Springfield Town Library to Host Youth Mental Health First Aid Expert on May 6th

LONDONDERRY, VT April 14, 2025  – The Collaborative, a Londonderry-based non-profit organization dedicated to serving area youth and families, is coordinating the Prevention Partners Series in collaboration with the Springfield Town Library and Green Peak Alliance. This 10-part series features monthly programs focused on prevention of substance misuse.

On Tuesday, May 6th at 5:30 p.m., the library will host Sunny Naughton, Consultant and Owner of Sunshine Silver Lining, a Newport, Vermont organization. Naughton is a member of the National Alliance of Mental Illness, the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, and The Stability Network. She is certified Mental Health First Aid Trainer, a certified Communications Support Specialist, and has worked as a nationally certified Recovery Coach. 

According to Naughton, “'Understanding the importance of Mental Health Literacy and what programming is available here in Vermont allows us to take actionable steps to help our communities.”  This is a critical issue for Vermont families. The 2023 Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) (http://healthvermont.gov/yrbs) indicated that a third of Vermont high school students struggle with poor mental health, and just over 50% of Vermont high school students feel like they matter to their community. 

The event will be held in person at the Springfield Town Library at 43 Main Street, Springfield, VT. Details can be found at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/springfield-town-library or by contacting Tracey Craft, Adult Services Coordinator, at stlvtprograms@gmail.com. 

The Prevention Partners Series is a project of The Green Peak Alliance, a regional network that promotes healthy communities. The Collaborative is a 501c3 non-profit organization with the mission of empowering healthy youth, families, and communities and has been operating in Windham, Windsor, and Bennington counties for over 25 years.