The Vashon Alliance to Reduce Substance Abuse has been awarded four grants totaling $32,000 to be used for multiple community safety and training projects.
The grants all come from the state’s Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery, which distributes federal funds to coalitions like VARSA throughout the state. The funds will be used to hold community trainings on how to help those suffering from poor mental health and how to be an ally for members of the LGBTQ community. Funds will also make it possible for VARSA to distribute locking bags for prescription drugs and continue the creation of a database to paint a picture of Vashon’s population and organizations.
The first of the four grants awarded to the coalition was $18,400 meant to fund three Youth Mental Health First Aid Classes. Lisa Bruce, VARSA’s Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative (CPWI) grant coordinator, said all of the classes will be offered between March and June of this year and will teach members of the community how “to deal with people dealing with stress, anxiety — those who are falling apart for one reason or another.”
Bruce likened the training to CPR classes, in that it will teach basic skills that can make a huge difference.
“It’s not health-related at all, it really is just how to act as a step-in,” Bruce said. “Researchers are finding out that those who attempted suicide are saying if someone stepped in and asked if they were OK, that may have changed their mind.”
She said six classes have been offered in previous years and 75 new people can be trained over the course of the upcoming three. She said those who deal with teens — bus drivers, teachers, coaches — are urged to attend.
The second grant deals with prescription medicine and how to keep it out of the hands of children and teens. VARSA was awarded $2,300 to provide islanders with prescription lock bags and overdose prevention materials. The effort will begin with a prescription drug safety event on April 9 at the Vashon Farmers Market.
“We won’t actually be accepting medicine there because we have to have a deputy and pharmacist there. But, we will be handing out bags and information to people. These bags are a first line of defense,” she said.
VARSA will be directing islanders to the prescription disposal dropbox at the Vashon Pharmacy.
A third grant, for $4,600, will pay for OUTSpoken discussions for LGBTQ youth and allies.
Bruce said the organization will work with clubs at McMurray Middle School and Vashon High School to provide the training which aims to challenge bullying, oppression and anti-LGBT violence in schools.
“You don’t have to identify as LGBTQ. You just have to be concerned and want to help,” Bruce said.
OUTSpoken training includes an LGBTQ Youth Speakers Bureau holding a panel discussion about subjects such as coming out, youth empowerment, anti-oppression and being a queer youth of color.
Lastly, the fourth grant awarded to VARSA provides $4,140 to continue a data program to provide a community-wide snapshot of what relevant issues are on Vashon.
“It’s a picture of what’s going on on Vashon, rather than just what VARSA is doing,” Bruce said.
The goal is the data will better define VARSA’s goals and involvement with the other island nonprofits. The funds will go directly to paying for the staffing of the project.
“It’s staffing for someone to sit here and brainstorm and figure out what’s going on and connect with nonprofits and input that into the database,” Bruce said. “If I can pull things up in graphs and charts, that’s way better than a five-page report no one will read.”
VARSA is currently in the midst of the 2017 Parent Resource Series — three lectures by youth and parenting experts addressing how to talk to youth and deal with common youth mental health issues. The next lecture in the series will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 22, at the Vashon High School Theater. Yvonne-Monique Aviva, a drug and alcohol prevention educator, will speak about anxiety and stress in children and how to manage it. The event is free and open to the public.
