Rx Medication Take Back Day – Saturday, April 28th
Tag: prevention
National Recovery Month ~ Friday, September 26th, 2014 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Th Coalition for a Drug Free Nevada County (CDFNC), Community Recovery Resources (CoRR), and the CoRR Alumni Association join the the voices of recovery on September 26th from 4 to 7 pm in celebration of those who are recovering and the people and organizations who make recovery possible. National Recovery Month (Recovery Month) (http://www.recoverymonth.gov) is a national observance that educates Americans on the fact that addiction treatment and mental health services can enable those with a mental and/or substance use disorder to live a healthy and rewarding life. The observance’s main focus is to laud the gains made by those in recovery from these conditions, just as we would those who are managing other health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and heart disease. Recovery Month spreads the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can and do recover.
FREE Family Fun Event ~ Recovery Happens at The Campus – September is National Recovery Month and recovery is happening…here, there, and everywhere! This year, we speak up and reach out to more than 20 million Americans in long term recovery and share a message of community with the 2/3 of American families who are touched by addiction. There are many paths to recovery, including medical care and other professional treatment, group support, and self-help.
Day’s events will include:
- Bounce House
- Dunk Tank
- Passport Game
- Raffle
- Recovery Rock painting
- Fatal Vision Goggles
- Unity Circle
- Live Music
- Guided tours of The Campus (4:30pm & 6:00pm)
Download flyer HERE
Good News NC shifts perspective at the Silver Springs High School Health Fair
By Melissa Kelley, Prevention AdvocateMay 23, 2014
As fate would have it, I probably have one of the coolest jobs on the planet; Arriving here by choice, chance, and a lot of hard work. I am a Prevention Advocate for the Coalition for a Drug Free Nevada County and Community Recovery Resources (CoRR) where I am just one of the hundreds of community members promoting successful youth and a promising future for all.
As a local outreach person and prevention worker, I just spent the larger part of my day hanging out with some pretty remarkable teenagers at the Silver Springs High School Health Fair. At first, sharing the Good News required explanation: “The Positive is the spirit of hope and community that we all share in the knowledge that, irrespective of our temporary conditions, we can better ourselves, our cultures and the world.” (Dr. Jeff Linkenbach). As simple as this concept seems, it’s actually a much more complex task to shift an entire culture, to highlight the amazing things people do in, for, and through our community.
Why Good News? There are so many ways that positive news can improve our lives by bringing emotional well-being, inspiration and health. We know that we won’t have to look too far in Nevada County to find Good News about people young and old here in our wonderful community.
One thing was evident from my adventure today, high school has changed an awful lot in the last 20 years. As the day went on, I had increasingly more participants who shared their life stories with me…stories of impact from returning home after living in foster care, getting six months clean, qualifying for the Navy, and surviving traumatic experiences like gun shot wounds. What a remarkable group of adolescents: In school and participating in a Health Fair instead of running around on the streets and getting into trouble as the media would have us believe teens are doing at increasing rates. Pay attention adults…this is the future. Our future rests in the hands of these incredible youth who have overcome such adversity that I left the campus feeling motivated, inspired, and blissful at having had the opportunity to bask in the glow of their youthful spirits. My new friends hung out long after the event ended and we talked…future plans, past experiences, the wonder of what tomorrow could possibly bring.
We are constantly immersed in tragic stories—from television news to films, novels and TV programs. Good News NC seeks to shift the tragedy, not ignore reality, but embrace another reality by highlighting what’s RIGHT with our youth and our community as a whole. The inspiring real-life stories we will tell here are stories of faith, hope and love, stories of challenges overcome as well as small unexpected moments of grace.
More importantly, our inspiring true stories are about you and me and by people like us. People who have discovered how to live their lives with more hope and joy and, through their stories and experiences, have helped others to do the same.
This is an opportunity for you to share a piece of your story with others. You can ask for your name to be left out for anonymity and share your story in a general way. Either way… please share. Your light may provide strength and encouragement for someone else in their time of need. The caves you’ve traveled into and come out of with grace and dignity may be just the right words for someone on the verge of losing hope. Continue to recognize the beauty that is all around us in our community and TELL people about it! If you see a teenager picking up trash, thank them. Good News spreads like wildfire if we let it. Let us encourage, uplift, and inspire our community to take action and promote the positive. Good News NC offers change for the better for Nevada County. Let us nurture the seeds of the future so that our children’s children will know that they, too, have the opportunity to shine. After all…nothing grows without sunshine!
