REACH NEWSLETTER
The History of Drug Take Back Day
GET IN THE KNOW: SOCIAL MEDIA & MENTAL HEALTH
by Stephanie Choice-Farkasdi
02 INTERN SPOTLIGHT
Coordinated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA),
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the National Take Back Initiative is a voluntary program
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encouraging the public to return excess or expired prescription and over-the-counter drugs. This event happens twice annually, in the spring and in the fall.
04, 05, 06, 07 YOUTH PREVENTION EDUCATION
08 YOUTH RECOVERY COMMUNITIES
Due to the fact that some municipal sewage treatment plants
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are not designed to treat the improper disposal of unused
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pharmaceuticals, these programs are an environmentally
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supportive method to attempt to avoid the improper disposal of unused pharmaceuticals. As of April 2021, the program has reported the collection of 420 short tons of drugs at 5,060 sites around the country.
REACH PODCAST
16 UPCOMING EVENTS
17, 18 Also too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands, which can have dangerous and tragic results.
FUNDRAISING & SPONSORS
19 CONTACT US
20 APRIL 2022
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Social Media and Mental Health by Stephanie Choice-Farkasdi
Understand that what is seen on social media
Research has shown increased anxiety and
may not always be an accurate representation
depression in our youth from time spent on social media instead of personal interactions with others. Too little time being active and spending time with others while engaging in unchecked social media use can have negative impacts on mental health. Here are some suggestions for protecting mental health in youth.
of a person's experience or life. Don’t be afraid to report a worrisome or hurtful post. Tell a trusted adult immediately if a friend is posting content that worries you or suggests that they may be in a serious situation.
Limit your time on social media platforms. Some platforms like Google and Apple have settings that can help you do this automatically on your phone. Consider what sites and profiles are being visited—if they make you feel some type of way, unfollow them.
"All in all, in-person interaction is much better for mental health than electronic communication." -Jean M. Twenge
Before posting about yourself or someone else, consider if you would make this comment in person. It is wise to remember that what you post will be difficult, at best, to take back or remove. APRIL 2022
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STAFF SPOTLIGHT - OUR SPRING INTERNS Jailene Williams My name is Jailene and I am a student intern at REACH Council. I am currently in the MSW program at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). I have had the opportunity to intern at REACH Council since January 2022 and have learned a lot about myself and youth prevention from my time being here. I am excited to apply my gained knowledge and skills to my career in the future!
James Oxford James Oxford is a Master of Social Work intern from The University of Texas at Arlington. He has lived in Midlothian, Texas since 2001 and attended Midlothian High School. James also served in the Army for six years as a Forward Observer. He deployed to Iraq in 2010 in support of Operation New Dawn. James has two boys, Nathan (11) and Nolan (9). He has completed his undergraduate degree in History and held several private-sector jobs in transportation, distribution, and manufacturing. James values his time with his family and wants to continue serving his community through social work.
Titus Brooks
Titus Brooks was born and raised in Houston, Texas but has recently lived in Arkansas and Missouri. After leaving Missouri he settled down in Dallas, TX to become a middle school math teacher. Since then, Titus married his beautiful wife Karen, started his master's program at UTA, and began his internship here at REACH Council.
Rebekah Phillips My name is Rebekah Phillips, and I am an intern from SAGU. My internship with REACH was the last step of completing my degree, and I will be graduating with an associate degree in religious studies and a bachelor degree in social work at the end of April! My next step is to continue my education and receive my MSW. I hope to work with children in the future, but I am excited for whichever direction the Lord leads me.
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ARTS & CRAFTS Use this 30-Day Family Spring Bucket Challenge to create family bonding opportunities and lasting memories!
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ARTS & CRAFTS
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YOUTH PREVENTION EDUCATION As the spring semester is wrapping up, we want to thank all of our school partners for a very busy semester! Our YP staff were able to facilitate Kids Connection at Miller, McClatchey, Vitovsky, and Longbranch Elementary Schools in Midlothian. They also facilitated the program at Brock, Hajek, and Frazier Elementary Schools in Burleson, and at Stafford Elementary in Italy. The LifeSkills Training curriculum was facilitated at Irvin Elementary in Midlothian and Keene Junior High School. Lastly, we partnered with Walnut Grove Middle School in Midlothian, Nichols and Loflin Middle Schools in Joshua, and Italy High School to facilitate our Too Good for Drugs program.
Switching gears for summer, our YP staff are hard at work planning our annual summer camp program. We are super excited for a week filled with fun activities, exciting crafts, and guest speakers! We also plan to partner with The Boys and Girls Club, Salvation Army, and the Joshua YMCA to help with summer activities. As always, REACH Council continues to partner with Midlothian and Waxahachie Driving Schools to teach young drivers about the dangers of driving under the influence. We look forward to a wonderful summer! APRIL 2022
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YOUTH RECOVERY COMMUNITIES What is Youth Recovery Communities (YRC)? YRC is a free program for youth and young adults ages 13-21 who want to participate in safe and fun sober activities that promote a recovery lifestyle from substance use and learn leadership and teamwork skills through community outreach events with other youth and young adults. YRC also supports the entire family through the recovery process. YRC STAFF: Peer Recovery Leaders: The Peer Recovery Leaders, though not licensed counselors, work to support and increase the occurrence of long-term recovery from substance use disorders of participants. They draw from lived experience to build rapport and help participants create, facilitate, and maintain short and long term goals. Family Coordinator: The family coordinator is responsible for meeting with family members and engaging families in Youth Recovery Services. The purpose of this role is to support the whole family in the recovery process.
