Riverhead Community Awareness Program Inc

TO REDUCE AND PREVENT ALCOHOL AND OTHER SUBSTANCE ABUSE WITHIN THE RIVERHEAD SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY

DURING ITS 39TH YEAR (2020-2021), OUR PULASKI STREET PREVENTION/EDUCATION PROGRAM (TOO GOOD FOR DRUGS) DIRECTLY SERVED 781 FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS, A TOTAL OF 34 CLASSES EACH MONTH FOR EIGHT MONTHS. (THE PROGRAM WAS 100% VIRTUAL DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.) THE PRE-POST TEST RESULTS DEMONSTRATED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT OUTCOMES.IN ADDITION, CAP SOCIAL WORKERS PROVIDED WEEKLY PEER LEADERSHIP TRAINING TO OVER 50 HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS TO TEACH THE MONTHLY PULASKI STREET PREVENTION/EDUCATION PROGRAM. PEER LEADERS PROVIDED ENGLISH AND SPANISH VOICEOVERS FOR THE VIRTUAL LESSONS. CAP ALSO PROVIDED SUMMER WORKSHOPS FOR 33 ADDITIONAL INCOMING MIDDLE SCHOOL PEER LEADERS, AND 18 HIGH SCHOOL PEER LEADERS. CAP ALSO EXPANDED THE TOO GOOD FOR DRUGS PROGRAM TO 181 FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS IN 10 CLASSES IN TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

DURING YEAR 8 OF THE DRUG-FREE COMMUNITIES GRANT PERIOD (2020-2021), THE RIVERHEAD COMMUNITY COALITION FOR SAFE AND DRUG-FREE YOUTH GENERATED 842 ACCOMPLISHMENTS/OUTPUTS DIRECTED TOWARD REDUCING UNDERAGE DRINKING, PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE, UNDERAGE VAPE USE (E-CIGARETTES) AND MARIJUANA USE, AS WELL AS INCREASING COALITION CAPACITY. THESE INCLUDED 114 COMMUNITY ACTIONS DIRECTED TOWARDS CHANGING POLICIES, PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES; 36 COMMUNITY CHANGES THAT RESULTED FROM THE COMMUNITY ACTIONS; 110 SERVICES PROVIDED TO OVER 14,136 INDIVIDUALS; OVER 5.7 MILLION MEDIA IMPRESSIONS; AND 17 ORGANIZATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS. AREAS OF SUCCESS INCLUDED: EXPANDING OUR VIRTUAL PRESENCE DURING THE PANDIMIC THROUGH VIDEOS, YOUTH PSAS, MEETINGS, TRAININGS, AND INFORMATION SHARING; THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION OF THE YOUTH COALITION AND SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF YOUTH COALITION DRIVEN ACTIVITIES; OUTREACH TO BUILD NEW RELATIONSHIPS TO BETTER SERVE THE COMMUNITY; STAFF MEMBERS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF AVAILABLE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING; STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION ON PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE, MARIJUANA AND UNDERAGE DRINKING; DEVELOPING NEW COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS TO INCREASE REACH IN THE COMMUNITY; STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS TO ADDRESS ISSUES OF UNDERAGE VAPE USE IN THE SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY; AND EXPANDING PRESCRIPTION DRUG SAFETY PRACTICES, DROP OFF AWARENESS AND OPPORTUNITIES (ESPECIALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC) THAT RESULTED IN THE COLLECTION OF 1,330 POUNDS OF UNWANTED AND UNUSED MEDICATIONS.

DURING THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR, CAP SOCIAL WORKERS PROVIDED INDIVIDUAL, GROUP, AND FAMILY COUNSELING AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT CRISIS INTERVENTION SERVICES, ASSESSMENTS AND REFERRALS TO 82 STUDENTS IN RIVERHEAD HIGH SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL AND TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 741 COUNSELING SESSIONS. IN ADDITION, 47 STUDENTS WERE SEEN IN 12 SOCIAL SKILLS GROUPS (TYPICALLY USING EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS) IN THE TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. AT LEAST 80% OF THE STUDENTS WHO CONTINUED WITH INDIVIDUAL, GROUP OR FAMILY COUNSELING, OR WHO WERE SEEN FOR CRISIS INTERVENTION, SHOWED IMPROVEMENT IN ONE OR MORE MEASURABLE AREAS. THE ROLE OF SCHOOL BASED PREVENTION COUNSELING IS TO ADDRESS RISK FACTORS FOR FUTURE SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND TO TEACH STUDENTS TO UTILIZE APPROPRIATE COPING STRATEGIES.