YOUTH ADVOCACY RALLY
On November 19th at 5:00PM, V4P held our first virtual Youth Advocacy Rally called Youth Empowering Youth. Juan and Marco Borrego, high school students that founded Vaping Attention to Prevention, took leadership of the event and facilitated the rally. This advocacy rally was facilitated completely by youth for youth. Several youth from across the state took leadership roles for this rally and truly empowered their peers on how important advocacy is and ways they can get involved.
This rally was designed to motivate youth and adults who are already involved as youth advocates or adult youth action team leaders, which it succeeded in doing. During the rally, there were prize giveaways and games infused with providing valuable information to the youth. V4P is extremely proud of all the youth involved in the Youth Empowering Youth advocacy rally and look forward to hosting another youth-led event in the future.
V4P is excited to announce our annual Substance Abuse Prevention Advocacy Day (SAPAD) will be held virtually in 2021. On March 9th adult and youth advocates across Georgia will come together virtually to connect community members with their local state senators and representatives, as well as inform and promote the best practices in the delivery of substance abuse prevention services and advocacy. V4P made the decision to go virtual based on the current state of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Georgia and Governor Kemp’s Public Health State of Emergency guidance. Protecting the health, safety, and well-being of the communities we serve is V4P’s top priority.
V4P will be hosting a Roll-Out event for SAPAD 2021 on January 6, 2021 on Facebook Live. During this event we will be announcing our theme for this year’s SAPAD virtual event, rolling out the registration, providing more information on SAPAD going virtual, and giving away a few goodies. So, do not delay on connecting with V4P’s page on Facebook, under V4PGA. Trust us – you will not want to miss this!
Year-round, we encourage providers to adopt a trauma-informed lens—to use knowledge of trauma and its impact to make decisions about all aspects of their relationships with clients and how they run their program.
During the holiday season, the need for a trauma-informed approach is critical. Everywhere we turn, we’re reminded that it is supposed to be “the most wonderful time of the year.” While for some that may be true, yet for others the holiday season is wrought with triggers such as songs, scents, and rituals. Then there is pressure to conform to particular social and familial expectations, increased presence of alcohol, and more interactions with family and friends. For those experiencing homelessness, the holidays may also serve as a reminder of what does not exist—a home in which to celebrate, cook, decorate, and rejoice. Loss, loneliness, and shame are powerful triggers. (READ MORE)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
SUICIDE PREVENTION
The holiday season can be the most joyous time of the year, but it can also bring about unwanted anxiety and depression commonly referred to as ‘holiday depression.’ While it is misinformation that the suicide rates spike during holiday season, suicide does remain a public health problem that occurs throughout the year. With the development of COVID-19 as a fixture in all Americans lives this year, it has become even more important to maintain a positive and anxiety free holiday season.
During this season suicide prevention providers are continuously thinking of ways to support the suicide prevention community with the best resources available. V4P and DBHDD have collaborated to create Holiday Connections Tips for Providers. This guide lists five tips suicide prevention providers can use to help encourage and promote positivity during the holiday season. Georgia also has the Georgia Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan that can be used to help develop and implement best clinical and preventive practices for suicide prevention.
The CDC National Center for Health Statistics reports that suicide rates peak in the spring and fall seasons, a pattern not tied to the holiday suicide myth. The CDC article used as reference for suicide rates (holiday suicide myth) can be found via https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/holiday.htmla
V4P Free Membership
To become a member with V4P is free. Membership includes exclusive webinars, networking opportunities, and much more. You can also be involved with V4P events via our social media accounts. Our social media handle on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook is V4PGA. So, click that follow button and be a part of the V4PGA experience!
UPCOMING EVENTS
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JAN 06 | Facebook Live SAPAD Registration
Roll-out Event at 2:00PM - JAN 15 | Advocacy Webinar at 2:00PM
- JAN 20 | SP Stakeholder Call at 2:00PM
- JAN 21 | Dover Youth to Youth Training (limited space) at 5:00PM
- JAN 27 | SAPAD substance specific discussion for marijuana and alcohol at 2:00PM
- FEB 11 | V4P Member Call at 2:00PM
- FEB 22-24 | OBHPFG Substance Abuse Prevention Conference
- FEB-TBD | SAPAD Substance Specific Discussions: Suicide Prevention & Substance Abuse Prevention Advocacy during COVID-19
- FEB-TBD | SAPAD Substance Specific Discussions: Prescription Drugs/Opioids & Tobacco/Vaping
Share with V4P
Our readers come to V4P to hear and learn what is happening in the world of suicide prevention and substance abuse prevention. We strive to gain as much information as possible to share with V4P members and others across the state because knowledge is power.
V4P wants to hear from you! We invite you to let us know if you are having any future advocacy events, whether it’s a webinar or virtual event that is open to the public that you would like to share. We call on our youth to send in articles and input for ways we can advocate for suicide prevention and substance abuse prevention. If you know of any Office of Behavioral Health Prevention and Federal Grants (OBHPFG) provider activity updates for the state of Georgia, please share them. We encourage all members to let us know if you have any accomplishments of individual members and member organizations that you would like to announce. Click the link below to share and we look forward to hearing from you