By: Nancy Hans, Council Coordinator, Roanoke County Prevention Council, and Fran Kiker, School Counseling Services, Roanoke County Public Schools, VA
The Prevention Council of Roanoke County and Roanoke County Schools have enjoyed a true collaborative partnership over the past ten years. This partnership effort requires building relationships one person at a time, finding those leaders that have a true passion for efforts in prevention and education of underage alcohol use/abuse and the consequences that surround this topic.
Data is of key importance. We are fortunate to have rich data (n=8,000 students) and five years of trend data spanning a ten year period.
Trust, open and honest communication is part of this data piece. As we come to the table, we believe that alcohol or other drugs are NOT school problems, but community problems that can ONLY be solved by local community solutions.
As a community coalition, we support the school system’s Student Assistant Program services now in its 24th year. School policies regarding substance abuse provide a structure for intervening with students who violate the policy. A Saturday substance abuse school, assessments, groups and individual support are available. Prevention programming is highly emphasized with students, parents, and school personnel.
We are proud to say that building “bench strength” through effectively using the Strategic Prevention Framework process has only strengthened this partnership. Our collaboration with the schools also includes as many sectors of the community as possible: youth, parents, grandparents, schools, multi-media, businesses, faith-based, medical community, recovery, colleges, social services ABC agents, Hispanic community, government officials, law enforcement, court services, and technology experts.
Our emphasis that has been critical to strengthening the partnership is youth! We have active prevention clubs in all five high schools, host an annual Regional youth leadership conference, participate in a statewide youth leadership conference and offer opportunities for our youth to be part of the planning and presentation that is made about prevention of substance use. Many times these youth plan the conferences, develop the power points, and assist with implementing environmental strategies. Our experience with developing youth leadership skills challenges adults to listen, participate in their world of multi-media, and sometimes even follow the youth that are leading!
As the community arm for the school system, we can support changing community norms surrounding underage alcohol use through larger environmental strategies. The overall benefit for this partnership is keeping our youth healthy, safe and alive!
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