Genesee County Prevention Coalition Newsletter
April 2020

GCPC April  News & Updates

In response to Governor Whitmer's Executive Order 2020-21 (COVID-19) the GCPC staff continue to work remotely to maintain prevention services and resources to our community. Please reach out to us if we can be of assistance in providing information and support for addressing mental health concerns during this difficult time.
GCPC Monthly Meetings 

** All meetings will be held online through Zoom until further notice. Workgroup members will receive a meeting notification with the Zoom link. **

  • Join us for April's Monthly Coalition Meeting Tuesday, April 14,
    8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. You must register in advance to receive the meeting link.

    To register in advance for this meeting click on the link below:
    https://us04web.zoom.us/meeting/register/v5Mqf-yorzkraLIj4tJuFsyjbWifytZHOw

    After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
  • Prescription Drug Workgroup meets Tuesday, April 21, 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.*
  • Underage Drinking Workgroup meets Tuesday, April 28, 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.*
  • Marijuana/Vaping Awareness Workgroup meets Tuesday, May 5, 9:00 a.m. to 10:30am.*

*If you would like to join a workgroup Zoom meeting and are not currently a member of a workgroup, please contact the following staff to be added to the distribution list.
 
Prescription Drug Workgroup: Lisa - lfockler@theGCPC.org
 
Underage Drinking Workgroup: Emily - efinkle@theGCPC.org
 
Marijuana and Nicotine Workgroup: Kelly - koginsky@theGCPC.org
 

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

Voices for Children Advocacy Center works to intervene the alarming number of children who are victims of abuse by educating, empowering, and enlightening the community, school-aged children, and parents about prevention factors. 
 
Each April the community comes together to recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month to protect children from harm; from abuse, neglect and human trafficking. Due to these uncertain times, April will be a little different this year, but Voices for Children is doing everything in their power to still make this April have an impact for child abuse prevention. Voices for Children 8th Annual Superhero 5k Run and 1k Fun Run is being rescheduled, but there is still time to register  your family/work/church or community team and support local kids. Follow Voices for Children on social media for trainings , videos, coloring pages and other great activities  for your family.

Voices for Children Advocacy Center wants to assure the community that they are still available during these difficult times with resources, counseling, emergency forensic interviews and more--most of their staff are working remotely, their counselors are seeing clients virtually, they are conducting forensic interviews, agency business continues, and their many connections, collaborations and community partnerships, including those with families, are being maintained via technology.  

Conversations for a Better Normal: How the Protective Factors Can Help Navigate the COVID-19 Crisis
 
The Alliance National Parent Partnership Council (ANPPC) with input from other Alliance parent leaders and staff introduces a new tool that will help you facilitate conversations about how the protective factors they have built can help navigate the COVID-19 crisis.  The tool is structured around the five protective factors, with questions focusing on each of the everyday actions. It is designed to help you create virtual conversations with parent groups, colleagues, community members and others. 
 
Every week of April, the Alliance will focus on a specific "Protective Factor". On the 'Parent Voice' page, you will find images developed especially for this purpose and a suggested message that can be copied into a social media post, which contains links to important resources. 
 
 
Virtual Recovery Resources

The  Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) released a  list of free online recovery meeting options where people in recovery can interact virtually with others in recovery .  The list includes programs like Narcotics Anonymous, Smart Recovery, In The Rooms, Refuge Recovery, and Families Anonymous.
 
 
Disaster Distress Helpline

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Coping with stress will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger

For mental health resources, the Disaster Distress Helpline is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year, national hotline dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling. Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
SAMHSA Provides Guidance for Treatment Services During COVID-19 Pandemic 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced that they would provide guidance to ensure that substance use disorder treatment services are uninterrupted during the Coronavirus pandemic. This guidance will allow patient health records to be obtained by treatment providers without the written consent that is usually required. Learn more about  SAMHSA's Announcement .  
 
Global Youth Service Day 

Global Youth Service Day is the largest youth service and civic action event in the world and the only one that celebrates and builds the capacity of all youth ages 5-25 to help our communities and democracy thrive by working together for the common good. 
This year all of the suggested activities have options that can be done at home - individually or with your family .  With everyone staying at home, and parents looking for activities to do with their kids, GYSD (and service generally) can be one of those activities.  
 

The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) Annual Survey of Coalitions (known as the "Annual Survey") is a leading source of information on community-level substance misuse prevention.

The survey provides insights into coalition processes, strategies and activities aimed to reduce substance misuse in efforts to improve population health.  
 
The Genesee County Prevention Coalition proudly participated in the 2020 survey.
 
To learn more about the impact coalitions have on their local community and across the country click on the link to the 2019 Survey results.
 
   
 

The GCPC | Email | Website  | (810) 285-9047
STAY CONNECTED: