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Mary is your Regional Substance Abuse Prevention Consultant. She works with community groups, schools, human service agencies, hospitals, law enforcement, parents and youth. The purpose of this work is to educate communities about the risks of alcohol and other drug use and to reduce misuse among youth, young adults and adults through:

  • Community organizing

  • Program planning and consultation

  • Presentations and training

  • Community grants information and guidance

  • Information and referral

 

Prevention Works!

Community Organization Focuses on Preventing Alcohol and Other Drug Use

Franklin County Caring Communities provide coordination of prevention partnerships in our community. These partnerships aim to reduce underage drinking, binge drinking, prescription drug misuse and cannabis use by promoting municipal policy changes, providing opportunities for education and providing referrals to local resources.

Below are the community partners in our area. Contact them to find out what they do and how you can get involved!

Community Partners

 

Talking to your kids about alcohol and Other Drugs

PARENT UPUsing alcohol and other drugs in early life can have a negative impact on your child’s health now, and later on by impacting proper brain development and creating other risks. You are their #1 influence. Parent Up Vermont has tips on how to start and continue to have conversations with your children early and often, no matter how awkward.

 

Prescription Drug Disposal

Properly storing and getting rid of unused prescription medications protects your loved ones and the environment. Here are three easy steps:

  1. LOCK: Store your medications in a lock box or locked medicine cabinet.
  2. DROP: Drop off unused medication at a kiosk or at your local pharmacy or police stations. Find a location in your area 
  3. MAIL: Mail unused medication in a pre-paid envelope. Request a free mail-back.

 

Treatment is Effective!

Treatment might look different depending on the level that you need. Find the type of treatment that is right for you or your loved one, what to expect, how soon you can get help and the treatment services specific to youth, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding and older adults.

There are a number of treatment options in your community. Find them, as well as answers to common questions you may have about treatment in the Franklin County Resource Guide

 

People Recover!

There is no wrong door to recovery. It is a life-long journey that is not always a straight line. Find recovery opportunities and supports in your area on our Recovery page.

Franklin and Grand Isle Counties are engaged in collaborative initiatives and capacity-building efforts that rally community partners to join forces in making long-term changes that build a culture of health for the whole community.

Substance Misuse Coalitions and other prevention partners across Vermont aim to reduce underage drinking, binge drinking, prescription drug misuse and cannabis use in Vermonters age 12-25. Coalitions use evidence-based/evidence-informed and/or promising practices and the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) process and model in this work.

Local Highlights

Vermont Youth Project - Missisquoi Valley School District and Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union are participating in the Vermont Youth Project. This project works with the Icelandic Center for Social Research and Analysis (ICSRA) to implement the Icelandic Model for Adolescent Substance Use Prevention. This model is one which draws on our student perceptions about where they live, and then for community members to draw on these ideas so that we can develop environments where substance abuse is reduced.

The Opioid Consortium is a working group that addresses the treatment, recovery and prevention needs of the rural communities of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties. It draws it members from a cross section of agencies that address these issues.

The Franklin Grand Isle Community Partnership is a coalition of concerned members, including representative from the health, education, human services and business communities, who collaborate to help improve outcomes of social well-being for area children, families and individuals.

Turning Point of Franklin County is a community center for people in recovery from alcohol and substance abuse, addiction and addictive behaviors. Located in St. Albans, Vermont, the Turning Point provides a safe, substance-free environment populated by people in recovery who offer peer support at no cost.

Franklin County Caring Communities works with community partners to identify and implement strategies to prevent and reduce substance abuse, especially among youth and young adults, and equip individuals, families, and the community at large to create healthy, substance-free environments where everyone can thrive.

 

Learn More 

 

Contact Us

Mary Pickener - Prevention Consultant

802-524-7918

Mary.Pickener@vermont.gov

Last Updated: