The Suffield Local Prevention Council (SLPC) was formed in March of this year and is made up of volunteer community members, educators, law enforcement personnel, medical personnel, town employees, parents and concerned citizens. We are working with the Capital Area Substance Abuse Council (CASAC) with a focus on prevention, education and community awareness.
The mission of the SLPC is to have members of the Suffield community; who have the shared goal of increasing substance abuse awareness, working together to provide information on prevention and available help resources while supporting a stigma free vision of addiction as an illness.
Currently Karen Berasi, Superintendent of Schools, Melissa Mack, First Selectwoman, Leslie Offenbach, Youth Services Director, Art Groux, EMS Chief of the Suffield Volunteer Ambulance Association, a number of parents and grandparents, local healthcare professionals, and Captain Richard Brown and School Resource Officer Tom Kieselback of the Suffield Police Department are members of the council.
Our early goals include being a forum to bring together multiple community disciplines to be more effective in information gathering and resource management to increase the awareness and conversations around Suffield of substance abuse concerns within our own community. We promote substance abuse prevention and early intervention within various arenas in the community.
The first program the SLPC sponsored was entitled “Help Your Child Avoid Drug Abuse” and took place in May . During Suffield on the Green the SLPC will be joining up with Youth Services, Emergency Services and the Fire and Police Departments to provide information on the group and about substance use, and other high risk behaviors . The plan is to sponsor an informational presentation on November 17th with topics to include educational, law enforcement and medical perspectives, as well as personal stories of the risks of substance abuse.
Please give consideration to joining the council or just attending our next meeting on September 22, 2016 at 7 p.m. at the Suffield Volunteer Ambulance Association located at 205 Bridge Street . Together we can be so much more effective working to reduce the damage of alcohol and other drug abuse to our families, our friends, and our community . If you are interesting in participating please contact Leslie Offenbach, Youth Services Director, at 860-668-3329 or loffenbach@suffieldtownhall.com.