First Call's Safe & Healthy Schools program supports the healthy development of children and youth through a program aimed at preventing underage and alcohol misuse, adolescent tobacco use, violence, and other risk behaviors. Through education, our goal is to prevent early initiation of substance use that research shows leads to higher levels of misuse in adulthood.

The program serves students attending schools in geographical areas that have been designated as a hot spot area for violence, an area where violence is still a concern, or a school identified by administration as a need for prevention education. First Call's evidence-based Safe & Healthy Schools program focuses on educational prevention. It is delivered at the elementary, middle school and high school levels.

The program's purpose is to impart alcohol and drug use prevention and education for participants. 

The goal of Safe & Healthy Schools is to create a safe and healthy environment for students. To achieve this, First Call utilizes COMBAT funding for our developmentally-appropriate school-based programming in Jackson County. This includes a primary prevention curriculum (Life Skills), a secondary prevention program (Caring for Kids) and one tertiary prevention curriculum (Relapse Prevention).

Caring for KidsCaring for Kids is a targeted prevention program that offers two age-specific curricula meant for children and youth impacted by a loved ones' substance use disorder: CARE (Children At Risk Encounter) for children 6-12 and CAN (Caring for Adolescent Needs) for youth 13-17.

Dependence on alcohol or other drugs is progressive and can be fatal. Caring for Kids seeks to improve quality of life for youth impacted by a loved one's substance use disorder (SUD) and increase life expectancy by reducing risk of developing a SUD. Participants attend psycho-educational groups with these age-appropriate five hour curriculums. The program centers on 1) redirecting the focus from the substance-dependent person to non-substance-using family members; 2) motivating children and youth to make a commitment to healthy choices; and 3) creating a safe place to share and overcome shame and self-blame. 

Life Skills TrainingLifeSkills Training is an evidence-based, universal intervention that offers three, age-specific curricula designed to prevent underage drug and alcohol misuse, adolescent tobacco use, violence, and other risk behaviors. Life Skills training offers tailored programming for elementary, middle school and high school aged students. Participants receive information and education that will help them make positive, healthy choices and focus on reaching personal goals. Sessions focus on alcohol and drug education-Information, family systems, anger management and communication. Life Skills training is a structured curriculum and requires that students participate for all eight sessions, including the pre-and post-test sessions.Relapse Prevention Designed for 6th to 12th grade students, many of whom have known substance use or substance related infractions.

Working with a trained facilitator, who utilizes evidence-based motivational interviewing techniques, participants explore and discuss how to handle current stressors such as peer groups, legal problems, personal feelings, and home life without reverting to the use of drugs and alcohol. Relapse Prevention's targeted curriculum focuses on topics related to 1) create a safe space for teens and adolescents to process their history with substance use 2) identification of triggers, stressors, and causes that focuses on topics related to 1) create a safe space for teens and adolescents to process their history with substance use 2) identification of triggers, stressors, and causes that lead to substance use; 3) development of emotional identification and emotional intelligence to decrease negative reactions to stress; 4) development of safety and relapseprevention  planning to establish tools to prevent recurrence or continued substance use.

The program serves children and youth attending selected schools in Kansas City Missouri Public Schools (KCPS), Center School District, and University Academy in neighborhoods where illicit drug and crime rates are high.

Locations

Click on the window icon (upper right corner) of the map below to expand. List of all program locations is included with expanded view of map. Locations are also listed on this page below the map.