Share your Good News story at www.GoodNewsNC.us
Contact: Melissa Kelley, Prevention Advocate
Email: mkelley@corr.us
Phone: 530-273-9541 ext. 226
Recovery Enrichment Series ~ Free Community Events
The Coalition and CoRR are pleased to present a one-of a kind FREE community Recovery Enrichment Series. The focus of this bi-monthly series is to provide FREE education, information, and life enrichment for our amazing community. Beginning in February, 2014, we kicked off the series with renowned speaker Father Tom Weston who spoke about recovery. In April, D.r Christina Lasich presented Foods that Trigger Pain and Relapse with an over-whelming number of community attendees.These events are absolutely FREE to attend and open to anyone who would like to attend. Space is limited so please RSVP right away to reserve your seat ~ Melissa Kelley 530-273-9541 ext. 226; email – mkelley@corr.us
Coming Up SOON in the Recovery Enrichment Series:
Special Guest Speaker, Dr. Helen Crawford: Managing Depression Without Medication ~ Thursday, June 26th, 2014
Being depressed can make you feel helpless. You’re not. With help and support from trusted individuals and settings, there’s a lot you can do on your own to fight back. Changing your behavior — your physical activity, lifestyle, and even your way of thinking — are all natural depression treatments. Do you want to learn natural depression treatments that can help you feel better — starting right now?
Please join us for our third installment of the new Recovery Enrichment Series. Special Guest Speaker, Dr. Helen Crawford: Managing Depression Without Medication. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to be inspired and enrich your journey! Download Flyer HERE
Continuing Education Credits available for the Recovery Enrichment Series: Community Recovery Resources is approved to provide two (2.0) continuing education units (CEU’s): BBS #PCE2459, CAADAC #5-01-456-0215.
June 26th, 2014
5:30pm – 7:30pm
The Campus
180 Sierra College Drive, Grass Valley, CA 95945
Special Guest Speaker, Lucinda Porter, RN presents Hepatitis C: Preventable and Curable ~ Thursday, August
Please join us for our fourth installment of the Recovery Enrichment Series. Special Guest Speaker, Lucinda Porter, RN presents Hepatitis C: Preventable and Curable. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to be inspired and enrich your journey! Lucinda’s books, blogs and articles offer practical tips, humor and encouragement, guiding patients to live well and free from the burden of hepatitis C. For more information, to read her blog, or to connect with Lucinda, visit www.LucindaPorterRN.com, Facebook @LucindaPorterRN, Twitter https://twitter.com/LucindaPorterRN. Download Flyer HERE
Continuing Education Credits available for the Recovery Enrichment Series: Community Recovery Resources is approved to provide two (2.0) continuing education units (CEU’s): BBS #PCE2459, CAADAC #5-01-456-0215.
August 21st, 2014
5:30pm – 7:30pm
The Campus
180 Sierra College Drive, Grass Valley, CA 95945
Special Guest Speaker, Bruce Pardoe: Mindfulness, Live in the present ~ Wednesday, November 5th, 2014
Bruce Pardoe has been practicing meditation in the Vipassana tradition of Buddhism since 2006. During that period, he has focused on intensive long-term silent retreats of up to three months in duration through Spirit Rock in Marin, CA and the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA. His teachers have included the western masters John Travis, Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein. In March of 2011, Bruce founded an inclusive, interactive meditation group named Your Place Too which he continues to lead to this day. In 2012 he was invited to become a teacher trainee at Mountain Stream Meditation Center in Nevada City, CA. In addition to offering talks to the community, he is now leading for the fourth time the 6 week “Beginning Series of Meditation” courses. Bruce also serves dharma practice as the president of the board of directors for Mountain Stream.
Please join us for our fifth installment of the Recovery Enrichment Series. Special Guest Speaker, Bruce Pardoe: Mindfulness, Live in the present. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to be inspired and enrich your journey!
Continuing Education Credits available for the Recovery Enrichment Series: Community Recovery Resources is approved to provide two (2.0) continuing education units (CEU’s): BBS #PCE2459, CAADAC #5-01-456-0215.
