Prevention Programs

Welcome to AHM’s Prevention Programs!

Prevention at AHM Youth & Family Services is defined as a multifaceted approach that allows for teens and adults to work towards the goal of decreasing the use of alcohol, substances and use of vapes within the RHAM Community.

AHM provides opportunities to RHAM Middle and High School Students, parents and the community to get involved in positive change efforts to help move our mission forward.

Coffee With a Cop!

Come join us for Coffee With a Cop on Wednesday, June 22nd from 9-11am at Marlborough Country Bakery at 8 Independence Drive, Marlborough.

Parents, children and residents of ages are invited to have an informal conversation to get to know our police officers a little better. No agenda, No schedule. Just drop in and say, ‘Hi!’ to Marlborough’s own Officer Bernier and Officer Kehoe!

Follow this event on facebook at: https://fb.me/e/58GuOJzot

National Take-Back Event 2022!

As in years past, AHM Youth and Family Services, through the CHEC Coalition and the Connecticut State Police once again hosted the annual Take Back Event.

This year two sites were set up, one in Marlborough and one at RHAM High School. The Take Back Event was held on Saturday, April 30, 2022, from 10-2 PM.

Between the two collection sites, 215 pounds were collected, (164 pounds at RHAM High School and an additional 51 pounds at the Marlborough Fire Station #2). A total of 74 CT. residents, (45 at RHAM and 29 at Marlborough) participated in the Take-Back event. Of the total number of participants, 8% came from Andover, 37% from Hebron, 38% from Marlborough, 5% from Columbia, and 11% from other neighboring towns.

According to Jennifer Boehler, AHM’s Prevention Coordinator: “each fall and spring, AHM’s CHEC Coalition and the CT. State Police, along with support from RHAM, and Andover, Hebron, Marlborough K-12 schools all help promote this important community gathering. This day is organized nationally by the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency.” Read More!

AHM’s Prevention Coordinator:
Jennifer Boehler

Contact: 860-228-9488, x22

Email: JenniferB@ahmyouth.org

CHEC Coalition Committee

SOAR Youth Group

SMART Recovery Support Groups

Community Resources

Project Graduation

CHEC Brochure

Youth Voice Counts Survey
AHM_FINAL Survey Report

AHM Youth Voices Count Survey Results

AHM Parent Survey Results

Parent Education Series!

AHM CHEC Coalition invites parents with children in elementary through high school to our Spring Parent Education Series. AHM Youth and Family Services is providing these presentations because of the many requests from our parents. Come and learn so you will know what to talk to your children about. AHM will share data points from the 2020 Youth Voices Count Survey results and the activity prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever we need educated parents to know how to talk with their children about the temptation of substances and how to identify possible use.

Dangers of Synthetic Marijuana

Date: May 12th, 6 -7 PM

Rob Picone is a graduate of the UCONN School of Pharmacy and has been a licensed Pharmacist for more than 25 years with clinical interests and expertise in substance use disorders and endocrinology, including especially Type 1 Diabetes having worked clinically both in in-patient and out-patient settings. He is currently the Immediate Past President of the Connecticut Pharmacist Association and has presided over and sat of their Board of Directors for the past seven years. In addition to his clinical experience, Rob holds a PhD in Molecular Pharmacology also from the University of Connecticut where he worked to elucidate the mechanisms by which marijuana interacts with its site of action in the brain. For the past 15 years, Rob has worked in the pharmaceutical industry in various Medical Affairs capacities including clinical trial support in the development of medications for diabetes as well as addiction. Currently, he is a Field Medical Scientist at Provention Bio, a clinical stage biotechnology start-up focusing on curing and/or delaying autoimmune diseases especially Type 1 Diabetes.

The Paraphernalia Project: How Signs of Drug Use Can Be In Plain Sight

Date: *This session is being rescheduled! Please check back for the new date!

