Rutherford, N.J. — Felician University hosted the Bergen County Higher Education Addiction Prevention’s (BC HEAP) second annual “The Roots of Resiliency” Summit and Resource Fair on campus. This year’s summit included an informative keynote address by NJ Recovery & Wellness Founder and Director Paul Lavella, Jr., as well as distinguished speakers, a faculty, staff, and student panel, and a resource fair featuring 10 local community organizations.

“As we come together for our second year, today provides an opportunity to reflect on our progress, explore what emerging data are telling us about the experiences of students across our higher education institutions, and continue strengthening our collective approach to prevention and wellness,” said BC HEAP Director Monica Galas. “We look forward to continuing to learn, collaborate, and move prevention forward across higher education together.”

The BC HEAP consortium is a five-year initiative funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and led by Children’s Aid and Family Services. The consortium unites all five Bergen County higher education institutions—Felician University, Ramapo College, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Eastwick College, and Bergen Community College—and focuses on increasing collaboration among the Bergen County campuses, prevention among students, and linking students to mental health and recovery resources.

The summit opened with welcome remarks by Felician University President Mildred A. Mihlon, Ph.D, Children’s Aid & Family Services President and CEO Shavonda Sumter, and BC HEAP Director Monica Galas, who gave an overview of the organization’s two-year update. NJ Recovery & Wellness Director Paul Lavella, Jr. took the stage to discuss the importance of connecting students with support resources and removing stigma attached to mental health conditions and substance use disorders.

The summit concluded with “Moving Prevention Forward: A Campus Conversation” moderated by The Center for Alcohol & Drug Resources Children’s Aid and Family Services Associate VP, Prevention Stephanie Drag. The panel discussion was comprised of students, faculty, and staff from Bergen County colleges, including Felician’s Counseling and Wellness Services (CAWS) Director and Counselor Kathy Murray, LCSW.

The adjacent resource fair welcomed local community organizations, including: Children’s Aid & Family Services/The Center for Alcohol & Drug Resources, Felician University Counseling & Wellness Services, Bergen County Department of Health Services, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, Alumni in Recovery, Uwill Telehealth, Valley Health System, Healing Space – YWCA, Tobacco-Free NJ, and Council on Compulsive Gambling of NJ (1-800-GAMBLER).

Felician University has been a proud member of the BC HEAP Symposium since its inception and is delighted to be entering its third year participating in the grant. Over the past two years, Felician’s Counseling and Wellness Services has remained actively engaged in the initiative by hosting a variety of student-facing events and tabling opportunities focused on mental health, substance misuse, prevention, and awareness.

Several of these initiatives have become annual events at Felician, including Sober Pong, Mocktail Hour, and Fresh Check Day, providing students with opportunities to engage in meaningful conversations surrounding wellness, mental health, and substance-free activities.

Felician’s Counseling and Wellness Services has also participated in awareness and prevention initiatives through tabling events such as Save a Life, Red Ribbon Week, and The Great American Smokeout. These efforts have allowed Felician Counseling and Wellness Services to connect directly with students, provide education and resources, and promote healthy choices and awareness throughout the community.

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About Felician University 

Felician University is committed to supporting academic success at any stage of life. With over 2,800 undergraduate, graduate, and adult education students enrolled across the schools of Arts & Sciences, Business & Information Sciences, Nursing, and Education, Felician provides diverse learning experiences that equip all students with the skills to meet the demands of today’s society. Felician University was recognized in Newsweek’s America’s Best Colleges for Women 2026, earning distinction as the No. 1 college for women in New Jersey. Additionally, Felician has been named a best value school by payscale.com and Moneymagazine, and as one of the best college locations in NJ (#4) by niche.com. Our Master of Science in Nursing program is ranked one of the best online graduate nursing programs in the nation by U.S. News and the Princeton Review. We are proud to be designated as a Military Friendly School (Gold Status) for the fifteenth year, a testament to our dedicated support of Veteran students. Our diversity as an HSI (Hispanic Serving Institution) and MSI (Minority Serving Institution), with underrepresented students comprising more than half of the student population, reflects our inclusive and supportive environment and earned us a spot on Washington Monthly’s Top 100 HSI list (#30). With campuses in Rutherford and Lodi, New Jersey, our Franciscan values of respect for human dignity, compassion, transformation, solidarity with people in need, justiceand peace are woven into the very foundation and development of tomorrow’s leaders. Felician University is sponsored by Felician Sisters International. For more information, please visit https://felician.edu/