Prevention Activities

• The Clermont County Mental Health and Recovery Board (CCMHRB), the behavioral health authority for Clermont County, has long supported prevention activities in our community. The CCMHRB provides funding and/or support for prevention activities in several areas:

Drug prevention:  

• Funding for three prevention specialists, employed by Clermont Recovery Center (CRC), a division of Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services, who work in the county to provide drug and gambling prevention education. The prevention specialists work in area schools and apartment complexes, and provide community educational events. Educational events can be scheduled by contacting the CRC prevention program staff at 513.735.8100.

• Funding for implementation of Life Skills Training curriculum in area schools. Life Skills Training is a research-validated substance abuse prevention program that is supported by the Surgeon General. The program has been proven to reduce the risks of alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse, and violence by targeting the major social and psychological facts that promote the initiation of substance use and other risky behaviors. This program provides pre-teens and adolescents with the confidence and skills necessary to successfully handle challenging situations, including being pressured to use drugs. CRC and Child Focus prevention specialists provide the curriculum to elementary, middle, and high schools students in several county school districts. For more information on LST: lifeskillstraining.com 

• Promotion of the “Monitor, Secure and Dispose of” campaign to educate residents on the safe use and disposal of prescription medications. The Opiate Task Force also coordinates the DEA Drug Drop-Off Days twice yearly. The Drug Drop-Off Days allow county residents to safely dispose of unneeded medications to assure that others do not misuse them. Several permanent drug drop boxes have been placed at the Sheriff’s Office and police departments throughout the county. The permanent drug drop boxes provide safe and secure disposal for medications year-round.  LINK TO PAGE WITH DRUG DROP BOXES.
  
• Development and distribution of educational information such as Signs of Overdose cards (LINK), What is Heroin brochures, treatment resources, and fact sheets on the opiate epidemic.

• Implementation of a “Quick Response Team” (QRT) in Union Township. The QRT involves a partnership with Union Township fire/EMS, CRC, and CCMHRB. The team connects to treatment those individuals who have survived an opiate-related overdose. 

• Funding for Project DAWN, which distributes free Narcan kits to county residents at the Clermont Recovery Center. After a brief training on how to use nasal Narcan, county residents can receive Narcan kits. The kit contains information on signs of overdose and what to do following an overdose. Project DAWN also provided funding for local police jurisdictions to carry Narcan. For more information on Narcan kits, please contact CRC at 513.735.8100.
  
• Funding for the 24/7 Clermont County Crisis Hotline. The hotline is staffed with licensed mental health professionals who can provide mental health assessment, crisis intervention, and information and referral for mental health and substance use disorder treatment.  
  
• Promotion of After Prom events at area high schools through coordination with the Coalition for a Drug-Free Clermont County. After Prom events encourage youth to participate in a drug-free event that is fun and safe. Traditionally, prom season sees an increase in underage drinking and more youth traffic accidents related to alcohol. 

• Promotion of “Parents Who Host Lose the Most” education campaign in collaboration with the Coalition for a Drug-Free Clermont County. Many parents believe their children will be safe if they are allowed to drink at home. In fact, it is illegal to host parties with alcohol for minors. For more information on this campaign, go to https://preventionactionalliance.org/about/programs/parents-who-host-lose-the-most/. 

• Coordination with local police jurisdictions for “party patrols” and shoulder taps. Party patrols involve the police responding to reports of parties where minors may be being served alcohol. Shoulder taps involve testing to see if a store will sell alcohol to minors.
  
• These prevention projects are funded through grants and the local levy. Other drug prevention activities are funded through the Coalition for a Drug-Free Clermont County and Clermont County Public Health.