Ana Gopian, Executive Director of TriCircle Inc., founded the organization in July 2016. She has been in recovery from substance abuse since 1995 and has also had family members who struggled with it. Ana’s life mission is to share her knowledge with parents about current trends and ways to hid paraphernalia in plain sight. In addition to speaking engagements, Ana, coordinates the following groups: “Hope & Support” that provide a safe and confidential space for parents guardians and others who are concerned about a loved one’s substance use or addiction. Families are encouraged to utilize these services at no cost and “Hope After Loss” which gives a place where everyone understands. There is no judgement or blame but rather support and understanding.

Vaping and the Risks of Using

Date: April 28th, 6 – 7 PM

Victoria Adams, M.Ed, NCTTP, is the Tobacco Prevention Coordinator at Southern Connecticut State University. She holds a National Certificate in Tobacco Treatment Practice and is a trained tobacco treatment specialist trainer from the University of Massachusetts Medical School’s Center for Tobacco Treatment Research and Training. She provides tobacco prevention, cessation and policy work support to community organizations, schools and colleges throughout the state. She coordinates a Youth MATCH Coalition group which aims to reduce tobacco use among youth in the state. In addition, she provides tobacco cessation care to all members at SCSU. Victoria’s work is grant funded by the CT DPH and CDC.

Risks of Using Presentation

LINK to presentation
Passcode: *m=7HVy2

Resources

FACT-SHEET-Flavors

General State Law Vaping

TobaccoTrackerpdf

CT DPH 2020 FACT-SHEET-Vaping

AHM Youth Voices Count InfoBrief 2022 v2

High School Quit Kit

Student Vaping Awareness Information Parent Vaping Awareness Information CHEC Coalition Juvenile Review Board (JRB)Project Graduation SOAR Youth Group

Middle School Full-Length Videos: http://dynamicinfluence.com/vaping-awareness-for-ahm-middle-school-teens/

Password: Dontbeplayed

High School Full-Length Videos: teens/http://dynamicinfluence.com/vaping-awareness-presentation-for-ahm-high-school-teens/

Password: Dontgetplayed

https://dynamicinfluence.com/ahm-parent-vaping-awareness/

To access the page use the password: AHMParent

(Note: the password is case sensitive)

Coalition for a Healthy Empowered Community is made up of RHAM School and town Administrators, parents, business owners and community members, with the focus to incorporate increased community wellness with an emphasis on helping to keep youth drug-free.

Through the dedication and work of the CHEC Coalition, AHM is proud to be only one of fewer than 200 nationwide communities to be awarded a federal grant to support communities in their efforts to help combat local underage drinking, prescription drug abuse and the prevention of marijuana use. The grant award, which is for five consecutive years, is funded through the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Drug-Free Communities Support Program.

Formerly known as the AHM Substance Abuse & Violence Prevention Task Force; this group as a whole has worked together since 1986 to minimize the impact of drug and alcohol use and abuse in the regional community.

More information for committee members can be found on the CHEC Coalition page.

The purpose of the JRB is to divert youth from the juvenile court system. Research has documented that such diversions can help to enable youth to stay out of the juvenile court system and have potentially brighter futures than they otherwise would. For over 20 years, AHM has positively changed the lives of hundreds of RHAM High School students.

The AHM Juvenile Review Board serves as a template across the state for similar programs and is made of social workers, school administrators, Resident State Troopers, probation officers, a juvenile prosecutor, a representative from DCF and a representative from The Family Support Center. This highly dedicated group of people assists the youth and their families during difficult times.

Visit our Juvenile Review Board page for more information on the process.

Project Graduation is a drug and alcohol-free celebration that has taken place at an offsite on the night of graduation. AHM Youth and Family Services has proudly coordinated Project Graduation for over 25 years with 1000s of graduates in attendance.

The main members of the Project Graduation Committee are junior and senior parents since this celebration directly impacts their child/children, but the committee also welcomes members of the RHAM community to join in support of a graduation celebration without the temptations of drugs and alcohol.

For more information, monthly meeting dates and meeting highlights, please visit the AHM Project Graduation webpage.

At RHAM High School and RHAM Middle School, students can join the afterschool activity club called SOAR. This year’s members are putting together a calendar of afterschool activities for a fun way to get together and show how easy it is to be “high on life!”