November 5th, 2014
5:30pm – 7:30pm
The Campus
180 Sierra College Drive, Grass Valley, CA 95945
Prescription Medication Take Back Day Saturday, April 26th, 2014 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
On Saturday, April 26th , Grass Valley Police Department is partnering with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Coalition for a Drug Free Nevada County in a nationwide prescription drug “Take-Back” day. This program allows members of the public to drop off potentially dangerous, expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs for safe disposal and destruction at the Corner of Neal and South Auburn in downtown Grass Valley.
Previous “Take Back Days” have been very successful in Nevada County. From April 2012 through October 2013, Nevada County residents safely disposed of 1,925 pounds of unwanted and outdated prescription drugs.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Monitoring, securing and safely disposing of medications can prevent the abuse of prescription drugs and protect our environment. Many people are not aware that medicines that languish in homes are susceptible to misuse and abuse. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
It’s also a bad idea to flush unused medications down the toilet as they can get into our water systems. A 2008 study by the Associated Press found traces of pharmaceuticals in tap water across the U.S. and evidence suggest this water pollution may also have negative affects on wildlife.
DROP OFF LOCATION: In Grass Valley Corner of Neal and South Auburn (parking lot across from Safeway in downtown Grass Valley)
WHEN: Saturday, April 26th, 2014 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
For more information on Permanent Safe Disposal Sites, please visit: www.drugfreenevadacounty.org
Contact Information:
Shelley Rogers, Coalition Coordinator: shelley@drugfreenevadacounty.org 530-273-7956
Lt. Alex Gammelgard, Grass Valley Police Department: agammelgard@gvpd.net 530-477-6400
Adolescent alcohol use: Risky behavior and addiction
Preventing underage drinking can be especially tricky because alcohol is an easily accessible, highly available, socially acceptable drug; making it seem somehow less dangerous. And yet research proves otherwise.
- Like drinking and driving, or choosing to get in the car with someone who has been drinking: Nearly 40% of all traffic deaths among 16 to 20-year-olds are alcohol-related.
- Kids who drink are more likely to become sexually active (putting them at greater risk of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases).
- Teen girls who binge drink are 63% more likely to get pregnant in their teen years.
- Students who use alcohol are five times more likely to drop out of school or to believe that earning good grades is not important.
The earlier the onset of drinking begins, the greater the risk of becoming addicted later in life.
- 40% of children who start drinking before the age of 15 will become alcoholics at some point in their lives.
- If the onset of drinking is delayed by five years, a child’s risk of serious alcohol problems is cut in half.
Alcohol is extremely hazardous to the health and safety of our youth, carrying dangerous and even deadly consequences. Underage drinking is also illegal, and by law, carries specific consequences.
Is it a problem? Take a self-assessment quiz and Get Help.
April is Alcohol Awareness Month. To learn more about keeping our young people safe and healthy, check out our website www.drugfreenevadacounty.org or Click HERE to visit our Underage Drinking page.
To submit your opinion in our Community Voices section: 1. Submit up to 250 words 2. Please include your name, email address, and phone number for follow up contact 3. Email submissions to mkelley@corr.usRecovery Enrichment Series: Dr. Christina Lasich presents Foods that Trigger Pain & Relapse
Pain happens but it does not have to happen all the time. If you eat the wrong foods, you’ll likely experience more pain in your life than if you were eating the right foods. So what makes foods wrong or right? What causes food to trigger pain? On April 24th, 2014, I will take the audience on an exploration of pain and things that you put in the grocery cart that might cause pain. And for those that are recovering from chemical addiction, the last thing you want is pain because pain can lead to relapse. Join us for the next installment of our Recovery Enrichment Series because we at Community Recovery Resources do not want pain or relapse to happen to you.~ Dr. Lasich, Medical Director
Please join us for our second installment of the new Recovery Enrichment Series kicked off in February by coveted speaker, Father Tom Weston. We are pleased to announce that the distinguished Dr. Lasich will be presenting on Foods that Trigger Pain and Relapse. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to be inspired and enrich your journey!
Space is limited so please RSVP right away to reserve your seat.
