Coalition Initiatives |
Prevention Provider Programs |
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Prevention Planning and Partnership – A key role for Drug Free Charlotte County is to be our community’s convener around substance use prevention. By implementing the Strategic Prevention Framework, the coalition identifies and prioritizes our local data and trends, then develops strategies to prevent and reduce teen use and adult misuse. The coalition partners with community members and partners to build the capacity to successfully implement through strategies. This includes being part of community partnership and initiatives that address the health and safety of our community.
Safe Use, Safe Storage, Safe Disposal - Coalition initiative focused on helping to reduce the misuse and abuse of prescription and over-the-counter medications. We partner with local healthcare providers and community partners to provide our community with information on the safe use, safe storage and safe disposal of medications, including through the website www.SafeRx.tips Tobacco Free Partnership Charlotte County – Drug Free Charlotte County is the local lead for our community’s Tobacco Free Partnership. The Partnership works to educate our community on the risks of use of tobacco products, build awareness of the impact of advertising and retail placement on teen use and promotes tobacco free policies. Students Working Against Tobacco – Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) is a teen led initiative that educates members on tobacco use risks and trains them to be advocates for their peers and community. Students in local middle schools have the opportunity to be part of a SWAT club in their school. There is also a “community-based” club for older teens or those not in a school with a club. Kids Thrive! Collaborative - The Collaborative strengthens family and early childhood literacy as a tool to reduce trauma and build strong families starting at pregnancy. Drug Free Charlotte County serves as a lead for a collaboration funded through local support of The United Way of Charlotte County, Charlotte County Board of Commissioners, and the Miriam P. Raines Charitable Fund (Gulf Coast Community Foundation). The collaborative includes: The Charlotte County Healthy Start Coalition, The Boys and Girls Clubs of Charlotte County, The Early Learning Coalition of Florida's Heartland, The Florida Center: Healthy Families Charlotte, The Charlotte County Imagination Library, and the Schools Early Childhood Education Programs of the Charlotte County Public Schools. Drug-Free, Tobacco-Free Workplaces – Drug Free Charlotte County and the Tobacco Partnership work together and with other community partners to help businesses develop drug-free and tobacco-free workplace policies. There are nearly 150 organizations and businesses who now designated themselves a drug-free workplace in our community. Community Education – A key role for Drug Free Charlotte County is to educate our community on substance use issues and local trends. Examples include:
Annual Prevention Awards Breakfast - The second Friday in May is the standing date for this annual event. We recognize our "Advocates for Action"; "Legacy"; “Mission Impact,” and "Imani Family Foundation Teen Leadership" awardees. . |
Alcohol Literacy Challenge® – Alcohol Literacy Challenge® (ALC) is an evidenced-based curriculum that challenges students’ beliefs about the effects of drinking alcohol. The ALC corrects the erroneous beliefs about alcohol use promoted by the media, and thereby decreases positive and increases negative alcohol expectancies. Research shows these shifts in expectancies lower levels of alcohol use. We tailor the curriculums to age, providing this program in Elementary School (focused on critical thinking and media literacy), Middle and High Schools.
LifeSkills Training® - LifeSkills Training® (LST) is an evidenced-based program for elementary through high school youth. Rather than merely teaching information about the dangers of drug abuse, Botvin LifeSkills Training promotes healthy alternatives to risky behavior through activities designed to: build self-esteem, teach resiliency and resistance skills, deal more effectively with stress and anxiety, increase knowledge of consequences to substance use, and enhance competency in how to reduce health risk behaviors. Strengthening Families Program – The Strengthening Families Program is an evidenced base program that teaches skills to parents and children which help strengthen bonds, build resiliency and support healthy parenting and family development. Medication Safety – This program uses the research validated education “GenerationRx” programs to teach elementary students medication safety. Just the Facts – This program provides science-based education on commonly used substances. Information on how substances impact brain development are highlighted in an interactive learning manner. This program can focus on a specific substance, or multiple substances. We tailor sessions to the age of the audience - from K-12th grades. Social Norms and Marketing Campaigns – These campaigns are an evidence-based strategy to help correct faulty perception of substance use and promote healthy perceptions and behaviors through marketing activities focused on teens and parents. Drug Free Charlotte County employs a variety of campaigns developed through the years, as well as prevention messages developed by teens themselves. Examples include:
Additional evidence-based programs, such as Project Alert, are also available. Contact us to learn how we can bring prevention to your organization - at no cost to you! 941-255-0808 x2157
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