After School Program:  The program is funded through a grant from the ODADAS (Ohio Department of Alcohol & Drug Addiction Services).  The after-school program uses the research-based Second Step violence prevention program at Richland County locations such as Friendly House and the Ocie Hill Success Center. 

The program combines academics with social and emotional learning and focuses to increase the number of youth who delay the onset of first use and decrease the number of youth who have used alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.  Some lessons include:

• Personal safety skills as first prevention steps.
• Children learn to help them stay safe and to help them avoid violence and ATOD. 
• Skills are taught that reduce aggression and increase social competence.
• Impulse control and problem-solving to help children in social situations and to use behavioral techniques to calm down and think before they act.
• Anger management skills.
• Language concepts of key words, card sequence for grade-levels, and main ideas and concept. 

Informed Teens is a group of energetic, creative and focused middle/school students throughout Richland County who believe in living an alcohol, tobacco and drug-free lifestyle and want to promote that vision to their peers.  During the school year students have an opportunity to attend two day-long retreats at the Richland County Fairground.  There is also an opportunity to be a member of the Informed Teens Advisory Council. 

During the 2009-2010 school year,  iTAC (Informed Teens Advisory Council) will meet in the evenings at the CACY office to plan for retreats and other activities.   Questions, call Nicole Brooks at 419-774-8989 or the CACY office at 419-774-5683.

Parent to Parent Workshop Schedule for 2010:

February 23, 2010 (Tuesday) 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

April 1, 2010 (Thursday) 4:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

June 4, 2010 (Friday)  8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

November 11, 2010 (Thursday) 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

What is Parent to Parent?

• Parent to Parent is a prevention program.
• 8 video sessions aimed at strengthening skills of today's parent.
• Designed for small group settings. 
• Provides opportunities for parents to discuss issues they face in trying to raise safe and healthy children.
• Action-oriented and designed to reach parents, grandparents and anyone who works with or cares for children. 

The program is built around the acrostic, P.A.R.E.N.T. that consists of the following segments or modules:

Put Yourself in the Way

Awareness is Your Best Friend

Remember the Difference

Expect and Inspect

Never Cry Alone

Traps to Avoid

The cost to attend is $25.00 for the workbook fee.

Parent to Parent, Parent's Who Host, Lose the Most and Juvenile Court First Time Offenders Prevention Group are trainings to help young people avoid tobacco, alcohol and other drug problems by training their parents/guardians.  The workshops produce the single most effective weapon in the fight against tobacco, alcohol, drugs and violence - an effectively training mother and/or father, grandparent, foster parent or guardian. 

Mark Your Calendars! The next Richland County Prevention Partnership meeting is scheduled from 8 a.m. - 9 a.m. on March 26, 2010 at the Richland County Longview Center Room 235 1495 W. Longview Ave. in Mansfield, Ohio.   Sign-in begins at 7:45 a.m.

The Richland County Prevention Partnership  is a year-round coalition that focuses on prevention activities, training and education.  The RCPP is a collaboration in our county of residents, businesses, organizations, law enforcement, schools, faith-based organizations and all other interested groups.  The goals are to prevent and reduce violence, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (V/TAOD) in Richland County.  Participants can be involved in the Parent Education Team, Social Marketing Team, Drug Free Month/Kickoff Team, Environmental Policy Team or the Tobacco Prevention Team. 

The entire group meets quarterly and each team meets regularly to plan prevention activities, programs and trainings in Richland County.  The RCPP is open to anyone who is willing to participate. 

P.O.P. is a collaborative prevention program between CACY and the Mansfield City School District for youth in 3rd - 12th grades. It is focused on reducing the risk of unsafe, irresponsible behaviors and choices of young people in our community.  It is a student/family empowerment program designed around several research-based models: "Communities That Care",    "Asset Development",    "Discipline With Dignity"    and    "Circle of Courage".

Youth participate in the LifeSkills Training curriculum and groups.  CACY/POP staff also provides individual meetings with youth to go over grades, behaviors, school credits to graduate and college enrollment forms.  The program is committed to positively influencing students, families and the community by providing a holistic approach to reduce violence, alcohol, tobacco and drug use/abuse. 

POP students and their families are invited to attend CACY Family Night activities and youth can participate in CACY field trips and community service. 

CACY was awarded a Drug Free Communities Federal Grant to assist with this program.  P.O.P. has been supported by the Richland County Mental Health & Recovery Services Board, Richland County Foundation (Summertime Kids Grant), Mansfield City Schools-Inkind Services, United Way, and other public/private funding sources.  

Past Recognition:  In 2005 P.O.P. received the "Service To Science Grant" to help support the implementation of a data-base to enchance evidence-based prevention information.

In 2004 P.O.P. received an exemplary award from the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (O.D.A.D.A.S.) for demonstrating a wide variety of effective violence, alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention programs in diverse communities.    

In November 2008 CACY was awarded  a grant from the Women's Fund of the Richland County Foundation for the Sisters Inspiring Sisters Program.

S.I.S. was established in 2005 in one local middle school to build strength, courage and character in girls through LifeSkills lessons, team-building, exposure to different cultures and images, the arts, skill-modeling and mentorship in order to support them through challenging developmental stages.  The program works to rebuild the mentality and culture of girls being allies instead of enemies. 

The structure of the group is such that group members agree to not participate in gossip, relational aggression and to stand up for each other like SISTERS.  Members are expected to use their words to build one another rather than to hurt or tear another down.  Often consquences and rewards are experiences as a group to help strengthen the group/team philosophy. 

Schools served in 2010:  Hedges Elementary, Brinkerhoff Elementary, Woodland Elementary, Malabar Middle School and Mansfield Senior High School.