RSVP to:
Email: srogers@corr.us
Phone: 
530-273530-273-7956
About Dr. Christina Lasich
Dr. Christina Lasich, M.D. began her medical career after graduating from the University of California, Davis School of Medicine with honors. Her interests in orthopedics and physical therapy lead her to the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. This specialty field serves those with chronic conditions with an emphasis on improving quality of life and independence. After leaving residency training, she returned to her hometown of Grass Valley, CA to open her practice in 2001. She quickly found an underserved population of people with chronic pain, especially women in pain. Her life, her practice, and her book – High Heels To Hormones – all reflect a philosophy that pain is a signal for the individual to improve habits, life-style, and nutrition. She views pain as the ultimate motivator and that pain is also a doorway to transformation.
Continuing Education Credits now available for the upcoming Recovery Enrichment Series: Foods that Trigger Pain and Relapse, Presented by Dr. Christina Lasich, CoRR Medical Director.
Community Recovery Resources is approved to provide two (2.0) continuing education units (CEU’s):
BBS #PCE2459, CAADAC #5-01-456-0215.
To read more about Dr. Lasich’s remarkable contribution to our community, visit her website. www.healingwomeninpain.com
April 24, 2014
5:30pm – 7:30pm
The Campus
180 Sierra College Drive
Grass Valley, CA 95945
RSVP to:
Email: srogers@corr.us
Phone: 530-273-7956
Click HERE to view and download flyer
Coalition and partners, NCSO and NEO collaborate to prevent underage drinking
The Coalition, the Sheriff’s Department, and NEO are collaborating in a series of interactive school presentations about underage drinking consequences, reasons to choose a drug and alcohol free lifestyle and local fun events and activities. With the help of ABC funding, the Sheriff’s Department is focusing on education, prevention and compliance enforcement to reduce youth access to alcohol and underage drinking. The funding also allows them a unique opportunity to collaborate with the Coalition in outreach and education presentations for local students.
The April 4th presentation at Seven Hills Middle School, opened with a powerful song performed by local NEO musical artist and Youth Coordinator, Hayley Pritchard. Hayley’s remarkable vocal talent has been on display to support NEO and the plans for a youth center for the last three years since she first discovered the powerful duo, Lynn Skrukrud and Halli Ellis, who founded NEO. Hayley and Lynn shared the plans for a youth center in Grass Valley and their hope of promoting a location where youth feel safe, engaged, supported, and essential to community development.
Hayley introduced Nevada County Sheriff Corporal Brandon Corchero and Deputy Micah Arbaugh for an informative presentation about the risks of alcohol use among youth and the potentially very serious consequences for adults purchasing or furnishing alcohol to anyone under 21 years old. With t-shirts as incentive to ask and answer questions, the 5th through 8th graders remained hands in the air and eager to participate.
Students learned that law enforcement officers often go undercover at places where alcohol is sold. They also learn that if they have an incident with alcohol as a minor they jeopardize something very important to them; their ability to have a driver license. The middle schoolers learned about arrests being made for adults purchasing or providing alcohol to a minor and that merchants face fines and can lose their liquor license for selling alcohol to someone under the age of 21.
Shasta Spencer, Youth Prevention Intern for the Coalition for a Drug Free Nevada County engaged the youthful audience by selecting one male and one female attendee to participate in a “Balloon Juggle” activity. The concept, Shasta explained, is that we have responsibilities in many areas of our lives. We have to balance school, chores, friends, family, hobbies, sports, and other interests into 24-hour days. These responsibilities, even for young children can add up quickly leading to a very involved schedule that may seem stressful and unreasonable to the person experiencing all of these tasks.
Shasta demonstrated this experience using balloons. At first, the two balloons full of tasks and day-to-day commitments appeared manageable for the two participants. Once the balloon, identified as alcohol and drug use was added to the equation, the students realized that they could no longer juggle the tasks they needed to perform and responsibilities while keeping the alcohol and drugs balloon in the air.
The assembly concluded with an interactive Q & A session designed to highlight the positive choices teens make and dispel misperceptions of use. Arming students with the truth: Most youth don’t use drugs and alcohol and sharing the Good News: 94% of 7th graders say the DO NOT drink alcohol and 96% report they DO NOT smoke marijuana.
