Dear Fellow Alexandrians,

I am writing to ask a favor of you. The State has asked all Virginia substance use prevention coalitions to have their coalition members and other community members complete a survey on the coalition's effectiveness in addressing youth substance use prevention. This survey will take between 15-20 minutes to complete.

Believe me, I know this is a major investment of your valuable time. I promise that your investment will pay off for Alexandria's children and youth. The SAPCA Board will use the information you provide to continue the initiatives and work you think are effective and revise or eliminate any initiatives and work you indicate are not effective. They will also use your information to determine what new initiatives and work should start. The State will use the information to assess the overall effectiveness of coalitions across the state and make any changes needed as well as share trend information with coalition leaders.

Please complete this survey from start to finish in one sitting because you will not be able to return to finish a partially completed survey. Also, to provide the best information for us, please complete all questions.

Please complete the survey no later than June 9, 2021.

Thank you very much for sharing your invaluable input and helping SAPCA.

Best Wishes,

Allen Lomax

Chair, Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria

Latino middle and high school youth that reside in Alexandria are invited to attend virtual focus groups to share knowledge and beliefs about youth substance use and abuse in the Latino community. Participants will be entered into a raffle for a $75 Target gift card. Information shared is confidential. Focus groups will be conducted in English and Spanish and will take place on Zoom during the following dates and times:

Please help us spread the word about these opportunities for Latino middle and high school youth to provide input!

To help raise awareness about this campaign, share these videos on social media and tag three others to share them with your networks. Sample social media posts to share with these videos can be found here.

Teen alcohol use in Alexandria decreased 52% between 2011 and 2019. According to the 2019 Developmental Assets Profile, only 8% of 8th graders, 13% of 10th graders and 29% of 12th graders drank alcohol in the past 30 days. Check out all the videos here and help raise awareness about this campaign.

To learn more facts about alcohol and explore tips for responding to peer pressure, click here.

The school year is coming to a close and upcoming graduation festivities and summer are right around the corner. SAPCA encourages families to talk about how to celebrate safely. Check out these ideas for starting - or continuing - the conversation:

1. Before agreeing to go to an in-person event, have a conversation about family rules and consequences. Topics to discuss together could include:

3. Make your values clear about substance use - particularly underage use of substances - with your children and other parents. Talk about the health, legal and social consequences of using substances like alcohol, marijuana, and e-cigarettes and pledge to keep celebrations for youth substance-free. Know the legal consequences related to underage use of these substances:

What tips do you have for parents and teens looking to start or continue this conversation? Email emma.beall@alexandriava.gov to share what works for your family.

SAPCA Coordinator Emma Beall attended virtual health classes at Bishop Ireton High School, in May, to share information with 9th grade students about the facts and consequences of using alcohol, marijuana, tobacco products and medication.

Students also explored different ways to recognize and respond to peer pressure and concrete ways to manage stress in a healthy way.

Interested in volunteering with SAPCA to deliver these presentations to Alexandria youth? Contact Emma Beall at emma.beall@alexandriava.gov to learn about Facts and Consequences Presenter training opportunities!

On May 20, Resilience Alexandria: Inform. Support. Elevate. (RAISE), Alexandria’s Trauma Informed Community Network, hosted an inaugural summit on trauma and resiliency.

This virtual, free community-wide event focused on the pillars of Equity and Resilience, with three workshop tracks on Racial and Social Justice, Navigating Environments, and Wellness. Click here to watch the summit's Opening Ceremony and enjoy keynote speaker, Dr. Wendy Ellis, kick off the day with a speech on connecting ACEs, Equity and Resilience!

Established in July 2019, RAISE aims to build a more equitable, safe, trauma-informed and resilient Alexandria by informing, supporting and elevating our community and meets on the last Thursday of every month from 10:00-12:00. All meetings are open for anyone to attend. Contact RAISE@alexandriava.gov to learn how to get involved in efforts to build a more trauma-informed and resilient Alexandria.

On May 24, youth and adults from across the region attended a virtual forum about building and sustaining resilience during uncertain times. This event, hosted by the Suicide Prevention Alliance of Northern Virginia (SPAN), featured a panel of youth and adults that shared specific tools and strategies to support resiliency. Panel members included: Meghna, 10th grader at Rock Ridge High School in Ashburn VA, Helen, 11th grader at Alexandria City High School (formerly T.C. Williams), Allen Lomax, Chair of the Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria and the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria and Pastor Gustavo Pacheco, Mclean Bible Church.

Participants learned about the challenges that youth are facing with virtual schooling and the many ways they have learned to cope and stay resilient. Meghna and Helen emphasized talking with a parent or other trusted adult when you're struggling and taking the time to engage in self-care activities. Similarly, Allen and Pastor Gustavo talked about the coping skills and self-care habits they've adopted to remain resilient during the pandemic. They encouraged attendees to reach out to family, friends and professionals if people were struggling.

Twelve workshops will be offered over three days. Some workshops are creative and some are educational, but they ALL celebrate the resiliency and beauty of the LGBTQ+ community in Alexandria! For more information, workshop descriptions, and to register, visit alexandriava.gov/LGBTQ.                       

Let your voice be heard and influence the library! The Alexandria Library Teen Advisory Group is open to youth in grades 7-12 and meets monthly. Participants can earn service learning hours, leadership experience and discuss what the library can do for them. Meetings take place at 7 p.m. on the following days:

Make your voice heard and sign up to attend one of these meetings at alexlibraryva.org/events.

Apprentices also participate in a curriculum aligned with entry level work around career readiness and professionalism and training focused on the skills and credentials needed to grow in the cybersecurity industry. Click here or contact CYAI2024@icf.com to learn more about this opportunity, including how to apply.

emma.beall@alexandriava.gov