To highlight a few initiatives, this spring we collaborated with Lamoille North to offer a 7 week parent support cafe (there are plans to open this up to the whole Lamoille Valley, restarting in October).  We hired Ashley Hill to be our Youth Coordinator, she has spent the summer attending trainings, getting to know some students, and hosted two Askable Adult workshops (another session coming up!).  We had 8 attendees at the virtual Community Anti-drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) Mid-Year conference - the workshops were amazing!  Staff attended two weeks of the National Coalition Academy and will go to one more in September.  HLV is working with community partners to launch a teacher/school staff appreciation project (watch for those details soon!).  We are continuing the #LiveYourWhy campaign to encourage youth to be their best self and choose activities that energize them - see if you can spot a #LiveYourWhy water bottle and ask the student with it what they like to do?! Alison has been working with the HLV Tobacco Taskforce and is taking the lead on HLV's marijuana forum in collaboration with the Lamoille County Planning Commission - see the details of this exciting event below!  This is just a snapshot... it's been a busy season and we recognize that so much more is needed.

How do we get through seasons of busyness and stress?  We look to resilience. Resilience is defined "as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress — such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors. " by the American Psychological Association.  Resilience is something that we all need right now.  The great news is that experts tell us that resilience can be built!    Simple things start us on the path to building resilience... taking a few breaks each day to breathe deeply and take in the natural beauty around us... calling a friend to chat... setting good sleep routines... taking a walk... drinking water and eating a healthy snack... reading...participating in a faith practice or meditation...  listening to music while you do a mundane chore...  While these may not solve the stress, they provide space to help us process the stressful times.  If you'd like to explore resilience more check out this helpful article from the American Psychological Association, "Building Your Resilience"! In my own life I find that creating space for outdoor time, family meals, daily readings, playing games with the kids, and walks with my husband all help me become more grounded.

Much of Healthy Lamoille Valley's work is about helping our community build resilience.  If you'd like to learn, more please reach out!  jessica@healthylamoillevalley.org or give me a call!  730-6599.

With joy,
Jessica

Jessica Bickford
Healthy Lamoille Valley Coordinator

Cannabis and Your Town:

Considerations for Youth Substance Misuse Prevention

Healthy Lamoille Valley and the Lamoille County Planning Commission are co-hosting this timely event to support our local municipal leaders, decision makers and all those interested in having more information and tools in order to have thorough conversations up front, ask questions and be proactive.

Moderated by Alison Link, Healthy Lamoille Valley Policy and Community Outreach Coordinator.  We hope you will join us and bring your questions and well as your expertise. Please share and invite others.  Get more information and see a full list of presenters on www.healthylamoillevalley.org/cannabis-and-your-town.

Presented by

1. Youth vaping prevention.
2. Developing our tobacco prevention logic model and focus for strategic initiatives moving forward.

We are also looking for some youth who care about vaping prevention and/or cessation who may be interested in reviewing curricula with us. If you know of anyone who may be able to help, or of you want to join one of our two work groups, contact Alison at alison@healthylamoillevalley.org.

Cigarette Buttlers and Smoke- and Vape-Free Yard Signs are Available!

HLV's Tobacco Prevention Task Force and Lamoille Area Youth Council printed 3 different smoke and vape-free signs to offer our community. We are also giving out some cigarette buttlers that are used to collect cigarette butts. You can see pictures of the available designs here.  Pictures of the buttlers are here.

   

Thank you to those who have already reached out to participate. Here are some of those folks: Resource, Robert and Sons Lawn Care,  A+ Auto Repair, Burt’s Irish Pub, N Wolcott Store, local non-profits and multi-unit housing, SPAC, Stowe Bow, and Hyde Park.  Thank you!

If you would like one for a specific spot in your community, your business, your property, or an event, please contact Alison Link, HLV Policy and Community Outreach Coordinator at alison@healthylamoillevalley.org. Signs and buttlers are first come first served.

Attend HLV’s second Askable Adult training to learn, practice, and grow the skills it takes to talk and listen about anything with the youth in your life. Join HLV’s Youth Coordinator Ashley Hill for our second offering of the Askable Adult training on Thursday, September 3rd from 7:00-8:30 pm and Friday, September 4th from 7:00-8:30 pm. Learn effective communication strategies to help strengthen your relationships with the youth in your life in this two part training that will share tips, tools, and tricks to overcoming communication hurdles with the youth in your life. Register for HLV’s second Askable Adult training here, and access electronic materials for the workshop here. Please reach out to Ashley Hill, ashley@healthylamoillevalley.org if you have any questions or require additional information or need any accommodations. 5 Fork and Gavel $25 gift cards will be drawn for those attending both nights.

Workshop: When Words and Actions Clash

Understanding Behavior As Communication

Have you noticed any changes in behaviors or attitudes with the youth in your life since COVID-19? Local youth counselor and social worker Benjamin Newman and Youth Coordinator Ashley Hill partner to explore the language and neuroscience of human behavior to help us all respond in ways that work and move our relationships forward with the youth in our lives.

A multi-part series for parents, caregivers, or those working with youth, participants will learn ways to identify and understand behaviors in new ways. Shifting our perspective can help us understand and use behavior as a starting point to improve communications, and can help our youth learn healthy coping and problem solving habits. Join us on:

September 10, 2020 from 7:00pm - 8:30pm
September 17, 2020 from 7:00pm - 8:30pm
September 24, 2020 from 7:00pm - 8:30pm

Please register here for each week of this series and to learn more about the materials and topics we will cover! 

Call for Prevention Honors Nominations!

Healthy Lamoille Valley is pleased to announce our first annual Prevention Honors Awards.  Please nominate those in your community who have gone above and beyond to support prevention efforts and make our community a better place!  Categories include: Youth, Adult, Group, Business, Nonprofit/community organization, and Other!  Submit your nominations here by September 15th!

During the week of July 27, eight coalition members of Healthy Lamoille Valley attended the virtual Community Anti-drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) Mid-Year conference.  A special shout out to Jessica Dambach of People’s Academy, Judy Watt who serves the Hazen community, Nate and Elli Bickford, two of our youth council members that attend Lamoille Union Middle and High School, and all four of Health Lamoille Valley’s staff.  The conference was all on Zoom and hosted some great workshops!  Favorites included the Youth Leadership Track, 7 Strategies for Community Change, CATCH My Breath- A Rapid Response to the Youth Vaping Epidemic, Podcasting for Prevention, Drug Endangered Children -  The Forgotten Victims, Pride in Prevention and several on alcohol policy trends.  These trainings help spark new ideas of what is possible in our region and the great thing about virtual conferences is that you can go to more workshops! 

Two members of the Lamoille Area Youth Council, Nate Bickford and Elli Bickford, along with Ashley Hill attended CADCA Mid-Year's Youth Leadership Track, an entire conference for youth and their adult mentors, coordinators, or parent support. We heard from a youth coalition in Flint, Michigan about a research project they built to survey black youth in their community. We also connected with another coalition in Texas and shared our #LiveYourWhy project with them because they were excited about having fun and encouraging youth to build positive connections with trusted adults in their communities!