Join with friends or join to make new friends! Co-Advisors for this school activity are Mrs. Aly Hoagland, RHAM High School Counselor and Jenn Boehler, AHM Prevention Coordinator. General information, monthly meeting schedule and meeting highlights are located on the SOAR Youth Group page.

Past Events!

National Take-Back Day!

Thank you to RHAM High School for hosting the October 23^rd event. It was a smashing success with 380 pounds of medications being donated from the RHAM community and beyond. A great showing of volunteers from RHAM High School, the AHM CHEC Coalition, CT State Police Troop K, SOAR Youth Group and AHM Board Members that made this event run smoothly!

Read more about National Take-Back Day!

Coffee With a Cop!

Thank you to Gina Marie’s for hosting Coffee With A Cop on Wednesday, October 20^th. Community members had an opportunity to meet Hebron’s newest resident Trooper, Officer Bryce Reed. Many thanks for the Troop K officers who came out in force to support this community event that allows for frank conversations between residents and law enforcement!

2020 Events

Sticker Shock Campaign

Members of AHM’s Drug and Alcohol Prevention Coalition (CHEC), and teens from the RHAM/AHM Youth Group RALLY partnered with Hebron Wine and Spirits last week, to do a Sticker Shock Campaign. The campaign is meant to remind customers during the holiday season, that providing alcohol to minors is a crime. Hebron Wine and Spirits Manager Chantelle stated “This is just a way for us to give back to the community in a simple way….and it can keep kids safe”. A lot of alcohol used by teens, is obtained through older, legal- aged friends. Teens and CHEC members spent a couple hours putting stickers on almost all alcohol products in the store, particularly the products which are more likely to be consumed by underage drinkers. These could include drinks such as: fruity liquors, twisted teas, beer, alcoholic ice pops, and others.

Five youth participated, with two CHEC members. AHM Prevention Coordinator Brendan Grimm said “It is important to continually send the message to parents that underage drinking is a risky behavior, so decreasing access to alcohol for teens is a huge step in seeing a decrease in use.” This campaign coincides with a related campaign, called the Social Host Campaign, for which signs are up outside at RHAM, at the intersection of 85 and 66, and on the green in Marlborough. This campaign informs parents that allowing an underage drinking party is illegal, and can have serious legal consequences, among others.

Our October Take-Back Event was a great success!

On Saturday, October 24th 2020, The CT State Police and AHM once again teamed up this year to host the semi-annual Take Back event, in partnership with the National DEA. Through the efforts of the CHEC Coalition, a new record was set this year with 281 pounds of medications taken in for safe disposal! This event aims to remove prescription pills from the community and to decrease drug misuse, and abuse. The safe disposal of medications is also an environmentally friendly way to rid households of unwanted medications. Many households have medications that are accessible to children, teens, and other adults, posing a risk of first-time use of a drug, addiction, and/or overdose.

The Takeback Event at RHAM High School has helped dispose of just under 2300 pounds of prescriptions in the past 7 years. Special thanks to Regional School District #8 Superintendent Scott Leslie, his staff and the RHAM Board of Education for once again providing the site for this local Take Back event, which each year brings residents from across the towns of Andover, Columbia, Hebron, Marlborough, and beyond to participate.

A year round drop off box is made available regionally to our communities according to Hebron Resident Trooper Dan Greenwood, who helped coordinate the Take Back event. The drop box is located at the Hebron Public Safety Complex on Route 66 in Hebron. No needles or sharps are accepted, but all other prescription and over the counter medications are accepted.

Each year AHM does marketing campaigns for the Social Host law in Connecticut, which holds adults liable for allowing minors to drink alcohol on their property. The States Attorneys office puts it very clearly as he tells us “Taking the minors keys is not enough. There needs to be a reasonable effort to make sure they are not drinking in the home”.

Connecticut is one of the states in the country that has what is called a Social Host Law. This law states that it is illegal for an adult to permit a minor in Connecticut to possess liquor in a dwelling or on private property. This holiday season, AHM Youth and Family Services is trying to help inform parents of the consequences of this law in an effort to keep local teens safe.

