Schools

Forum on Substance Abuse Set for Monday Night at Madison High School in Vienna

Unified Prevention Coalition will hold another forum next month at Annandale High School.

Parents/guardians and their middle school and high school students are invited and encouraged to attend together an upcoming “Protecting Against the Realities of Substance Abuse” program. 

Two spring forums, organized by Parents Reaching Out To Educate Communities Together (P.R.O.T.E.C.T.), a task force of the Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County (UPC), will be held – Monday night, March 24 at Madison High School and Monday, April 21 at Annandale High School.

The program is part of UPC’s efforts to reach the community with the signs and symptoms of teenage drug abuse, what actions parents can take and where to find supportive resources. Each forum is open to the community and begins at 7 p.m. A resource fair also is held from 6:30 to 7 p.m.

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“Our program makes an impact on each audience because of the very personal stories of the dangers of substance abuse told by our panel of parents, young adults in recovery, and professionals working in this area,” said Jennifer Lewis-Cooper, UPC’s P.R.O.T.E.C.T. coordinator.

In addition to Lewis-Cooper, other panelists at the Madison forum will include: 

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  • Sarah McDade, parent of a son in recovery 
  • Tayler Gibson, young adult in recovery 
  • Bill Fulton, school resource officer coordinator, Fairfax County Police Department
  • Paula King, intake officer, Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court 
  • Desiree Gordon, clinical supervisor, Falls Church Youth & Family Services, Falls Church/Fairfax Community Services Board
  • Greg Lannes, parent of a daughter who died of an overdose 
  • Greg Richter, parent of a daughter in recovery, will take part in the Annandale forum along with Gibson, Fulton, King, Gordon and Lewis-Cooper.

Monday night's program begins at 7 p.m. The forum “Protecting Against the Realities of Substance Abuse” is set at Madison High School (Warhawk Hall), 2500 James Madison Dr., Vienna. Resource fair will be held from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Hosted by the James Madison High School PTSA. Rescheduled from March 4.

Another forum is set for Monday, April 21 at 7 p.m. “Protecting Against the Realities of Substance Abuse” at Annandale High School (Clausen Hall), 4700 Medford Dr., Annandale. Resource fair will be held from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Hosted by the Annandale High School PTSA.

UPC is a nonprofit organization made up of more than 60 community partners and members, including the Fairfax County Public Schools and the Fairfax County Police Department.

For more information about this program, contact Jennifer Lewis-Cooper at jalcooper@aol.comor visit www.unifiedpreventioncoalition.org.



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