The hope following these presentations delivered at the middle school level is that youth will be better armed with the truth during these critical years where peer influence and disproportionate reporting can influence their decisions and lead them to think that alcohol and drug use is much more acceptable and prevalent than it is. This collaborative partnership between ABC, Nevada County Sheriff’s and the Coalition for a Drug Free Nevada County is reaching out to provide education, awareness, and a better sense of the healthy alternatives available to the youth of our community so that the next generation of adults can be positive role models and share the message of a healthier community…today, tomorrow, forever.
Is it a problem? Take a self-assessment quiz and Get Help.
April is Alcohol Awareness Month. To learn more about keeping our young people safe and healthy, check out our website www.drugfreenevadacounty.org or Click HERE to visit our Underage Drinking page.
To submit your opinion in our Community Voices section: 1. Submit up to 250 words 2. Please include your name, email address, and phone number for follow up contact 3. Email submissions to mkelley@corr.us
As we near the end of 2013, we thought we would reflect on all the ways you have helped to make a difference.
Looking back at a year in prevention…
We’re grateful to you for taking the time to be involved this past year in helping to create a community where young people can thrive and succeed, free from the impacts of substance use. On behalf of the amazing young people in our community, thank you for volunteering. You have emailed, staffed fair booths, collected Rx medications for safe disposal, volunteered at NEO events, provided education and resources, attended meetings and focus groups, webinars and trainings, donated items and shown our young people we care about them and support them in being the best they can be without the use of drugs and alcohol. Here are some highlights of progress made in 2013: 
- Developed first ever Report Card to Community with local data and trends in youth drug and alcohol use. We were encouraged to report declining alcohol use among teens and other progress in addition to our focus on challenges still at hand. Presented Report Card at Community Town Hall with 157 in attendance. View report HERE
- Began campaign to grow positive social norms in our community. We already know Nevada County teens are amazing, but did you know that Most Choose Not to Drink Alcohol? We hung 390 posters that highlight positive student choices at 3 high schools, 2 middle schools, in theatre ads, and on Facebook, websites and other media.
- 119 health care providers and educators in Nevada County have been trained in Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) since 2010. SBIRT is an evidenced based prevention model in which providers screen for risky alcohol and other drug use at a teachable moment and helps them become motivated to change. We also helped regional prevention partners in Truckee and Placer provide SBIRT training for providers in their community.
- This year Nevada County was 3rd largest in state in terms of volume of pounds turned in at the DEA’s Take Back Day. In 2013 alone, Nevada County community members turned in more than 1,910 lbs of expired and unwanted prescription medications for safe disposal. The Grass Valley Police Department makes this possible by servicing Local Safe Disposal Sites at Kmart, Rite Aid, Save Mart and in the lobby of GVPD. Special thanks to the participating pharmacies for being champions in promoting prescription drug safety and helping to keep our kids and our water drug free.
- The Coalition and NEO partnered with Nevada County Sheriff’s and the state department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) to prevent underage drinking in Nevada County. Together we developed the “No Thanks Campaign”, an interactive student outreach program which we presented at four schools to more than 670 students while passing out hundreds of T Shirts.
- Helped to enhance local Youth Safe Havens:
- The HangOut: average of 40 youth participants daily with four adult volunteers daily
- Overtime: average of 74 youth participants on Fridays with 14 adults
- Increased our community’s capacity for preventing youth substance use by training more than 200 youth and adults in prevention, youth leadership and youth development.
- The Coalition and NEO conducted a total of 74 prevention education and awareness presentations in our community and at middle, high school and college campuses.
- The Coalition and NEO hosted a week long celebration of health, called Wellness Week, at Nevada Union. Partnering with the Youth Opposing Tobacco for Health and Peer Advocates Clubs. The festive week hosted daily themes and activities including Spirit Day, which featured a lunchtime golf cart parade with live music; Love is Louder Day, where youth were able to express what they love about themselves; R U Ok? Day based on the global movement to create awareness about mental health; Kick (Cigarette) Butts Day in which youth were are to learn important facts about tobacco use and pie the Marlboro Man; and Laugh More Day aimed at reducing stress and encouraging youth to enjoy life. In addition to the lunch time activities, we brought assembly speaker Jeremy Bates of Revolution Speak to Nevada Union, Park Avenue and Bear River high schools. During his 3 days here, Jeremy was able to lead four assemblies, and student and teacher workshops speaking to a total of 1400 people with his powerful and inspirational story.
Prescription Take Back Day – Saturday, October 26th, 2013
CLICK HERE to Download Flyer