BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PREVENTION

Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A) is dedicated to fostering positive youth development through its Behavioral Health (BH) Prevention programs. These aim to equip students with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to make informed and healthy choices, as well as provide alternatives to risky behaviors and develop positive inter and intra-personal skills. 

C&A utilizes several Behavioral Health Prevention strategies to address mental health and substance use among youth. The primary services include: 

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PREVENTION

These groups provide targeted prevention and mental health education within the school setting, helping students better understand mental health and substance use through positive skill building. AoD Groups are available in the following Stark County School Districts:

• Alliance City Schools 
• Canton City Schools 
• Marlington Local Schools 
• Massillon City Schools 
• Plain Local Schools 
• Sandy Valley Local Schools 

School-based Alcohol and Other Drug (AoD) Groups:

This program engages youth in the community to lead and participate in prevention activities, foster leadership skills, promote a healthy and substance-free lifestyle, and increase social-emotional skills. 

SCYLP is a community-based youth-led, adult-guided, program where members support and encourage peers to continue to identify safe and healthy choices regarding mental health and substance use. SCYLP is a safe place for youth to come together to make healthy decisions through planning and implementing various prevention and leadership development activities (i.e. hosting different events for back to school, participating in Canton First Friday’s, and collaborating with schools and other community partners). 

Community-based Stark County Youth Led Prevention (SCYLP):

YMCA Programs

Prevention specialists support after-school YMCA programs across Stark County. They facilitate positive social-emotional activities, educate childcare workers on developmentally appropriate expectations and classroom management strategies, and support students in increasing self-regulation. These efforts aim to decrease childcare expulsion and increase resilience among youth. Our prevention specialists are in the 

following YMCA programs:

• Alliance 
• Canton City 
• Jackson 
• Lake 
• Louisville 
• Massillon 
• Minerva 
• North Canton 
• Northwest 
• Perry 
• Plain 
  

AOD Groups 

Too Good (1st & 2nd Grades)

Length of Program: 10 lessons at 30 minutes/lesson 

Level of Care: Indicated and Selective 

Brief Description: Too Good elementary curriculum builds a foundation for healthy living through fun and interactive learning of essential social skills including setting reachable goals, communicating effectively, and making responsible decisions. The program focuses on developing students’ social-emotional skills and reinforces those skills through interactive, social activities. 

Botvin LifeSkills (3rd-6th Grades)

Length of Program: 8 lessons at 45 minutes/lesson 

Level of Care: Indicated and Selective 

Brief Description: The Botvin LifeSkills Training Elementary School program is a comprehensive, dynamic, and developmentally appropriate substance abuse and violence prevention program designed for upper elementary school students. This highly effective curriculum has been proven to help increase self-esteem, develop healthy attitudes, and improve their knowledge of essential life skills – all of which promote healthy and positive personal development and mental health. LifeSkills Training is comprehensive, dynamic, and developmentally designed to promote mental health and positive youth development.

All Stars Core + Stacked Deck (6th-8th Grades)

Length of Program: 17 lessons at 45 minutes/lesson 

Level of Care: Indicated and Selective 

Brief Description: All Stars Core is a research-based program with the primary goal to delay the onset of risky behaviors. All Stars Core is student-centered and encourages a high level of student engagement and hands-on learning. The program is process-based allowing every group of students to make it about them and for them. All Stars Core features highly interactive group activities, games and art projects, video making, small group discussions, partner work and a celebration ceremony. A guardian component encourages youth to interact with guardian or other trusted adults through four conversations throughout the program.

CAST (Coping and Support Training) + Stacked Deck (9th-12th Grades) 

Length of Program: 15 lessons at 45 minutes/lesson 

Level of Care: Indicated and Selective 

Brief Description: Coping and Support Training (CAST) is a proven prevention program for high-school aged youth. It is embedded in a positive-peer group culture, designed for smaller groups of 6-8 youth. The CAST group learns to gain competence and support each other in four skill areas: Building Self Esteem, Setting Goals and Monitoring, Decision Making, & Personal Control. 

Each of the above curriculum allows for Alternative Activities: each group will have opportunities for students to be included in substance free activities as well as receive additional supports. Alternative lessons and activities can include: community service projects, school service projects, supplemental education, promotion and awareness of substance use prevention, etc. 

Examples: 

- Creation and distribution of substance use awareness campaigns and posters 

- School service projects (assisting maintenance staff, clothing drives, substance abuse awareness art installations, etc.) 

- Acts of kindness for students and staff 

- Presence at school events (Family Fun Night, Open House, Conferences, etc.) 

- Further education on alcohol and marijuana use prevention 

- Engaging students in fun, safe, and substance free activities 

Referral/Recruitment:

Students with the following ARE recommended for BH Prevention Services: 

• Students with heightened risk factors 
• Students caught using a substance 
• Students at risk for using substances 
• Students with incarcerated family 
• Students with difficulty with social relationships/friendships 
• Students whose guardians with substance use concern 
• Students who have received school-based mental health consultation/screeners who are not recommended for ongoing treatment services 
• Students requiring additional supports 
• Students who are ready to make positive changes 
• Students who can serve as role models for peers 

Students with the following are NOT recommended for BH Prevention Services: 

• Students already opened to treatment services 
• Students who are chronically absent