DARE Conference 2026

We were honored to have the opportunity to speak at the D.A.R.E. Conference and share the mission of Become Their Voice with officers and attendees from across the region.

It was also an incredible opportunity to hear from other powerful speakers, each bringing important experiences, perspectives, and lessons to the conversation. We left with an even greater appreciation for the work D.A.R.E. officers do every day in our schools and communities.

Their commitment to educating, supporting, and building relationships with young people can have an impact that lasts far beyond the classroom, and we are grateful

for the dedication they bring to this work.

Back to School: Pay Attention to

More Than the Backpack

Going back to school can be exciting, but it can also bring a lot of pressure. A new school year may mean changing friendships, academic expectations, sports, social media, bullying, fitting in, and simply trying to figure out where you belong. Even a child who seems excited about school can be dealing with anxiety or stress they have not talked about. SAMHSA encourages families to recognize that returning to school can affect a child's mental health and to make emotional well-being part of the back-to-school conversation.

One of the most important protective factors for young people is connection.

The CDC defines school connectedness as a young person believing that adults and peers at school care about them, their success, and their well-being. Students who feel connected at school are less likely to experience poor mental health and a number of other risky behaviors.

This is a great reminder that sometimes one teacher, coach, counselor, D.A.R.E. officer, parent, or other trusted adult can make a much bigger difference in a child's life than they realize.

As the school year begins, ask more than, “How was school?”

Ask questions that invite a real answer:

• Who did you sit with today?
• What was the best part of your day?
• What was hard?
• Is there anything happening at school that you wish adults understood?
• Who would you go to if you needed help? Then listen.

We cannot remove every challenge our kids will face, but we can make sure they know they do not have to face those challenges alone.

Hidden in Plain Sight:

Helping Adults Recognize the Signs

YSS’s Hidden in Plain Sight trailer is a mobile, interactive educational exhibit designed to help parents, caregivers, educators, and other trusted adults recognize possible signs of substance use among teens. Inside the trailer is a realistic teen bedroom filled with items that may look completely ordinary at first glance.

Participants are encouraged to walk through the space and identify objects, hiding places, or other subtle clues that could indicate substance use or risky behavior.

The purpose is not to teach parents to search through their child’s room, but to help adults become more aware of what they may be seeing and to create opportunities for earlier conversations and intervention.

YSS describes the exhibit as a way to equip adults to recognize warning signs before substance use becomes something more serious. The trailer travels to communities and events across Iowa, making this type of prevention education accessible to parents, schools, professionals, and community organizations.

EVENTS IN IOWA

Events in August:

National Wellness Month

• When: Throughout August 2026
• Where: Nationwide & Iowa Community Wellness Initiatives
• Focus: Encouraging individuals and families to prioritize physical, emotional, and mental well-being through healthy habits, stress management, self-care, resilience, and meaningful social connections. This observance highlights the importance of prevention and overall wellness as key components of mental health.

International Overdose Awareness Day

• When: August 31, 2026
• Where: Nationwide, including communities across Iowa
• Focus: Raising awareness about overdose prevention, remembering those who have lost their lives to overdose, reducing stigma surrounding substance use disorders, and promoting education, treatment, recovery resources, and the availability of naloxone. Communities across Iowa often host remembrance events, educational programs, and memorial activities.

NAMI Iowa Support Groups & Family Education

• When: Throughout August 2026 (Recurring Monthly Meetings)
• Where: Virtual and communities throughout Iowa
• Focus: Providing free peer-led support groups and educational opportunities for individuals living with mental health conditions and their families. These meetings offer encouragement, connection, coping strategies, and resources while helping reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Recovery Iowa Peer Support Meetings

• When: Throughout August 2026
• Where: Communities across Iowa (In-person and Virtual)
• Focus: Connecting individuals and families affected by substance use with recovery meetings, peer support, and local resources. Recovery Iowa promotes hope, long-term recovery, and access to services that strengthen individuals and communities across the state. 

Upcoming September events:

Honoring Recovery Month with Brandon Novak & Expert Panel

• When: September 12, 2026 | 2:30–5:00 p.m.
• Where: Heritage Center, University of Dubuque, Dubuque, Iowa
• Focus: Hillcrest Family Services will host Brandon Novak, known from Jackass and Viva La Bam, as he shares his personal story of addiction and more than 11 years of sobriety. A panel of local experts will follow to discuss addiction in Iowa communities, available resources, and ways families and communities can support recovery. The event is free and open to the public. (University of Dubuque)

Recovery Festival – Des Moines

• When: September 19, 2026
• Where: Riverview Park, Des Moines, Iowa
• Focus: Presented by Kingdom Living, the Recovery Festival is a community celebration of sobriety, resilience, recovery, and hope. The event brings together people in recovery, families, recovery organizations, community resources, activities, and opportunities to celebrate the many pathways to recovery. (Recovery Iowa)

