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What is the Preventure Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program?

Support the Preventure pilot implementation in Virginia. All donations are DOUBLED through January 3, 2018–matched dollar for dollar by Newman’s Own Foundation. We are very close to our goal. 

Preventure is one of the few adolescent drug prevention programs in the 2016 US Surgeon General’s Landmark Report on Addiction.

Preventure is an evidence-based school program associated with 30-80% reduction in adolescent substance misuse. This intervention focuses on teaching teens coping strategies to manage personality traits that predispose them to addiction and associated high risk behaviors. Personality traits that predispose one to addiction include:

  • Sensation seeking
  • Impulsiveness
  • Anxiety Sensitivity
  • Hopelessness
Read more...

Preventure at one more school in Richmond, VA?

VCU and Beacon Tree will be resubmitting the PreVenture grant to NIH in November. Big grants take a long time and we had to make some changes per the NIH review.

While we wait, we might as well get the ball rolling and implement Preventure at one more school through Beacon Tree. Hanover County, VA is doing one school now, with a grant they got from ABC. That makes them the first in the US. There are two potential schools on the radar. I’ve spoken to one but open to others. Approval will need to happen fast since we … Read more...

500%

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You guys shared the article ‘Can addiction be prevented?‘ so much, Richmond Family Magazine reported back that their visitation had increased by FIVE HUNDRED PERCENT that month. You rock! Your hyper-sharing was certainly appreciated.

Because you shared so much, it got ranked on Google and we received messages from all over about Preventure, the new solution to adolescent drug and alcohol prevention for which we had been soliciting letters of support. I heard from Ohio, Arizona, Maryland and the Caribbean and I had a call with another mental health advocate and the attorney general’s office in Ohio. … Read more...

Goals for 2017

1. Get Preventure mental health and drug prevention initiative integrated in Virginia schools. 

I need parents to say they want this in our area! Tell teachers, call principals. Deadline is Feb 3 for getting letters from 30 principals. If we can get the letters to get the grant from NIDA, this is the program around which we will treat all mental illness and addiction in the future. Emotional learning and life skills training works. This program will have historical significance.

2. ASQ Suicide Screening

Through Beacon Tree Foundation and with the help of the Chesterfield County Suicide Coalition, it’s Read more...

Implementing Preventure

I sold my partnership in my business to focus on mental illness and addiction advocacy full time. Left a successful career to work at a free job. Why?

Virginia ranks 39th for mental health care. Even worse, 49th for treatment of major depression for those 18 and under. That is utterly pathetic. If I want it to change, I have to do something about it. So I am. My son Charles is not just a statistic. He was my son and he died by suicide as a result of addiction and depression.

With a grant, the soonest we’d be able … Read more...

Preventure. Evidence-based school drug prevention program coming to Virginia

An associate professor at the VCU Institute of Drug and Alcohol Studies, Dr. Jasmin Vasilleva is interviewed by Anne Moss Rogers of annemoss.com and President of Beacon Tree Foundation. 

Article on Preventure and how it works. Can Addiction be prevented?

This grant has been submitted!

Presentation on this program is 5pm on December 7, 2016 at VCU. Larrick Center. Free admission and free parking on 8th St.

The evidence-based drug prevention program featured in this New York Times article, The 4 Traits That Put Kids at Risk for Addiction could potentially be coming to Virginia schools. It’s really a … Read more...