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Englewood Alliance Gets Parents, Teens Talking

ENGLEWOOD, NJ -- Englewood Alliance displays its recent makeover with a discussion aimed at helping teens and their parents reduce tension by communicating better.

Alliance event helps parents and teens open lines of communication.

Alliance event helps parents and teens open lines of communication.

Photo Credit: Contributed photo

"Real Talk: Raising Teens & Tweens" will feature adolescent psychologist Sharon Bernstein and Englewood Detective Anthony Wilson, who will share personal experiences of working with teens in communities and raise topics that might otherwise make parents uncomfortable -- drug abuse, depression, underage sex and the social media, among them.

The Oct. 14 session will run from 7-9 p.m at the Liberty School on Tenafly Road.

"One of the things that the juvenile officer brought up is that there is a lack of fear with a variety of things, including marijuana," said Program Coordinator Deborah Baldwin, who has been working in the department for the past 23 years and is also the assistant to the director.

Teens also "act out" to be noticed.

"A 16 year old who was having parental issues, we learned, was seeking his parents' approval," Baldwin said. "So in that case, that is an example that we need better communication between parents and teens."

The event marks the resurgence of the organization, which recently adjusted its funding and structure.

"We're trying to reach youth and community organizations involved. If we don't reach out to them and help them with the problems that they have, they will be lost," Baldwin said.

"We hope parents are more involved and we would like to see more activity with the Alliance, so that parents have the information and resources that they need," she added. 

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