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.

At RHAM High School and RHAM Middle School, students can join the afterschool activity club called RALLY. 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 RALLY Youth Group page.

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.

AHM’s Prevention Coordinator:
Jennifer Boehler

Contact: 860-228-9488, x22

Email: JenniferB@ahmyouth.org

CHEC Coalition Committee

RALLY Youth Group

SMART Recovery Support Groups

Community Resources

Project Graduation

Upcoming Events!

Join us for National Take-Back Day!

Drop off your unwanted prescription and over-the-counter drugs at RHAM High School at 85 Wall Street, Hebron, on Saturday, October 23rd from 10am-2pm!

The National Takeback Event is done biannually across the country, with the goal of removing unwanted and unneeded prescription pills from households. Most people who abuse prescriptions, obtain them from a family or friend. Removing these types of medications from households decreases the chances of abuse in teens and adults.

Once collected, the drugs are then destroyed safely by the DEA. By participating in these events, you are helping your community by decreasing access to addictive substances. We hope to see you on Saturday, October 23rd!

Follow our event on Facebook!

Read more about National Take-Back Day!

Past 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.

CHEC Brochure

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.

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