Healthy Choices Bulletin

National Recovery Month is an observance held every September to celebrate treatment and recovery from substance use and mental health challenges! People living with substance use and mental health issues can lead meaningful, healthy and rewarding lives. PPS is honored to support this work and celebrate recovery and wellness. Below is a list of some of the innovative and exciting programming and supports that are offered here in the Portland area. Many are low cost or free.

Resources for Parents and Families:

• 4D Recovery
• Youth Line
• PUSH Movement - Recovery Skateboarding
• Collective Roots
• The Alano Club of Portland
• HelpingFamiliesHelp.com
  

And if you have time consider joining the Oregon Recovers Walk - Saturday 9/28/24 from 10:00-2:00 at Pioneer Courthouse Square.

Registration and details here.

For those not familiar with Insight, it is the district's primary response to Level A substance use violations. It is a psychoeducational and interactive format for students and a caring adult to review and learn new information and strategies. Topics will include;

• Adolescent brain development
• Information about specific substances
• Understanding more about adolescent addiction
• Strategies for healthy, positive communication

The referral process will remain the same.

1. Complete Level A meeting with student and parent or guardian.
2. Complete Insight referral form, located on the Student Success & Health webpage.
3. Give family a printed copy of the Insight brochure.
4. Student Success & Health then sends a welcome email with the link to the class and instructions.

If you are working with students who didn't complete last year, they will be re-invited and given a new link to the class for this year.

We will have Spanish interpretation available every class and other languages upon request.

Insight is going to continue to be offered in a virtual format.

Families are always welcome to join voluntarily. To help families with this either complete the Insight referral form and indicate that it is non-disciplinary or contact Student Success & Health for assistance.

Email: studentsevices@pps.net
Website: https://www.pps.net/Page/18185

Portland Public Schools is excited to announce that we have been awarded a Drug Free Communities Grant. This funding is aimed at mobilizing communities to identify and respond to the substance use problems unique to their community and change local community environmental conditions tied to substance use.

The two primary goals are;

• Establishing and strengthening collaboration among communities, public and private non-profit agencies, and federal, state, local and tribal governments to support the efforts of community coalitions working to prevent and reduce substance use among youth.
• Reduce substance use among youth and, over time, reduce substance use among adults by addressing the factors in a community that increase risk for substance use and promoting factors that minimize risk for substance use.

In order to meet the requirements of this grant, PPS will be expanding on a small coalition that was started last spring - the Healthy Substance-Free Youth Coalition. If you are interested in joining this exciting, prevention focused work, please complete this short form. The Coalition will be meeting in early fall.

Starting in 2021 a group of students from Roosevelt formed the Upstanders Circle. What is an Upstander Circle? It is a space that builds trust and authentic connection. By centering students and their expertise on their lived experiences, honest conversations can happen around substance use, gambling, and mental health.

To learn more, read this article from the VoA blog.

This fall Substance Use Disorders in Adolescents is being offered through a collaboration between OHSU, the Addiction Medicine Program and the Oregon ECHO Network.

The goal of these 12, FREE, one hour training sessions is to increase knowledge about adolescent addiction and improve care for youth who struggle with substance use. Flier linker here.

Folx can register here and check out the website for more information.