Drug and Alcohol Education in Upper School

FCD Prevention Works™ is an international, nonprofit provider of school-based substance abuse prevention services, part of the HazeldenBetty Ford Foundation. Each year, a team of FCD counselors spends a week at Green Vale educating 6th, 7th, and 8th Grades. In small group settings each day, students are equipped with knowledge, understanding, and skills to make intelligent, healthy choices. (Due to the pandemic, the sessions were conducted virtually this year.) Prevention-focused education is proven to work as long as it’s age-appropriate, thorough, and iterative. This is why we devote significant time to this over

three years. Goals include: 1) reduce risk factors that contribute to unhealthy behaviors; 2) nurture and strengthen protective factors; and 3) identify unhealthy behaviors and intervene if necessary. By design, Green Vale teachers are not present for the sessions. The FCD facilitators take time to share their personal stories of substance abuse and recovery and answer questions candidly. They employ a combination of presentation, video, discussion, and role-play. Content areas are addressed differently within each grade level, and include:

Prevention Works.

Drug and Alcohol Education in Upper School

• The progression from use to abuse to addiction and the importance of early intervention • The impacts of specific substances on the adolescent brain • Peer pressure as defined by self-imposed pressure to “fit in” • Thinking critically about media messages • Age-appropriate refusal skills • Current topics such as the opioid epidemic, teen vaping, marijuana legalization, etc.

Most students are surprised to learn that the actual prevalence of drinking, vaping, or other substance use among teens is far lower than they assume. FCD's social-norms based survey reveals that students who suffer the most severe health consequences of use are those who have underestimated the risks of use and overestimated how prevalent use is among their peers. Unlike the fear-based approach many parents recall from the “Just Say No” era, the FCD program is meant to inform with a factual, non-judgmental angle that students respect. Student questions and opinions are encouraged and valued. The FCD specialists establish a level of trust with students, enabling highly productive conversations.

“FCD taught me that there will be pressures when it comes to drugs and alcohol, but knowing to trust yourself to make the right decisions is important." — Bess Bardong