According to AHM’s Drug and Alcohol Prevention Coordinator, Brendan Grimm: “local parents play a major role in their sons and daughters choices about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.” In an April 2018 survey of teens, administered every 2 years at RHAM, teens expressed their perception that alcohol is easy to access. The survey also showed that only 74% of teens perceive alcohol as a risky behavior. Furthermore, the AHM community survey, which was also administered this past spring, revealed valuable information about alcohol. It showed the importance of the messages that parents give to their children. The data showed that when parents attitudes and rules are such that alcohol is risky for youth, it resulted in reported decrease in alcohol use. However, parents who reported to be neutral about the topic with their teen, or those who give the message that it is not harmful, resulted in increased reported use.

Here are a few FACTs for parents to consider about underage drinking in Connecticut:

* Youth under age 21 who are caught with possession of alcohol can also face motor vehicle sanctions, including the suspension of the minor’s operator’s license or a delay in their ability to obtain a license.

* Simply taking away the car keys does not solve all of the problems related to underage drinking. Take away the liquor, calling the parents of the offending minor, and getting help from the police is one of the most effective ways to ensure a teen’s safety if they have been drinking.

* There can also be civil and criminal consequences for adults that serve alcohol to minors.

* Parents can proactively take measures to help ensure these special times for teens are fun, yet safe and drug-free. For additional information, including the full list of parent tips and ideas, visit www.DrugFreeActionAlliance.org

* AHM is just a phone call away. If parents would like more information on ways to speak with teens about drugs and alcohol, there are resources available for you by calling 860-228-9488.

Throughout the school year, the AHM CHEC Coalition has a program called Parent Talks. These are periodic gatherings that bring parents together from the neighboring AHM communities to talk about topics such as underage drinking, and helping teens cope with other risks that exist in the world today facing young people. For more information, contact Brendan Grimm at the AHM offices by calling 860-228-9488.

Anyone is welcome to join the AHM CHEC Coalition, which meets on the first Wednesday of every month starting at 4 PM at the AHM offices on Pendleton Drive in Hebron.

Please take a look at our links below. For more information on RALLY and the CHEC, or to get involved, contact our Project Coordinator, Brendan Grimm, at BrendanG@ahmyouth.org.

Each year, there are two National Takeback events. AHM sponsors these both, in partnership with the Regional School district. This program allows the community to dispense of any unused and unneeded medications, safely. Each event, takes in approximately 150 pounds of medication, which means they are out of the community, and cannot contribute to abuse, and the opioid epidemic.

Join us on Saturday, October 24th 2020!

AHM partners with RHAM High School to bring in expert speakers on substance use, addiction, and adolescent behavior. These events happen 3 times each year, prior to the sports season starting. It is a required event for the student athlete, and a parent.

Suicide Prevention

Through a partnership with the Jordan Porco Foundation (JPF), AHM clinical staff members will be introducing the 4 What’s Next program to high school students. 4 What’s Next is a program that builds psychological resiliency in high school students by giving them the tools to handle stress and distress now and in their future. The core of the program is the 4 What’s Next Framework, which teaches students how to effectively handle distress by “reaching in” and utilizing independent coping strategies, “reaching out” by seeking and accepting help outside of themselves, or a combination of the two. This process is followed by an assessment of how well their chosen coping method is working and encourages them to reevaluate if needed. This program is made possible through the Jordan Porco Foundation and the Benny Fund.

Youth & Family Services

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Prevention Programs

Welcome to AHM’s Prevention Programs!

Coffee With a Cop!

National Take-Back Event 2022!

Parent Education Series!

Dangers of Synthetic Marijuana

The Paraphernalia Project: How Signs of Drug Use Can Be In Plain Sight

Vaping and the Risks of Using

Resources

Past Events!

National Take-Back Day!

Coffee With a Cop!

2020 Events

Sticker Shock Campaign

Our October Take-Back Event was a great success!

Here are a few FACTs for parents to consider about underage drinking in Connecticut:

Suicide Prevention