Anita Wotkyns, Ravalli County In conjunction with several Ravalli County organizations, including SAFE, Bitterroot Discovery Children’s Museum, The Bitterroot Cares Prevention Coalition, and many others, we held a community family event entitled, “Go Bluey/Denim Day.” This all-day event will support the prevention messaging of National Child Abuse Prevention Month (known in Montana as Strengthening Families …
Beth Regan, Fallon County Fallon Fallon County Prevention Specialist, Beth Regan, set up a table at the Baker Jam basketball tournament providing supplies for children, families and teams to make posters supporting their favorite team or player. A new feature this year was a wheel that players could spin. Whatever number the wheel stopped at …
Substance use among teens often increases during school breaks. Research shows that substance abuse spikes during school vacations, especially in the summer and winter. This trend stands out compared to school months, where structure and daily routines create natural barriers. In contrast, vacation periods remove those boundaries, leaving more time for risky choices. Many young …
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Shared from the CADCA blog post. Two alarming studies were released recently that highlight the association between cannabis use and serious health concerns. One study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, analyzed the information from over 4.6 million individual health records and found that cannabis users were six times more likely …
Logan Nugent, Missoula County In 2021 31.5% of Montana high school students reported that their mental health was most of the time or always not good. (Poor mental health includes stress, anxiety, and depression, during the 30 days before the survey) In 2021 41.4% of Montana high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless (almost every …
Gina Lamb, Phillips/Valley Counties The MSU Extension Office of Phillips County hosted the annual Ag Day celebration. There was a free will offering lunch, pie contest and several display booths from community businesses and organizations were available. Prevention promoted the upcoming State of Mind performance and the Hidden in Plain Sight room presentations that are …
Erin Montgomery, Beaverhead Be The Change Coalition Some amazing youth coalition members traveled to Helena to support a bill that would add e-cigarettes to the Clean Indoor Air Act. They did an outstanding job, showing professionalism and dedication as they shared their voices on such an important issue. A few of them also testified in …
Deborah McNelis M.Ed In most communities today, far too many children are struggling. Whether it’s with mental health challenges, school performance, emotional regulation, social skills, physical health, or feelings of worth, the reality is clear: many children are not doing well. The good news? We have the science and knowledge to change this. Entire communities …
Teens face challenges that can feel overwhelming. Emotional struggles, pressure to fit in, and unresolved pain can take a toll. When mental health problems go unaddressed, they can lead to dangerous consequences. Many teens look for ways to cope, and some turn to drugs or alcohol. Ignoring mental health in teens doesn’t just affect their …
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Anita Wotkyns, Ravalli County Along with the Bitterroot Discovery Children’s Museum and the Hamilton Masonic Lodge, we helped put on a community event we called, “LEGO and Eggo.” We got sponsored food from Costco to have a waffle bar, and the children’s museum put together 8 different STEM activities, all centered around LEGO. I was …
