School-based Prevention

About 21% of Ohio high school students report being bullied on school property. The consequences of bullying behavior are traumatic and damaging to Montgomery County’s children, youth and parents. Programs that focus on developing communication and coping skills have proven successful in deterring bullying. ADAMHS funded school-based programs are helping students learn to deal with negative emotions and teaches new coping skills that last a lifetime. Learn more about Second Step , PAX Good Behavior Game , PRIME for Life , Pece Pact , and Botvins LifeSkills . 

KnowBullying app

Many children and youth want to feel well liked and included in a group, which can sometimes make them susceptible to bullying and peer pressure. Both behaviors can start as early as preschool and become an even greater risk as young people transition into middle school, high school, college, and beyond. SAMHSA’s KnowBullying app  offers tools for parents and educators to make schools safer and prevent bullying. 

Talk. They Hear You.

Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth in the U.S. Underage drinking and associated problems have profound negative consequences for underage drinkers, their families and their communities. Because children and teens are still maturing, even one alcoholic drink can stunt or prevent crucial development within the brain and body. SAMHSA provides tools to help parents/caregivers and prevention partners to start talking to children early about the dangers of alcohol. There’s even an interactive app to help you practice talking to them. 

Teen Vaping Use on the Rise

The prevalence of use of E-cigarettes among youth is on the rise. In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General has termed vaping in any form an epidemic among young people. Unfortunately, many young people do not equate the product with nicotine or addiction making it even more appealing to them. Catch My Breath, an in-school tobacco awareness and vaping prevention campaign for middle and high school students educates young people about deceptive advertising techniques and teaches them socially acceptable refusal skills to resist peer pressure. Catch My Breath is spearheaded locally by ADAMHS Program Coordinator Bruce Barcelo, one of only seven ambassadors of the inaugural program. Know the risks and talk with your teens about e-cigarettes.

What Parents Should Know

What Teens Should Know

Promise to Hope Maternal Recovery Housing Opens

The first recovery housing program in the county for pregnant women with a substance use disorder was opened in July. It will provide a stable home environment for up to 14 women and babies from the time of identification of an opiate addiction up to one year post-delivery. T he Promise to Hope Maternal Recovery Housing is a partnership between ADAMHS, Miami Valley Hospital and Joshua Recovery Ministries. 

MCPC Wins Grant to Expand Community Prevention of Problem Gambling

The Montgomery County Prevention Coalition was awarded a $20,000 grant to expand the problem gambling prevention infrastructure in Ohio. As Ohio’s gambling landscape changes, the Education and Skill Building to Prevent Problem Gambling: A Community Coalitions Project provides a crucial investment in working to prevent problem gambling. To gauge your risk level for problem gambling, Take the Quiz and visit

Before You Bet.

ADAMHS Proud

Congratulations to Prevention Program Coordinator Ashley Mack for receiving a Certified Prevention Specialist certificate of license from the State of Ohio. Ashley has served in the Prevention and Early Intervention Division with ADAMHS for three years, and is also a member of the Montgomery County Prevention Coalition.

Please be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on the various programs and services funded by ADAMHS. The direct links are below for your convenience.