May 2026

Washington Parish Coalition on Human Services (WPCHS) held its monthly meeting on May 26, 2026, at the ADAPT office. Dana Walker, Founder and Executive Director of Brilliant Mindz, was the guest speaker.  Brilliant Mindz youth members Lauren Smith, Desmond Weary, and Malia Morris presented information about the organization’s mission and community impact. The presenters highlighted programs including financial literacy education, tutoring, STEM workshops, leadership and entrepreneurship training, Toys for Tots, Cribs for Kids, mentoring programs, and community service initiatives. The presenters highlighted Brilliant Mindz’s summer camp program, one of the largest youth summer camps in the area, which provides educational activities, meals, field trips, and volunteer support for participating youth.

Attendees of the May meeting were: Katasha August-Robinson, Cheryl Bruton, Kimberly Butcher, Wendy Castillo, Ginger Champagne, Paula Charles, Demetra Dantzler, Glory Davis, Clelie Dugan, Jason Fontenelle, Rusty Fornea, Paige Garic, Elizabeth Garland, Rhonda Gunnell, Marty Hennegan, Leslie Holmes, Gloria Kates, Heather Landry, Rosa Locascio, Patrika Martin, Regina Meyerchick, Lindsay Miller, Malia Morris, Taffy Morrison, Katie Richard, Chris Roy, Angela Shuckhart, Lauren Smith, Tiffany Smith, Brittny Soterpulous, Rebecca Stogner, Mecole Thompson, Cynthia Walls, Dana Walker, and Desmond Weary.

The next scheduled WPCHS meeting will be on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. at the ADAPT office, 216 Memphis Street in Bogalusa. Meetings are open to the public. For more information, contact Rusty Fornea at 985-735-0160.

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Photo Caption:

Brilliant Mindz youth members Malia Morris, Desmond Weary, and Lauren Smith, along with founder and Executive Director Dana Walker, receive a certificate of appreciation from Rusty Fornea, Executive Director of ADAPT, following their presentation at the May meeting of the Washington Parish Coalition on Human Services.

April 2026

Washington Parish Coalition on Human Services (WPCHS) held its monthly meeting on April 28, 2026, at the ADAPT office. Detective Brian Brown, Forensic Lab Manager with the Covington Police Department and Task Force Member of the 22nd JDC District Attorney’s Office Special Victims Unit, was the guest speaker. He addressed attendees on the growing dangers children face online, highlighting critical issues such as sextortion, grooming, online enticement, and cyberbullying, and how predators use technology to target youth. Detective Brown emphasized the risks of sharing personal information and images, while offering practical strategies for recognizing warning signs, protecting privacy, and promoting responsible online behavior. He underscored the importance of education, open communication, and reporting suspicious activity to help keep children safe in today’s digital world.

Attendees of the April meeting were: In person: Corey Bordelon, Eryn Brannagan, Brian Brown, Cheryl Bruton, Kimberly Butcher, Wendy Castillo, Ginger Champagne, Paula Charles, Jason Fontenelle, Rusty Fornea, Paige Garic, Elizabeth Garland, Rhonda Gunnell, Marty Hennegan, Sonnet Ireland, Gloria Kates, Jennifer Kiefer, Heather Landry, Kristina Lee, Regina Meyerchick, Lindsay Miller, Rachel Polk, Rachel Purvis, Katie Richard, Heather Seal, Tracy Seals, Alexis Shubert, Angela Shuckhart,Tiffany Smith, Rebecca Stogner, Dana Walker, Kay Kay Warner; Via Zoom: Katasha August-Robinson, Ceressa Blackburn, Demetra Dantzler, Wylisha Day, Sharon Gazaway, Kerica Jones, David Miller, Taffy Morrison, David Narcisse, Joey Peterson, Caroline Theriot, Mecole Thompson.

The next scheduled WPCHS meeting will be on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. at the ADAPT office, 216 Memphis Street in Bogalusa. Meetings are open to the public. For more information, contact Rusty Fornea at 985-735-0160.

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Photo Caption:

WPCHS President Dana Walker and ADAPT Executive Director Rusty Fornea present a certificate of appreciation to guest speaker Detective Brian Brown—Forensic Lab Manager with the Covington Police Department and member of the 22nd JDC District Attorney’s Office Special Victims Unit Task Force—following his presentation on protecting youth from online exploitation.

March 2026

Washington Parish Coalition on Human Services (WPCHS) held its monthly meeting on March 24, 2026, at the ADAPT Office.  Dr. D. Jeffrey Mohr, Associate Program Director of the LSU Rural Family Medicine Residency, was the guest speaker and provided an overview of opioid use disorder and the ongoing opioid epidemic. He explained the progression of the crisis from prescription opioids to heroin and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, which now account for the majority of overdose deaths. He also shared national and Louisiana-specific data highlighting the impact of opioid-related overdoses.

Dr. Mohr discussed treatment options, emphasizing medication-assisted treatment, particularly buprenorphine, which reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms without the same level of euphoria as full opioids. He noted barriers to treatment access, including the limited number of programs in Louisiana, and emphasized that recovery is often a long-term process focused on reducing cravings and supporting sustained recovery.

Attendees of the March meeting were:  In person: Katasha August Robinson, Eryn Brannagan, Cheryl Bruton, Wendy Castillo, Ginger Champagne, Paula Charles, Glory Davis, Rusty Fornea, Emily French, Paige Garic, Sharon Gazaway, Jude Green, Rhonda Gunnell, Lauren Harmon, Leslie Holmes, Sonnet Ireland, Louis LaVie, Dr. Jeffrey Mohr, Becky Nave, Joey Peterson, Rachel Polk, Angela Shuckhart, Tiffany Smith, Rebecca Stogner, Caroline Theriot, Dana Walker, Ruben Watts, Tracy Williams; Via Zoom: Eunice Arthur, Brittny Costella, Demetra Dantzler, Wylisha Day, Elizabeth Garland, Julia Haverkamp, Marty Hennegan, Leslie Hodges, Lindsay Miller, Taffy Morrison, Brittney Soterpulos, Mecole Thompson, Cynthia Walls.

The next scheduled meeting for WPCHS will be on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. at the ADAPT office, 216 Memphis Street, Bogalusa.  Meetings are open to the public.  For more information, contact Rusty Fornea at 985-735-0160.