Prevention Begins in the Classroom
Helping Students Say No with Confidence
These programs are taught right in the classroom to help students learn how to make smart choices, handle peer pressure, and understand the risks of things like substance use. They’re made to fit every grade, so kids get the right support at the right time.
Too Good for Drugs is a school-based prevention program for kindergarten through 8th grade and high school students. This 10-session program develops a foundation of self-efficacy and interpersonal skills to establish and promote setting reachable goals, making responsible decisions, communicating effectively, identifying and managing emotions, and bonding with pro-social peers in addition to peer pressure refusal, problem solving, conflict resolution, and media literacy.
The Butler County Sheriff’s Office has a trained team of deputies who implement the DARE Program in 5th grade classrooms. This 10-session program teaches skills such as self-awareness and management, responsible decision making, understanding others, relationship and communication skills and handling responsibilities and challenges.
Youth Marijuana Prevention Project is a classroom education program for 5th – 12th grade that contains several learning objectives depending on the grade level. Common myths about marijuana are examined and PAYS data is used to challenge perceptions of peer use. Students also learn the impact marijuana has on the brain (how it affects memory, motivation, maturity and motor skills), mental health and physical health. The importance of physical, mental and spiritual wellness is discussed and skills, such as healthy coping skills and refusal skills are encouraged to make the choice to avoid use of marijuana.
CATCH My Breath is a school-based program that provides up-to-date information to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions about the use of e-cigarettes/vapes. The program offers in-class activities, teacher education, online resources, and take home materials for parents. There are four, 30-40 minute lessons that can be offered in 5th-12th grade that give students knowledge of e-cigarettes/vapes and potential harms, understanding and analyzing deceptive advertising, developing and practicing socially acceptable refusal skills and practicing peer modeling techniques.
All Stars is a continuum of prevention programs designed to delay the onset of risky behaviors in adolescents and helps students identify positive ideals and future aspirations. Discussions within the classroom and homework assignments completed with parents/guardians help establish positive peer group norms and diminish the pressure to engage in risky behaviors. Students commit to personal standards of behavior and present their commitments to fellow students during the final sessions. The All Stars Core program promotes bonding with family, school, and community and provides students the opportunity to think deeply about their future. This 13-session program is implemented in 6th grade classrooms.
Technical assistance on developing and leading a social norms campaign for your school or organization can be provided to decrease substance use and gambling behaviors. Social norms campaigns are designed to influence public behavior by reshaping perceptions of what is common or acceptable within a community. These campaigns work by highlighting real norms— more positive or healthier behavior than people assume—to encourage adoption of desired behaviors by a wider population. When done effectively, these campaigns can create lasting changes in attitudes and behaviors.
Chemicals in the Community is an educational program that shares the latest data on drug trends in Western Pennsylvania, with a focus on Butler and Beaver Counties.
Designed for high school and college students, parents, and professionals, the presentation covers how to recognize substances currently in use, spot signs and symptoms, and access local treatment resources. Content is regularly updated to reflect both local and national trends.
An Ohio State University of Pharmacy Program designed to educate all age groups (preschool – older adults) on safe medication practices focusing specifically on prescription drugs and opioid prevention. Sessions are approximately 45 minutes in length and can be tailored to meet the needs of the audience.
Mental Health
Building resilience and emotional strength.
Our mental health programs help students manage stress, build self-awareness, and develop healthy coping skills. By promoting emotional resilience in and out of the classroom, we empower young people to thrive—academically, socially, and personally.
As described in the previous section, Social Norms campaigns are designed to influence public behavior by reshaping perceptions of what is common or acceptable within a community. These campaigns work by highlighting real norms – more positive or healthier behavior than people assume – to encourage adoption of desired behaviors by a wider population. Although, commonly used to promote healthy decisions relative to substance use, social norms campaigns can also be tailored to reinforce the message that mental wellness is an essential, shared priority – not a personal failing. It can create a more supportive environment where individuals feel empowered to access the help they need without shame or judgment.
Plugged Into Mindfulness can be offered as a professional development program to providers in settings such as health care, education, and social services and also as a workshop for students in college or high school. Eight 1-hour sessions for trainees focus on personal techniques to manage their own stress, improve concentration, self-awareness and awareness of their surroundings. In these sessions, professionals will also learn how to apply/teach techniques to those they serve to help them regulate emotions, improve focus, manage stress and develop healthy coping techniques. Joni Sturgill facilitates Plugged Into Mindfulness. Learn more at www.insightwithjoni.com.
The Blues Program is a school-based program intended to actively engage high school students with depressive symptoms or at risk of onset of major depression. It includes six weekly one-hour group sessions and home practice assignments. Weekly sessions focus on building group rapport and increasing participant involvement in pleasant activities, learning and practicing cognitive restructuring techniques, and developing response plans to future life stressors. In-session exercises require participants to apply skills taught in the program. Home practice assignments are intended to reinforce the skills taught in the sessions and help participants learn how to apply these skills to their daily life.
More Than a Game:
Understanding Gambling Risks
Our gambling prevention programs teach students how to recognize the signs of problem gambling, understand the risks behind gaming and betting, and make informed, responsible choices—online and in everyday life.
Stacked Deck is a school-based problem gambling prevention program for 9th-12th grade that provides information about the myths and reality of gambling and guidance on making good choices. The program consists of five 50-90 minute interactive lessons covering the history and realities of gambling, risk factors for and signs of problem gambling, fallacies about gambling, calculated risk and the assessment of situations involving risk, and barriers to good decision making and problem solving.
Teens/Kids and Technology is an interactive classroom education program designed to address the use of technology to engage youth in on-line activities including gaming and gambling and the signs of problem gaming/gambling. Topics covered include practicing good digital citizenship, the parallels between video gaming and gambling, how behavioral science is used by companies to keep people on electronic devices and how to balance media with other activities.
Gambling in Gaming focuses on the convergence with gambling and gaming including the impact of problematic internet media use amongst youth. It utilizes social emotional learning to help engage and teach youth. This program can be offered by itself or as an add-on to Stacked Deck or Teens/Kids and Technology.
S.P.A.R.K. Mini Grant Program
Students Promoting Awareness, Research, & Knowledge
Through support from the Butler County Human Services Block Grant, high school students explore key community issues—substance use disorder, mental health, homelessness, and child abuse. Students choose one focus area, conduct in-depth research at the national, state, and local levels, and learn how to write a compelling grant proposal by researching local and national data and trends. The top-scoring group receives funding to bring their awareness project to life within their school.