The Orange County Department of Education’s Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention program is on a mission to empower as many students, parents and caregivers along with school leaders to curb substance use.
The program’s outreach efforts in the 2022-23 school year reached more than 1,600 students and over 1,700 parents and caregivers. With continued support from the Orange County Health Care Agency, the program is expanding its collaborations with additional school administrators, counselors and community liaisons at local campuses and districts to host awareness workshops at their sites — making prevention a priority and not an afterthought.
Understanding that the topic of opioids and other drugs, specifically fentanyl, is not an easy conversation for students and families to navigate, the department’s prevention team pairs empathy with evidence-based curriculum and interactive learning strategies to prepare young people for healthy and positive outcomes.
“We inform the parents that our goals during these presentations are to help build their awareness, gain knowledge about what their child might be experiencing, and provide them with resources that can help support them and their children,” said Stephan Lambert, coordinator of prevention education in OCDE’s Student Achievement and Wellness Unit.
Adults and students who attend the workshops are encouraged to share their experiences so everyone can learn from one another. Through this effort, the program leaders reiterate that student well-being is the highest priority.
The team partners closely with the Santa Ana Unified and Ocean View school districts to provide health education lessons for students. By combining lively classroom discussions, engaging videos and role-playing opportunities, the program’s team of educators equip students with the skills to resist peer pressure, analyze media influences, make thoughtful decisions and communicate effectively.
“We hope that students are able to utilize the skills that they are taught through the curriculum,” said Lambert. “Ideally, they feel prepared to make their own decisions and have the confidence to stand up for themselves. We hope that they are able to lead positive and healthy lifestyles free from alcohol and drug use.”
In partnership with the Orange County Health Care Agency, OCDE’s Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention program created a resource guide called Prevention: You Make a Difference!. It contains information regarding current drug trends, tips on how to start difficult conversations with students and links to additional resources.
For more information about substance use prevention services or to schedule an awareness workshop for parents and caregivers at your school site, please contact Stephan Lambert at slambert@ocde.us.
Additional resources
- OCDE Newsroom: Here’s what parents need to know about fentanyl
- Orange County Department of Education Fentanyl Resources webpage
- Life is Greater Than Drugs campaign by the Orange County Health Care Agency
- OC Navigator: Mental Health and Wellness Resources and Other Services
- Fentanyl Facts by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- One Pill Can Kill campaign by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration