Recovery, Education And Action For Healthy Living: Information And Resources From Portland Public Schools Student Support Services

Press release from Portland Public Schools:

May 18, 2021

PPS Student Support Services is proud to support the REAHL Initiative (Recovery, Education and Action for Healthy Living). The REAHL Initiative includes prevention, intervention, counseling and referral to treatment, and recovery support. We are happy to share that we recently added three Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors (CADC’s) to consult and meet with students and families and provide information, education, counseling and other support. To access a CADC, please click here (Español, Tiếng Việt, 中国人, Soomaali, Pусский). Please note that CADC services are available in all languages with the support of interpreters.

In addition to the REAHL Initiative, we also wanted to make you aware of the tragic consequences of Fentanyl, a drug that we’ve recently seen being used by young people in our metro area. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It is typically used to treat patients with severe pain or to manage pain after surgery. Unfortunately, Fentanyl is being sold like other more common drugs such as Oxycontin and Xanax. The pills are made to look identical to the authentic pills that come from your doctor. People who buy these from the internet, social media, friends or dealers believe they are getting one drug, when they are actually getting Fentanyl. Many people across the country have died from overdoses because of counterfeit pills.

We have more information available on the PPS REAHL webpage. Please reach out to us if you have questions, concerns or need help and support. This is an opportunity to speak with your children and remind them that medications are only safe when taken as prescribed from a health provider or pharmacist.

As a parent or family member, there are several things you can do to help your student stay safe and make good choices:

• One of the best ways to protect youth from substances is by having open communication and educating them on the risks of substance use. Listening to them without judging is a critical tool you can provide as their trusted adult.
• Look out for changes in behavior, such as irregular eating or sleeping patterns, low energy, general signs of depression or anxiety, unusual irritability, slipping grades, lack of interest in activities they love, and even drastic clothing style changes. Trust your instincts. If you notice a change, ask about it.
• Talk to your child and monitor their social media use. The online environment provides platforms for people to sell substances. Substances are often offered by someone met online.

We are all navigating a number of challenges, even as the COVID-19 pandemic finally begins to wane in our community. We are here to help you and your student, so please don’t hesitate to access any of these supports. Thank you.

This press release was produced by Portland Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.