Our Work

Overview

The Belmont Wellness Coalition’s primary goal is to reduce substance misuse among Belmont youth, specifically alcohol and cannabis use. We also focus on raising awareness concerning the risk factors related to substance misuse, e.g., youth mental health, overwhelming stress, screen time, bullying, lack of sleep, lack of a sense of belonging, etc.

We do this work in partnership with Belmont High School youth, parents, educators, and several community partners (the Library, the DARE Board, Fire and Police Departments, etc.) who are also committed to supporting youth and families in Belmont. We offer the community several services, e.g., monthly Parenting Group, twice monthly prevention-centered video segments, one-on-one parent support meetings, Tip Sheets, and a wide range of resources posted to Facebook and on this site.

Health-Related Videos

Lisa Gibalerio creates prevention-centered video segments twice a month with the Belmont Media Center’s Mike Crowley for the “Belmont Journal News Now” online series.

Visit these videos here.

Parent Advising

While the BWC does not provide counseling or therapy, contact Lisa Gibalerio for references to resources, or to schedule a confidential one-on-one phone call.

Parent Education Efforts

The BWC creates and shares information about supporting youth in Belmont, with a focus on raising awareness concerning youth mental health issues and providing education to reduce youth substance misuse.

Workshops

The BWC offers workshops on many prevention-centered topics: how to talk with teens about substances and their impacts, reducing screen time, understanding youth mental health (risk and protective factors), the Massachusett’s Social Host Liability law – to name just a few.