Addiction Prevention
An addiction-free society is essential for fostering public health, economic stability, and social cohesion.
INDIANA YOUTH SURVEY (INYS)
This biannual state survey instrument is administered to students in grades 6,8,10 and 12. This provides local schools and their communities with valid estimates of the prevalence of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use among their students. In addition, mental health, gambling behaviors and levels of risk and protective factors present in the students’ lives is also measured.
Align collaborates with Our Place Drug and Alcohol Education Services to assist local school districts in participating in the INYS. Upon receiving the data, each district can sit down and discuss the findings for their district to tailor prevention programs for each individual grade.
Purple Star School designation
A state-sponsored designation for schools that demonstrate a major commitment to supporting military-connected students, who often face frequent relocations and unique social-emotional challenges and have a higher frequency of addictive behaviors than the general population. Purple Star programming helps schools and districts aggregate and centralize resources so that critical information is easily accessible to students, families, as well as school and district faculty and staff. Align collaborates with Our Place Drug and Alcohol Education Services to encourage schools participation.
BE THE MAJORITY
A positive norms campaign to show youth they can be more by not abusing drugs. By giving youth the opportunity to define themselves in a positive way, it dispels the myth most people are either drinking or using drugs. Align collaborates with Our Place Drug and Alcohol Education Services in this campaign.
RAISING OUR CHILDREN’S KIDS (ROCK)
Provides support for those grandparents who are now raising grandchildren. Through a six-session program, curriculum is presented to assist in the challenges of having the responsibility of others during the golden years. Topics include recognizing addictive behaviors, legal issues, mental health, among others. Align has supported this collaboration with Our Place Drug and Alcohol Services.
Reducing substance misuse lowers the prevalence of related chronic illnesses, including heart disease, stroke, and infectious diseases like HIV and Hepatitis C. Substance-free communities see significantly fewer overdose deaths and alcohol-related traffic fatalities. Eliminating substances stabilizes mood, improves mental clarity, and allows for the effective treatment of underlying psychological issues like anxiety and depression.
Addiction Prevention ATeam
Through the work of this ATeam, efforts are focused on the prevention of addictive behaviors and include the oversight of the Indiana Youth Survey Instrument each year, purple star school program, and Be the Majority campaign.
Join Us in Making an Impact
Together, we can create sustainable solutions for a thriving Southern Indiana community.