Promoting asset development to engage and empower the youth of Upper Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
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   February 2011  
 Get social with our community!



In This Issue
Social Norms Projects Begin
Message from the Chair
Insight into Assets
Rx Take Back on 4/30/11
Parent Chats Launched
UBHCHY Attends CADCA

Social Norms Projects are Underway to take Upper Bucks Middle Schools by Storm  

The applications have been submitted and the schools have been chosen!   

The following local Upper Bucks County Middle Schools have been chosen to participate in the Social Norms Marketing Campaigns of 2011: Pennridge South Middle School, Palisades Middle School, Strayer Middle School and Milford Middle School.   

The purpose of the Social Norms Marketing Campaigns is to encourage the use of a social norms marketing approach toward supporting positive behavior in middle school students in regards to wise choices and healthy behaviors.  The proposed projects must target a specific attitude and/or behavior and be connected to one or more of the 40 Developmental Assets.     

The schools "street teams" have an average size of 12 student members who will focus on projects varying from substance abuse, bullying prevention and bystander support.   

The results of the campaigns will be revealed later in Summer 2011.  We wish our students most success and luck in making changes in their community!

justCommunity, Inc., is the coordinating agency and fiscal agent for UBHCHY.



justCommunity, Inc. provides leadership in youth development, community mobilization and restorative justice to schools, government agencies and other organizations. Founded and incorporated in 1999 by Lee Rush, justCommunity, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Quakertown, PA.
Message from Ray Fox, UBHCHY Chair

Welcome to the February edition of Upper Bucks Healthy Communities Healthy Youth News!   

 

Thank you everyone for your genuine interest and positive comments about our January newsletter. It is good to know that there are many caring and concerned adults in our communities. This month's issue has valuable information about the activities of the UBHCHY Coalition and we hope you will find it useful. 

 

In this edition you will find an article about our newly implemented Parent Chats Program.  We have begun to offer Parent Chats in our communities.  A way to do this is to invite parents of your children's friends to participate.  Chats are held in the home of a host parent and are a great way to create a network of friends who believe in communicating about the issues of parenting children of all ages.  To request a Parent Chat and help in organizing one, contact  Judi Pason, UBHCHY Coalition's Parent Educator.   

 

Several coalition members attended the 21st Annual National Leadership Forum sponsored by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA).  The workshops and training sessions were well done.  A personal highlight for me was meeting with Representative Michael Fitzpatrick and with key staff members from both Senator Casey and Senator Tommey's offices. 

 

Our next Prescription Medication Take Back Day will be on April 30, 2011 from 10am-2pm.  Most local police departments in Upper Bucks County will be participating once again.  We hope to see you at our third Drug Take Back Day on April 30th!  More details to follow in March.

 

Ray Fox, UBHCHY Chair

Insight into Assets: Positive Family Communication   

This month's highlighted Developmental Asset is Positive Family Communication.  This critical asset is important for families to support their children.  Positive Family Communication is defined as "Parents and children communicate positively and children will seek parent's advice and counsel."   

 

If you remember, last month we found that 71% of our 8th, 10th and 12th graders said that they have a high level of family support.  The percentage for Positive Family Communication drops all the way down to 32% for the same group of young people.   

 

We all have busy schedules that can take away from the quality communication time we need with our children.  We need to make this a priority and we need to make it intentional.  It can take place over the dinner table when everyone eats together.  Many of our young people report that during a typical week their family eats dinner together less than 50% of the time.  Therefore, we all need to make it a point to schedule some time for positive family communication.

 

As parents, we value when our children come to us with concerns and problems rather than going to other sources.  This is possible when we assure them that we love them and care about them.  Opening up communication is important to their well-being and development.

Third Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Scheduled for April 30, 2011 

The next Take Back Day will be on April 30, 2011 from 10am to 2pm throughout Bucks County as a part of the National Drug Take Back Event.  

 

At present, the local police departments are in the process of signing up to participate again.  Richland Township and Quakertown Borough are considering going a step beyond the Take Back program initiative and may plan to have permanent Drug Take Back boxes available in their offices during open business hours.  If anyone would like additonal information about this program, please call Ray Fox, UBHCHY Chair, at 215-536-6649.

Read more about past Drug Take Back Events here
First 'Parent Chats' Meeting Scheduled for March 2011
The UBHCHY Coalition will hold the first-ever 'Parent Chat' night for Upper Bucks Parents, at the private residence of UBHCHY Chair, Ray Fox on March 5, 2011.

 

The Fox family will host five or more families, with light

refreshments, immediately followed by a roundtable discussion focusing on two key topics.  Topics include: 

  • How do we as parents juggle all of the activities our children are involved in?
  • How will we/do we handle the issue of dating with our kids?

Lee Rush, UBHCHY Community Mobilizer, will moderate the conversation among parents and offer information and suggestions to parents as the night progresses.  More Parent Chat dicussions are planned for Spring 2011.   

 

For more information, to attend or host a Parent Chat, contact Judi Pason, UBHCHY Coalition's Parent Educator.  

 

A full Q&A on Parent Chats can be found here 

UBHCHY Coalition Among 2,800 Attendees at National Substance Abuse Prevention Conference Hosted by CADCA

Members of the UBHCHY Coalition joined 2,8000 substance abuse prevention and treatment leaders from across the country at Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America's (CADCA) 21st annual National Leadership Forum. Over four days, community leaders representing community coalitions from around the world connected with their peers and learned new community problem-solving skills.

 

Besides learning the latest strategies to prevent alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, the coalition heard inspiring words from a number of national leaders, such as Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Howard Koh MD, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary of Health for the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, and Arthur Dean, CADCA Chairman and CEO.

(From left to right) Lois Dodson, Ray Fox, Kristin Messina (Indian Valley) and Lee Rush

During the conference, UBHHCY members Lois Dodson, Ray Fox, Karen Richter and Lee Rush had the opportunity to meet and brief Congressional Representative Mike Fitzpatrick and staffers from both Senator Casey and Senator Toomey's office on their concerns with proposed cuts to federal programs for substance abuse prevention programs.

 

"It was so exciting to be able to spend a week in our nation's Capitol, learning and honing our prevention skills so our community can be a better place, one that doesn't suffer from the harms of drug and alcohol abuse," said Ray Fox, Chair of the UBHCHY Coalition. "We've come back reenergized with new strategies under our belt to tackle substance abuse in Upper Bucks."

 

Read the full story here