Start Here | Prevention | Treatment | Recovery

Invest Now.

The Institute of Medicine says investing $1  in prevention & treatment= $7 savings in health,  criminal justice,  educational, and lost productivity costs. (SAMHSA, 2014).  
Want to learn how to we create environments where Prevention happens? 
We use the Strategic Prevention Framework

A comprehensive prevention plan for school districts includes:

K-12 Prevention Education Curriculum

We encourage and support schools in the process of making prevention a year-round, naturally embedded part of school culture by providing:

• guidance choosing evidence-based, age-appropriate, culturally competent prevention curriculum
• assistance purchasing curriculum and participant materials
• facilitator certification training in the curriculum 

The National Registry of Evidence-based Programs & Practices  NREPP is an online database with pricing for over 400 curriculum, and resources to support the selection, adoption, implementation, and evaluation of programs. 

Need help choosing a curriculum?  Call us.

School Surveys Measuring Behavior Trends

We can help administer the Youth Risk Behavior Survey for students in grades 9-12, to find out where prevention efforts should be focused.

2017 Results for New Hampshire : https://www.education.nh.gov/instruction/school_health/documents/nhyrbsresultsgraphs.pdf

The Teen Assessment Project (TAP) survey for students in grades 6-8 helps identify behaviors and substances to address in middle schools.

2016 Results for the Monadnock region:  2016 TAP

Supportive Policies & Procedures

We encourage districts to explore more supportive, less punitive policies and procedures for drug and alcohol related issues. We support creating early interventions, brief assessments, and referrals to services as each interaction may be a critical point of intervention.  

Supportive Policies may include:

• less out-of school suspension time
• meetings with parents within 24 hours of a violation
• reintegration recovery supports post-treatment
• allow kids to attend support meetings during the day
• allow kids to make up missed work
• screening brief intervention and referrals to treatment

Training for School Staff

We know if students are not "present" they perform poorly personally and academically.  We offer training to increase understanding and improve skill sets in responding to the new challenges our students are facing including:

• Brief Assessments & Treatment Referrals
• Identifying Suicidal Ideation
• Suicide Post-vention
• Youth and Adult Mental Health First Aid
• Using Trauma-Informed Best Practices
• Motivational Interviewing
• Post-treatment Student Reintegration
• Supporting Families of Veterans
• Critical Incident Response  
• LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, questioning/queer)
• Prevention Ethics
• Supporting Families of Veterans
• Adverse Childhood Experiences
• Protecting Students From Violence

*If there is a topic you would like to see,  just ask.

Transition Workshops 

Reality Check provides transition workshops to prepare students and parents for the culture in a new school:

• from elementary to middle school
• from middle school to high school
• from high school to college and beyond

Workshops outline what parents can expect in the new year, how to better provide extra support, and how to identify possible use and spot red flags.  

Youth Campaigns and Opportunities

We provide access to a variety of youth activities including:

• Youth Leadership Academy (summer program)
• Police and Rescue Personnel apprentice programs
• 4-H Monadnock Robotics (all year)
• Student Ambassador programs (school year)
• Community service opportunities and Volunteerism
• Business Internships
• After school option with character building components
• Scholarship Contests
• Equestrian Therapy

back to top

Prevention Plans For Communities

Everyone plays an essential role in preventing drug & alcohol use and abuse.   Many communities don't think they have a problem, while others have prevention already happening. 

We use the 5-step Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) .

Step 1 - Conduct a Community Assessment to determine its level of readiness to take action; identify assets, strengths, gaps, substances to address, resources and other efforts currently happening (to reduce duplication). 

Step 2 -  Build Social Capacity and secure resources to move forward with prevention plan development and implementation.

Step 3 - A 12-month Action Plan is developed to address priorities and includes seven strategies:  

• Provide Information — Educational presentations, workshops, seminars, articles, and press releases
• Enhance Skills — Training to increase skills
• Provide Support — Support groups for various addictive behaviors  
• Enhance Access & Reducing Barriers — Improving access to treatment, and providing recovery supports to reduce relapse
• Change Consequence — Increase alcohol or tobacco taxes to decrease underage purchases and use
• Change Physical Design — Change physical design to reduce use, like installing cameras and lights, or cleaning up parks
• Modify & Changing Policies — Update policies to be less punitive and more supportive; for example less out of school suspension time, making up missed work, making referrals, providing recovery supports in the school or workplace, or financial incentives for quitting smoking.

Step 4 - Implement the plan noting benchmarks and challenges.

Step 5 - Evaluate the plan annually to measure how its working, areas of success and needed changes, then update to address newly identified priorities.

Plans Are:

1.   Sustainable — prevention  activities are built into school and business budgets to ensure long-term sustainability.

2.  Cultural Competent — strategies must be culturally appropriate for the school or community they take place in.

Become a Certified Prevention Specialist

Prevention Certification Board of New Hampshire
PO Box 1088, Manchester, NH     nhpreventcert.org  

Visit IC & RC Credentialing  http://www.internationalcredentialing.org/cred101

Certified Prevention Specialist Matrix: Addressing Alcohol and Drug Misuse

Register for training here:: NH Training Institute on Addictive Disorders .

*Reality Check will help pay for training to get certified.

Are you Culturally Competent?
FIND OUT

Mayo Clinic:
How to Talk About SUICIDE

Why can't I take other people's meds?

•  Opioids ~ can cause choking,  slowed breathing, paranoia, fever, abnormal heartbeat, seizures,  coma, or death. 
• Addiction ~ Once you become dependent on a drug, you need more of it to get the same effect. Quitting can cause  nausea, shaking, sweating,  insomnia, vomiting,  depression, exhaustion, and life-threatening issues.
  • Accidents ~ Driving while drugged could get you in an accident, and if you get stopped you could face severe penalties. 
  • Failing Grades ~ While some students take medication to do better in school - don't, you can become addicted.
  • Legal trouble ~ Taking medication that isn’t yours - is illegal. Chances of committing a crime go up when you’re high - and if you’re caught, you can face suspension, fines, jail time.

PARENTS & CAREGIVERS .....

Talk with your kids about the risks of using alcohol, illegal drugs, and medicine not prescribed to them.
..................................................
Set consequences for breaking rules. If they break rules, enforce them!
.....................................................

Make it clear to kids - never take
medicine not prescribed to them.
  .....................................................

Be involved ~ Go to after-school activities, have dinner together, and meet your kids teachers.
.....................................................
When your kids aren’t home, make sure you know where they are and who they’re with.
......................................................

Know the signs of use, depression
and anxiety.  Get help by asking your school nurse and family doctor.
....................................................

Be a good role model. Kids who see  parents abusing drugs or medications are more likely to develop problems. 
....................................................
 Manage stress by exercising, talking to a friend or therapist, watching something funny, or playing a game.
...................................................

Resources:

U.S. Department of Education
Catalog of Exemplary and Promising, Safe, Disciplined and Drug-Free Schools Programs.

Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention
Program guides of evidence-based prevention programs for youth  

The National Institute on Drug Abuse
Preventing drug use and abuse among youth, teens, and young adults. 

New Futures
10 Ferry Street, Concord, NH
www.new-futures.org/

Enforcement of Underage Drinking Laws
NH Dept. of Justice
33 Capitol Street, Concord, NH

 NH Teen Institute 
112 West Pearl Street, Nashua, NH
www.nhteeninstitute.org/

NH Tobacco Helpline
Text QUITNOW to 22122
www.TryToStopNH.org

Partnership for A Drug-Free NH 10 Ferry Street, Concord, NH 03301
www.drugfreenh.org
www.checkthestats.org

back to top