Grant Funded Initiatives
Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) trainings prepare participants to help individuals who may be developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The training helps participants identify, understand, and respond to signs of addiction and mental illnesses.
Lock and Talk Virginia
Lock & Talk provides services and materials designed to promote safe and responsible care of guns, medications, and other lethal means. In partnership with NWCSB, Lock and Talk was able to reach community members by providing lock boxes, information, trigger and cable locks for guns, MHFA trainings, and other trainings for high school students.
Strengthening Families
The Strengthening Families Program is an evidence-based family skills training for families with youth between the ages of 10-14. Through participation in the program, parents and youth build communication and practice skills via learning games and family projects. This grant serves families in Winchester, Frederick, and Clarke County.
Northwestern Prevention Collaborative
The collaborative is a partnership among three substance abuse prevention coalitions and Northwestern Community Services. Focusing on the heroin/opioid epidemic, the collaborative has dual goals of preventing young people from abusing prescription drugs, and reducing the number of heroin/prescription drug overdose deaths in the region.
Partnership for Success
Through our PFS grant addressing opioid misuse and overdose, we have distributed the following materials to the community:
Our Partners
Working together with coalition partners has increased our ability to impact more of the community.
Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) trainings prepare participants to help individuals who may be developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The training helps participants identify, understand, and respond to signs of addiction and mental illnesses. NWCSB provides youth and adult classes, and partners with facilitators in the community to provide trainings.
MHFA Partners
Check out NWCSB Wellness and Youth Resource Alliance on social media!
Youth Resource Alliance (YRA) is a collaborative effort to provide a comprehensive list of resources for children, youth, and families in our district.
https://youthresourcealliance.org/
Activate Your Wellness Campaign
The Office of Behavioral Health Wellness (OBHW) within the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) is highlighting NWCSB’s Prevention and Wellness work along with community partner Page Alliance
for Community Action as part of their “Activate Your Wellness” marketing campaign.
This campaign promotes wellbeing through awareness messages and calls to action…and is all about representing positivity, growth, and optimism.
“We want Virginians to know that it’s okay if their wellness is not where they want it to be, because even a small step can help create positive change.”
Podcast
Awareness 2 Action
Awareness 2 Action is a podcast focused on promoting wellness through conversation, connection, and action. Join us for thoughtful discussions with individuals making a difference in our community!
OUR HOST
Meet our host, Casey Ludwick!
Casey graduated from James Madison University in 2019, where she studied social work and substance use intervention.
Casey earned her Master’s in Social Work degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2020 and now works as a Community Engagement Director in Richmond, Virginia
She began working with the Northwestern Community Services Board Prevention Department during her time as an undergraduate and has continued to engage with community work as a Prevention Support Specialist.
In late 2020, Casey and the Prevention Department launched Awareness 2 Action, which features conversations with individuals making a difference in their communities.
