The Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service of South Palm Beach (nonsectarian) is offering FREE e-mail and phone counseling
(by a licensed therapist) for teens. Teens may correspond with a counselor at www.teentalk4u.org OR e-mail: markc@rrjfs.org. phone # 561 / 852-3333
Here is an excerpt from South Florida Hospital News regarding Mark
Cherny, a licensed clinical social worker at Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service, who
for 10 years, talks to 7,500 students annually, via 300 performances, about
addictions, substance abuse and other important issues.

"Acting Troupe Teaches Kids About Addictions"

The classroom at a Boca Raton middle school was in an uproar. The students
were consumed by a rollicking skit about a teenage boy trying to talk his
girlfriend into taking some prescription medication he stole from his mother.
Some of the kids were up in arms. They were shouting at each other,
"Why isn’t it OK to take someone else’s Percocet? A doctor prescribed it!"

Then, "Why is your boyfriend pressuring you to do something that’s wrong?
Why is he trying to talk you into getting high? Dump him!"

Once the skit ended, an eighth grade girl approached the actor, Mark Cherny,
a licensed clinical social worker at RRJS who for 10 years, talks to 7,500
students annually, via 300 performances, about addictions, substance abuse
and other important issues. "You were the best!" she said. "This was just
like watching The Jerry Springer Show!"
Cherny said he performs many skits on drug and alcohol abuse and is creates
new ones.
"Kids don’t necessarily know that a doctor may prescribe something for
one person, that could be harmful to another. They often tell me if it’s
a prescribed medication that can’t get addicted."
Mark and fellow thespian, Marcy Bezark, who directs volunteer services at Ruth
Rales Jewish Family Service, have performed other substance abuse skits, such
as the one about a wife who is leaving her husband because he drinks too
much and a 16-year-old girl who tries to talk her father into buying beer for
her party; an increasingly common occurrence, Cherny says.

For more information on Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service,
visit www.ruthralesjfs.org or call (561) 852-3333.

> Discuss this entry