Central Iowa Out of the Darkness Walk

• When: September 20, 2026 | Check-in 11:00 a.m. | Walk begins 1:00 p.m.
• Where: Des Moines Area Community College, Ankeny Campus, Ankeny, Iowa
• Focus: The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Central Iowa Walk brings together individuals and families affected by suicide while raising awareness and funds for suicide prevention research, education, advocacy, and community programs. The event includes an opening ceremony, activities focused on hope and healing, resource tables, honor beads, and a 1.2-mile walk around the DMACC campus pond. (AFSP - Community & Campus Walks)

Iowa’s 4th Annual Recovery Conference

• When: September 21, 2026
• Where: Iowa — location/details to be announced
• Focus: Iowa HHS will host the fourth annual Iowa Recovery Conference during National Recovery Month. The conference brings together recovery professionals, peer-support specialists, people with lived experience, community organizations, and others working to strengthen Iowa’s substance-use recovery system. Additional program and registration details are expected from Iowa HHS. (Facebook)

Cedar Rapids HOPEwalk

• When: September 26, 2026 | Registration 8:30 a.m. | Opening program 9:30 a.m.
• Where: Cherry Hill Park, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
• Focus: HOPEwalk stands for Honoring, Openness, Prevention and Education. This community suicide-prevention event remembers those lost to suicide, supports survivors and families, promotes open conversations about mental health, and raises funds for suicide-prevention efforts in the Cedar Rapids community. (HOPEWalk CR)

NAMIWalks Iowa

• When: September 26, 2026
• Where: Iowa — additional 2026 walk details available through NAMI Iowa
• Focus: NAMIWalks Iowa brings individuals, families, advocates, and community organizations together to raise awareness of mental illness, reduce stigma, support people living with mental health conditions, and strengthen access to mental-health education and support throughout Iowa. (NAMI Iowa)

NAMI Iowa Family Support Group

• When: September 12, 2026 | 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
• Where: Des Moines Public Library, 1000 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa
• Focus: A free, peer-led support group for adults who have a loved one experiencing symptoms of a mental-health condition. Participants can connect with other families, share experiences, learn from one another, and receive support in a structured and confidential environment. (NAMI Iowa)

Make It OK – Talk About Mental Illness Presentation

• When: September 17, 2026 | 3:00–4:00 p.m.
• Where: Iowa / event information through the Healthiest State Initiative
• Focus: Make It OK is a community campaign designed to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness by encouraging open conversations and increasing understanding. The presentation gives participants practical information for talking about mental health and helping create communities where people feel more comfortable seeking help. (Iowa Healthiest State Initiative)

CRUSH of Iowa Recovery Support Meetings

• When: Throughout September 2026
• Where: CRUSH Recovery Community Center, 317 7th Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with select virtual meetings
• Focus: CRUSH offers ongoing peer-led recovery and family support throughout the month, including All Recoveries meetings, SMART Recovery, Family & Friends support, Parents in the Middle, Narcotics Anonymous, Crystal Meth Anonymous, Dual Diagnosis Anonymous, and Wellbriety. Programs support people at all stages of recovery as well as families affected by substance use and co-occurring mental-health conditions. (CRUSH RCC)

Recovery Café Des Moines

• When: Throughout September 2026
• Where: Grace Lutheran Church, 5201 Urbandale Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa
• Focus: Recovery Café Des Moines provides a welcoming community for people recovering from substance use, mental-health challenges, trauma, and other life experiences. The café offers peer connection, recovery support, resources, training opportunities, and a safe place to build relationships and strengthen long-term recovery. (Recovery Iowa)

National Recovery Month

• When: Throughout September 2026
• Where: Nationwide, including communities throughout Iowa
• Focus: National Recovery Month celebrates people in recovery from mental-health and substance-use conditions, recognizes the families and professionals who support them, and reinforces the message that recovery is possible. (SAMHSA)

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

• When: Throughout September 2026
• Where: Nationwide, including communities throughout Iowa
• Focus: A month dedicated to increasing awareness of suicide prevention, reducing stigma around mental-health struggles, recognizing warning signs, encouraging conversations, and connecting individuals and families with lifesaving support and resources. (NAMI)

World Suicide Prevention Day

• When: September 10, 2026
• Where: Worldwide
• Focus: An international day focused on suicide prevention, encouraging communities to talk openly about suicide, increase awareness of prevention strategies, support those affected by suicide, and reinforce that suicide prevention is a shared responsibility. (Wikipedia)

If your organization has an upcoming event and would like us to add it to our newsletter, please contact us.



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Funds go towards education, advocacy, and outreach programs that provide resources to individuals and families affected by mental health and addictive challenges. This includes grants, scholarships, and funding to bridge the gap for recovery programs. Click on the link below for full details.

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Contact Us

Email: DericAndKathyKidd@BecomeTheirVoice.org

Website: BecomeTheirVoice.org