Youth Coalition
The R10CWC Youth Coalition was established in 2017 and focuses on promoting healthy lifestyle choices and empowering other students to do the same. The students meet monthly to collaborate and discuss current issues that are occurring in the community and the ways to best respond
About the Youth Coalition
The Lewis S. Mills Youth Coalition is a group of High School Students led by the Region 10 Community Wellness Coalition’s Peer Advocate. They meet monthly and create campaigns aimed at their peers on the subject of substance use. Our youth coalition was established in 2017, since then we have increased membership to over 56 students at Lewis S. Mills High School.
The Region 10 Youth Coalition is a club where we use social media, host events and create projects to help with substance abuse, mental health, and keeping Lewis Mills and Region 10 healthy!! Our goal is to make sure every person in Region 10 has a safe space to go to get the support they need!
Join the Youth Coalition
The youth coalition is super low commitment, meeting only once a month to discuss how to address the problems we are seeing in our community!
If you are looking for ways to serve in the community, want to help make LSM and Region 10 safe for everyone, or just want to try something new, this is the perfect thing for you!!
For information on how to join the Youth Coalition as a student or volunteer advisor, please email us.
YOUTH COALITION FUTURE PROJECTS
To get involved in the youth coalition contact Kya Aranha at kya.aranha@outlook.com
Our Past Projects
- Created a “reasons why we don’t vape” PSA
- Attended Youth Prevention Conferences
- Conducted Environmental Scans of the Community
- Painted School Murals encouraging positive change in the community
- Created a sticker shock campaign to remind alcohol consumers that serving to minors is illegal
- Attended various community events to increase community familiarity with the youth coalition
- Re-branded the Youth Coalition, creating an official logo
A Recent Project - Public Service Annouincement
Region 10 Youth - Take Care
Check It Out!
Youth Coalition In Action
Our Youth Coalition just created an Anti-Vaping PSA (Public Service Announcement).
Suicide Prevention
In 2018 the Region 10 Community Wellness Coalition and Region 10 School District were awarded a 2-year grant for the purposes of implementing evidence-based suicide prevention programs within the school and community. Since then, Region 10 Elementary schools have piloted “Gizmo’s Pawesome Guide to Awesome” Children’s Mental Wellness Curriculum beginning with two grades in 2018 and in every grade in 2019. Learn more about Gizmo and Suicide Prevention in Connecticut by visiting preventsuicidect.org
The grant has also allowed Region 10 to implement Q,P,R, a crisis tool training on how to help someone who may be suicidal. This training has been provided to all teachers and faculty in Region 10 as well as to the community on many occasions. For more information, visit QPRinstitute.com.
Alcohol intoxication greatly increases the risk for suicide by decreasing the inhibitions and increasing depressive moods. Approximately 22% of deaths by suicide happen in combination with alcohol consumption. Acute alcohol intoxication is present is 30-40% of suicide attempts. Opioids like heroin or prescription pain medication were present in 20% of suicide deaths. 10% of suicide deaths involved marijuana.
Increased risk for Substance Use Disorder increases by nearly 50% if a person’s first use happens before the age of 14.Those with a diagnosis of substance use disorder have a suicide risk that is 10 times greater than people who do not. By preventing youth substance abuse, communities are also preventing suicide.
For source information and further reading, see SAMHSA’s 2016 brief, SUBSTANCE USE AND SUICIDE: A NEXUS REQUIRING A PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH
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