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October 2023 As a cherished supporter of The Collaborative, you have been integral in creating a community resilient to the harms of substance misuse. In a rapidly changing world, the paradox of connectivity through technology has given rise to a silent epidemic – isolation. The Surgeon General’s warning underscores the serious consequences of isolation on…

Let’s give a shout out to the young adults in Bennington County for making the healthy choice an easy choice. Overall, the data shines a positive light on young adults aged 18-25 in our region. Now more than ever, the community’s support of young persons is needed to build upon and keep the positive momentum going.

In late May-early June we will be moving our website’s home to a new web host! We expect at least 48 hours of interrupted service during that migration. If you visit this website and notice it’s down during that time, we encourage you to email or call us for any assistance you might need!

Our Collaborative Camp is now hiring staff for our Summer camp season! We have three open positions to fill. Do you enjoy working with youth? Are you knowledgeable about positive discipline and have the ability to prioritize or manage multiple tasks? Can you seek assistance and delegate when needed? If you answered yes to these questions, we encourage you to apply!

Maryann Morris, Executive Director of The Collaborative received the 2023 Prevention Champion Award announced by Board of Directors Co-Chairs Kathy O’Reilly and Mark Weikert. The award, sponsored by PreventionWorks! VT, recognizes individuals or organizations who work or volunteer in the substance misuse prevention field.

At The Collaborative, we believe in fostering a positive workplace culture by taking a step back from our day-to-day tasks and investing in our team’s growth and development. That’s why we organize bi-annual Staff Retreats, where our team meets outside of the regular workplace to focus on team-building, visioning, brainstorming, goal-setting, and improving communication and collaboration. These retreats provide an opportunity for us to reinforce our core philosophies and create a sense of shared purpose that empowers our team to work together.

This year, Dialogue Night, a hallmark event of RTU programming, was hosted by The Collaborative’s team of school-based reps at multiple events throughout the month of January. RTU is a youth substance misuse prevention and asset-building educational program that incentivizes the healthy choice of not using drugs and alcohol. This year’s RTU program focuses on building a “Community of Preventionists,” grounded in the idea that everyone in the community plays a part in substance misuse prevention.

The Vermont Everyone Eats (VEE) program is a federally funded, short-term pandemic recovery initiative created to help restaurants, farmers, and eaters through the acute economic challenges of the COVID pandemic. The program, which began on August 1, 2020, will end on March 31, 2023.

Our Extended Day Program and Summer Camp program are hiring! Learn more about the job description and visit our Job Opportunities page to learn how to apply.

As the state of Vermont reports a mixed picture regarding substance use among young adults, local nonprofits focused on reducing and preventing substance misuse among youth are working to shape the conversation to focus on healthy behaviors.