This New Year's Eve, as my family always does, we went around the dinner table and shared our New Year's resolutions. A few days before, I felt overwhelmed by the idea of a resolution. I thought of all the things I hope to achieve—personally, professionally, and...
In October 2022, the Wellness & Prevention Coalition started a new five year cycle of funding through the Office of National Drug Control Policy Drug-Free Communities grant program. This competitive award will support collaborative work across sectors in the San...
Substance use prevention has been around for a long time. From the Just Say No campaign of the 80s to the OC Sheriff’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program that provides education to school age youth on the dangers of drugs. What we have learned is that...
For the first time since the closures in 2020, San Clemente High School’s Wellness & Prevention Coalition (WPC) had the opportunity to attend CADCA’s National Leadership Forum in National Harbor, Maryland. With funding from the Centers for Disease Control Drug...
It’s a new year and like many others, you may have made resolutions and are setting goals for 2022. But how do you get started? Research suggests that knowing what you want helps set the intention to work toward it and imagining one’s best possible self-motivates you...
Parents and guardians have been protecting their child from dangers on and off the road for many years and then they suddenly find themselves handing over the keys to the family car during the teen years. While a teen may look and sound like an adult once they get...
Each year when the holiday season rolls around, we are reminded of the heartwarming memories associated with these festive times. However, it is unrealistic to believe that this is the case for everyone. Around this time, it may be easy to feel isolated when everyone...
The Wellness & Prevention Center has been supporting families as they return back to school for five years, and there are some common concerns that we hear from teens, families, and educators each year. I have been in touch with administrators at our middle and...
A recent study published in the Journal of American Public Health reports that 67.7% of youth surveyed reported decreasing or quitting e-cigarette use during the COVID-19 pandemic. This promising trend comes only two years after the US Surgeon General declared youth...
On June 3rd, I had the honor of awarding high school diplomas to the students in the class of 2021 - in person and in front of their loved ones. I was particularly thankful to hold a traditional graduation ceremony for this group of teens who spent the last 15 months...