT

Screen Age Book Discussion of ‘The Amazing Generation’ at Oliver Wolcott Library

, ,

The Litchfield Prevention Council, Litchfield PTO, and Oliver Wolcott Library are co-sponsoring a Family Book Club event March 31 at 6 p.m. that’s open to the public and will continue the discussion about young people navigating the challenges of the “Screen Age.”

“As part of our ongoing work to empower our kids and our community to thrive during the ‘Screen Age,’ we will be doing a guided book discussion on The Amazing Generation by Jonathan Haidt (author of The Anxious Generation) and Catherine Price,” the library’s event listing explains. “This new book for kids and tweens is a comprehensive guide for living a happy and exciting life that isn’t hijacked by a smartphone.”

The Amazing Generation is graphic-novel-style guide for 9–12 year-olds on navigating screen time and social media, according to Common Sense Media, which says, “It empowers kids to treat tech as a tool rather than a master, aiming to foster real-life adventures, friendships, and freedom over addictive, ‘greedy wizard’-designed platforms.”

Registration is required for those who plan to attend and may be done online via the event listing here.

Books are available to pick up at OWL, located at 160 South St., and pizza will be provided for all participants.

As part of the “Screen Age” initiative, the Prevention Council, PTO, and OWL partnered for a Screen Age Survival Kit for Parents/Caregivers panel discussion last May, and last April they co-sponsored a viewing of the elementary school age edition of the film “Screenagers,” followed by a discussion.

To learn more about the Litchfield Prevention Council and its work, reach out to Chair Gary Waugh by email at info@litchfieldprevention.org.

Jessica A. Grant

Jessica Grant of Prima Wellness Joins Litchfield Prevention Council

,

Jessica A. Grant, the founder of Prima Wellness, a mental health practice and healing space located in the West Street Yard, has joined the Litchfield Prevention Council and attended her first official meeting in March.

Jessica brings nationally recognized leadership in the domains of mental health and integrative wellness as a licensed psychotherapist, clinical researcher, ayurvedic practitioner, and community herbalist.

She served in a director role within Yale University’s School of Medicine for nearly a decade prior to departing for full-time private practice and consultation work. With over 22 years of clinical experience, Jessica has extensive expertise in the arena of PTSD treatment, neuroscience, and evidence-based practice.

Jessica is deeply passionate about integrating the indigenous wisdom of ecomedicine, eastern philosophy, somatic sciences, and plant psychology as powerful healing alchemists.

She spends much of her time in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, where she supports the cultivation of endangered field and forest botanicals, and shares a deep love for animals with her ever-growing rescue fur family

Her path to joining the Litchfield Prevention Council began when she met council Chair Gary Waugh at the suicide prevention walk at the White Memorial Conservation Center in the summer of 2024.

She was there to support Prima Wellness clients and family members who have personal experiences linked to suicide. The Prevention Council shared a video she made at the event on its Facebook page.

Together they decided Jessica would be a great fit for the council, given her experience with prevention work in the realm of forensic mental health, and in providing training for those using the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), an evidence-based model for assessing suicide risk as part of a prevention protocol.

She also played a role in the implementation of various empirical modalities including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in the Connecticut juvenile justice system. DBT is a cognitive-behavioral treatment approach whose goal is to help individuals manage difficult emotions, improve interpersonal relationships, and enhance coping skills. 

“Jessica is a wonderful addition to the Litchfield Prevention Council,” Gary Waugh said. “She adds expertise and experience to our focus of reaching and connecting with students and young people to help guide their grown in positive directions.”

To learn more about Jessica Grant, see her Prima Wellness website. 

Litchfield Wellness Festival Coming in July

Jessica Grant is also part of the group planning the Litchfield Wellness Festival, which will take place July 5 at Litchfield Community Field and July 6 at the White Memorial Conservation Center and other locations (Stay tuned for the full program.)

The festival will host featured presenters, classes, and vendors in wellness categories including physical and mental health, yoga, movement and fitness, holistic healing, nutrition, herbalism, healthy living, and natural beauty. 

In addition to Prima Wellness and Litchfield Park & Recreation, some of the participants and sponsors signed up include Charym Yoga, NKYV Rituals, Kula Collective, Sanctuary Power Yoga, Ageless by Nature, ACE Hardware, Litchfield Health & Wellness Resources, and Litchfield Magazine.

See the Litchfield Wellness Festival website to learn more and for updates.

Gary Waugh, chairman of Litchfield Prevention Council, received an award from the Western Connecticut Coalition of Prevention Councils

Prevention Council Chair Gary Waugh Receives Award

,

The Western Connecticut Coalition of Prevention Councils presented the Earl Bailey Community Asset Builder Award to Litchfield Prevention Council Chair Gary Waugh at its meeting in September.

The award recognizes Gary and his colleagues on the Prevention Council for their efforts to build a proactive mental health community in Greater Litchfield. It celebrates bringing people and community resources together to facilitate programs that support healthy lifestyles for all of Litchfield’s citizens.

The Litchfield Prevention Council has offered programs on Internet Safety with State Trooper Scott Driscoll, Natural Highs with psychologist Matt Bellace, the Choose Love Movement with Sandy Hook parent Scarlett Lewis, the Free Hugs Project with activist Ken Nwadlke, Jr., and NARCAN Training at the Litchfield Historical Society.

The Council also helped sponsor and participated in the Oct. 19 American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Connecticut Chapter Suicide Prevention walk at White Memorial,

To learn more about the work of the Litchfield Prevention Council, join us at one of our meetings, held on the second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Bantam Annex, or reach out through the website contact form.

The Litchfield Prevention Council provides information, training, and resources that encourage our community members to adopt healthy lifestyles, positive choices, and personal responsibility.

Our Partners in Prevention

Western Connecticut Coalition
Connecticut Clearinghouse