Welcome to the School-Based Center for Prevention, Education and Advocacy
The State Education Resource Center (SERC) has created a new centralized School-Based Center for Prevention, Education and Advocacy, developed for grades K-12 funded by the CT Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS).
The Center is designed as a single centralized source for educators, students, families, organizations, and communities to find the most current information and services related to substance use prevention in our youth. Here you will find support and programs, practices, and interventions to mitigate the impact of substance use.
Now Open: Prevention Programming in Connecticut Schools Survey!
All public school districts and non-public schools are invited to participate!
We need your help to gather and share information regarding the prevention programs that Connecticut school districts are implementing around mental health, suicide prevention, substance use prevention, and social-emotional learning. The survey covers which programs are being used, impacts of the programs, and prevention priorities for districts.
SERC is excited to offer no-cost support to districts who indicate interest in the survey.
Discover the new Prevention, Education and Advocacy Collection
News & Announcements
In the News: As more teens overdose on fentanyl, schools face a drug crisis unlike any other
…Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union, warns schools are just one piece of the puzzle.
“We can’t possibly do this alone. This is not a school crisis. This is a community crisis,” says the former middle school teacher.
“So it’s not just educators in schools. It’s parents and families. It’s the communities themselves. It’s every level of government. We have to come together. Too often, the ills of society find the way to our schoolhouse doors, but the resources of society don’t follow them.”
NPR.org
NPR’s All Things Considered discussed the teen fentanyl crisis on August 30, 2023.
New: Mini-Summit 2023!
The School-Based Center is excited to announce a virtual Mini-Summit, happening on May 18 from 8:30-12:30! We hope you’ll join us!
Announcing the School-Based Center for Prevention, Education and Advocacy
The State Education Resource Center has created a NEW centralized School Based Center for Prevention, Education and Advocacy developed for grades k-12 and funded by Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Our culturally conscious services and resources include a NEW online substance use prevention knowledge and awareness course. Engage in learning about prevention through a self-paced course that provides an overview of the science behind prevention, the key components of building a school-based prevention team and tools to evaluate, assess readiness and select the best prevention curriculum and practices for your school or district.
You can register for this complimentary course, by using the link provided: https://serc.info/preventioncourse23.
We have also developed a NEW website! Please check out the School Based Center for Prevention, Education and Advocacy at www.ctserc.org/prevention. Here you will find information regarding our partners in this work, the Library’s Prevention Education and Advocacy Collection, an application to request support and technical assistance and much more!
For more information, please feel free to reach out to Christina Simms, Consultant at simms@ctserc.org or Bianca Irizarry, Consultant at irizarry@ctserc.org.
We look forward to supporting you in your prevention efforts.
In the News: Tackling the fentanyl crisis
Bianca Irizarry was interviewed on NPR’s Where We Live, talking about the Center and what we can all do to help prevent substance misuse.