You're Invited!
Chariho Task Force Monthly Meeting
September 11, 2017 5:30PM
Chariho Middle School library
Chariho Task Force Objectives
Define alcohol, tobacco and other drug issues and their impact on our towns.
Work together to find effective strategies to prevent the use of or abuse of substances in our youth.
Collaborate with the school district, local government officials, health care providers and law enforcement organizations, and to develop and sustain substance abuse and violence prevention activities throughout the year.
Work with Prevention Practitioners in RI to develop and maintain best practice programs.
Establish positive community norms to prevent substance abuse through advocacy, education, parental programs and youth leadership opportunities.
Work with our schools, our communities and all students, and in particular, high risk students to provide effective education, support and alternative programming.
A Message from the Chariho Task Force:
Teens and Stress
Teenagers, like adults, may experience stress every day; and can benefit from learning stress management skills. Most teens experience more stress when they perceive a situation as dangerous, difficult, or painful and they do not have the resources to cope. Some sources of stress for teens might include:
· school demands and frustrations
· negative thoughts and feelings about themselves
· changes in their bodies
· problems with friends and/or peers at school
· unsafe living environment/neighborhood
· separation or divorce of parents
· chronic illness or severe problems in the family
· death of a loved one
· moving or changing schools
· taking on too many activities or having too high expectations
· family financial problems
Some teens become overloaded with stress. When it happens, inadequately managed stress can lead to anxiety, withdrawal, aggression, physical illness, or poor coping skills such as drug and/or alcohol use. At the Chariho Task Force, we work together to find effective strategies to prevent the use of or abuse of substances in our youth. To do this, we collaborate with the school district, local government officials, health care providers and law enforcement organizations, to develop and sustain substance abuse and violence prevention activities throughout the school year. In our work with the high school, we work with all students and in particular, high risk students, to provide effective education, support and alternative programming. Our main goal is to create substance free communities in Charlestown, Richmond, Hopkinton & the Narragansett Tribe by enhancing collaboration, changing social norms and implementing and enforcing policy change through advocacy, education, parental programs and youth leadership opportunities. We do this through maintaining a presence in the high school and making ourselves available for individual counseling for at risk kids, as well as coordinating Health classroom presentations and school wide assemblies and events.
Following are some of the ongoing programs that all students are encouraged to be involved with:
Varsity Athletes Above Substance Abuse (VAASA)
Student athletes commit to being substance free and lead
prevention workshops at the middle school.
Peer Mentors
Student leaders who commit to being substance free
are mentors to middle school students.
Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD)
Students organize school wide events to promote healthy
coping skills and being substance free. All students are welcome,
meetings are held after school on every other Tuesdays.
Alateen
Support group for students who have family members
struggling with addiction.
Support Groups
Build healthy coping skills to reduce anxiety, stress
and substance abuse prevention
Sometimes even with all of our efforts, students make unhealthy choices; following are some tips on talking with your children about substance abuse:
Kate Tokarski, LICSW.
To assist parents and/or students who may be seeking support regarding substance abuse issues, we offer the following contact information for counseling resources at Chariho Regional High School and Chariho Regional Middle School:
Kate Tokarski, LCSW
Prevention Counselor
(401) 364-7778 x 2143
Kate Tokarski@chariho.k12.ri.us
Terri Censabella, SAC
Prevention Counselor
(401) 364-0651 x2264Terri.Censabella@chariho.k12.ri.us
