Prevention
If one in the family is addicted, the entire family is addicted with an emotional, psychological and financial toll that’s difficult to imagine.
Much of our work focuses on preventing the pills to heroin pathway in the first place by multiple strategies, including increasing education, reducing access to and supplies of pain medications, and heightening awareness of the disease and its ubiquity.
The first step in prevention is educating the public about the magnitude of the impact of the opioid epidemic in every segment of our local community, the all-too-common pills-to-heroin pathway to addiction, and addiction as a disease requiring long-term treatment and community understanding.
Proper Safeguarding of Medications
In order to reduce the supply of easily accessible prescription opioids, we educate the community about the importance of safeguarding and properly disposing unused medications. The majority of teens and young adults who misuse prescription opioids access them via friends or family.
School-based Initiatives
Our School Working Group includes representatives from all school levels across school districts and private schools. Programs are designed to supplement the in-school drug and alcohol curriculum.
Prescribing Behavior
Overprescribing has helped fuel the opioid crisis. Prescriber and patient education about the high risk of addiction and alternative pain management is essential.
Parenting for Healthy Adolescents
We offer help for parents in navigating the pre-teen and teen years and discouraging drug and alcohol experimentation.
Understanding Addiction and Drugs
Like diabetes, cancer and heart disease, addiction is a disease caused by a combination of behavioral, environmental and biological factors.