SERVICE DESCRIPTIONS: Individual and Group Sessions Designed to provide participants with positive emotional support to assist with dealing with daily and personal life issues. These can occur over the phone, via Zoom, via text or in person at our office, a school campus (if cleared in advance with school), or a mutually agreed upon location (i.e. coffee shop) Community Resource Connections Peer Recovery Leaders (PRL) will connect participants and make referrals to community resources that match the individual participant’s needs and recovery goals. Sober Social Activities Organized events designed to bring participants or participants and their families together to engage in fun, pro-social activities that do not include substance use with the goal of increasing family bonding, creating pro-social relationships without using substances and having fun.
Referral link:
bit.ly/Refer2YRC APRIL 2022
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COALITION & COMMUNITY
JoCo Radio The “REACH Across Johnson County” segment on JoCo Community radio has had some amazing guest speakers over the last 3 months with topics covering Human Trafficking Awareness Month in January, Teen Dating Violence in February, Brain Awareness Month and National Drug Facts Week in March.
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COALITION & COMMUNITY
In January team members of the Community Program and REACH Across Johnson County attended CADCA’s National Leadership Forum in Maryland. This was an exciting training for the team and it was IN PERSON! The purpose of the Leadership Forum is to help increase collaboration and positive impacts by the coalitions nationwide. CADCA’s Forum is the premier and largest training event for community-based substance use and misuse prevention leaders in the country.
In February REACH Council & Recovery Resource Council collaborated in the BuzzFree Prom Attire Event for Johnson & Ellis Counties. More than 234 students participated and received information on making healthy choices around prom along with a swag bag. There were 112 young ladies who found their dress, and 43 young men finding a suit. Many thanks to our donors, school districts, and volunteers that assisted in making this event possible. Pictures on the next page!
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BuzzFree Prom Attire Event
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BuzzFree Prom Attire Event
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COALITION & COMMUNITY In March REACH Council participated in the Hughes Middle School Parent Night providing information to parents and students on the Dangers of Vaping on March 7, 2022. REACH Council set up at the Bridges Ellis County Resource Expo to provide information on our programs, and to share information on Safe Storage & Disposal of Medications. Team members also attended National Coalition Academy week 1 in Dallas. The National Coalition Academy (NCA) is a comprehensive training program developed by CADCA’s National Coalition Institute and teaches leaders “what they need to know” (the core competencies) and “what their team needs to do” (the essential processes) to establish or maintain a highly effective anti-drug coalition. It was nice to learn hands-on with other coalitions in the country.
Hughes Middle School Parent Night
Bridges Ellis County Resource Expo
National Coalition Academy (NCA) Week 1
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COALITION & COMMUNITY Also in March, REACH Across Johnson County sponsored a Spring Break Family Night with the Center for ASD providing a fun, interactive night for the special needs community as well as revamping the playground area to better accommodate the needs of the students and the community that use the park.
Center for ASD Spring Break Family Night
REACH Across Johnson County is also partnering with the Burleson Public Library to showcase, celebrate, and/or bring awareness to the many perspectives of daily life in Burleson through a photo gallery created from photo submissions through April 17, 2022. APRIL 2022
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REACH PODCAST REACHing Out With REACH is back and better this year, with all new content and topics you don't want to miss. Stay tuned for our month to month conversations surrounding prevention and recovery for all! Each month you can expect to tune in and learn about substance abuse and misuse, programs we offer here at REACH, upcoming events, life skills, tips to promote and sustain a healthy lifestyle, and so much more. Tune in to https://www.podbean.com/pu/pbblog-qbdkp-a69c74 to stay up to date each month. Each podcast we discuss news and topics about things that matter most to us and reflect our mission to "support safe and healthy choices vital to the well-being of our youth, families and community". Join our staff as they uncover tips on prevention and recovery, and create fun conversations focused on their passions and interests in the prevention and recovery field. Make sure you follow us on our social media platforms and subscribe to our podcast streams to stay up to date with the latest REACHing out with REACH podcast. You can tune in via; Apple Podcast Google Play Music Podbean Spotify Stitcher Amazon/Audible Pandora TuneIn/Alexa PlayerFM ListenNotes iHeartRadio Podcast Addict Deezer YouTube
January 2022 https://ReachCouncil.podbean.com/e/overlap-between-human-trafficking-and-substance-abuse/ February 2022 https://ReachCouncil.podbean.com/e/building-stronger-relationships-through-love-and-communication/ March 2022 https://ReachCouncil.podbean.com/e/hopekids-spotlight/ April 2022 Tune in at the end of April APRIL 2022
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UPCOMING EVENTS
REACH Council and Cornhole For Community Presents:
Toss for a Cause Cornhole Fundraiser Big League Dreams in Mansfield's Indoor Soccer Facility July 16th, 2022 12:00pm - 5:00pm Doors Open @11:00am, Bags Fly @12:00pm $40 Early Registration Register now with QR Code or with the link below: bit.ly/tossforacause
**If you are or anyone you know is interested in being a sponsor or vendor for the event, reach out to kristal.whitaker@reachcouncil.org** APRIL 2022
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Our annual Cupid Shuffle 5K Run is postponed until the fall!
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FUNDRAISING & SPONSORS
A big "thank you" to the following Midlothian restaurants for donating gift cards to our YRC Program:
Thank you to Celebration Co. in Dallas for donating dresses to our Prom Pop-up event.
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CONTACT US
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA REACH: @reach.council YRC: @YRC.Reach RAJC: @reachacrossjohnsoncounty
REACH: @reach_council YRC: @yrc_reach RAJC: @reachacrossjohnsoncounty
REACH: @REACHCouncil
CONTACT US Physical address: 208 S. 4th St., Midlothian, TX 76065 Mailing address: P.O. Box 598, Midlothian, TX 76065 Email: Info@ReachCouncil.org Phone number: 972-723-1053 APRIL 2022
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