Monthly Prevention Meetings

No scheduled meetings in June, July & August.

Prevention Partnership

Next meeting - Thursday, September 10 at 4 p.m.

Prevention Council

Next meeting - Thursday, September 10 at 5 p.m.

For the meeting calendar, please click here.

RECOVERY-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY

In our recent podcast, Establishing West Hartford as a Recovery Friendly Community, Gretchen Levitz, West Hartford Prevention Coordinator, discussed what it means to be a Recovery-Friendly community and the meaningful steps West Hartford has taken to address substance use and mental health.

Giving some background on West Hartford being an officially recognized Recovery-Friendly Community, Gretchen shared how raising awareness of substance misuse and mental health disorders, promoting health and recovery by reducing the stigma, and the impact that living in a Recovery-Friendly Community can have on improving the environmental factors necessary for recovery.

Visit the Recovery Friendly Community webpage for more information.

Podcast produced by Maeve D'Arcy, Prevention Assistant, West Hartford Prevention Partnership, and West Hartford Community Interactive.

In November 2025, West Hartford Social Services and West Hartford Prevention Partnership invited eligible organizations to apply for mini grants designed to address the opioid crisis within the West Hartford community. These grants, funded by national opioid settlement funds, aim to support community-based initiatives focused on prevention, harm reduction, treatment access, and recovery support. For a list of mini grant recipients and program information, visit our Recovery Friendly Community page. Here are the programs supported by the mini grants that are coming up in June:

Protecting Youth in a Digital World: The Hidden Risks of AI and Social Media

Tuesday, June 9 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

West Hartford Town Hall, 50 S. Main Street

Artificial intelligence and social media platforms increasingly shape how youth learn, connect, and view the world. While these technologies offer opportunities, they also carry hidden risks from algorithmic influence to deepfakes, misinformation, and digital safety threats. This session breaks down these dynamics in clear, accessible terms, offering actionable guidance on supporting healthier digital experiences for students.

Presenters: Mary McPheat, Founder & CEO of Grounded Logic and Executive Director of Grounded Minds; Marla Daki, LCSW, Founder and Clinical Director of Farmington Valley Counseling Center. REGISTER

Science, Stories & Solutions: A Symposium on the Science and Psychology of Addiction

Saturday, June 13 from 12 to 4 p.m.

Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2080 Boulevard

A special event to advance the understanding and compassion around addiction. Keynote Speaker: Dr. Nii Addy, Yale School of Medicine. Expert talk featuring Melissa Mendez, Senior Director, Wheeler Early Childhood Programs. A light lunch will be provided. Registration required. More information and registration HERE.

Community in Motion: A Seasonal Hiking Series with Lhakpa Sherpa and JFS

Sunday, June 28

Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford (JFS)

Join JFS for the third and final nature-based hike in a series designed to promote emotional wellness, resilience, and community, for those in recovery or those simply seeking connection. Led by Lhakpa Sherpa, a renowned climber who summitted Everest 10 times, the program will help participants explore inner strength, restore confidence, and experience the healing power of the seasons through themes of resilience, hope, and thriving. We will begin and end the walk with a mindfulness practice and the opportunity to learn from Lhakpa. Free and open to adults in our community. Registration opens in mid-June.

Elevate WeHa is a community-based prevention and engagement program through the Prevention Partnership in collaboration with RiseUP for Arts and Youth Recovery CT, designed to strengthen protective factors, reduce risk behaviors, and promote youth wellness across West Hartford.

ELEVATE WeHa Summer Community Events

This summer, we'll be out in the community with giveaways, family-fun creative projects and more! Hang out at our substance-free zone on June 6 & 7 at Celebrate! West Hartford (Booths #426 & #427), Community Block Parties and at our Back to School Bash and Backpack Giveaway. More information HERE.

Upcoming Mural Dedications 
King Philip Middle School - June 9 at 2 p.m.

Sedgwick Middle School - June 12 from 3 to 4 p.m.

Conard High School - Date and time TBD

William H. Hall High School - Date and time TBD

Open to the school communities. Funded by the West Hartford Prevention Partnership.

LAURA STACK'S VISIT TO WEST HARTFORD

Education is the most powerful tool for both parents and students to prevent negative life outcomes and tragedies from high potency THC products, and the West Hartford community was fortunate to hear directly from Laura Stack, a renowned speaker on the topic. She spoke at a special event for parents, educators and community members at Bristow Middle School on May 11 and then on May 12, visited all three middle schools to talk to students.

Laura is Johnny Stack’s mom and the Founder and CEO of Johnny’s Ambassadors Youth THC Prevention, and by sharing her personal story, Laura is determined to start a movement to bring teen marijuana use, mental illness, and suicide into the spotlight. Laura’s impactful presentations, organized by the West Hartford Prevention Partnership, with the support of West Hartford Public Schools, was brought to the West Hartford community by a generous donation from a West Hartford parent who experienced the devastating consequences of high potency cannabis.

For additional resources and information in

West Hartford, please visit:

Emergency Numbers

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress and/or experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, call/text/chat 988.

For 24/7 access to substance use treatment, including detox and transportation, call the Access Line at 1-800-563-4086.

For Adults in distress who are 18 years of age or older, call 1-800-HOPE-135 or 211.

Emergency Police/Fire/EMS

Phone: 911

Confidential Crisis Hotline

Phone: 211

West Hartford Prevention Partnership

Gretchen Levitz

Prevention Coordinator

Town of West Hartford

(860) 561-7571

Gretchen.Levitz@westhartfordct.gov

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