The County of Santa Cruz Substance Use Disorder Prevention Unit works to empower individuals, families and communities to prevent substance use disorders and support a healthy and safe community. This work is done through meaningful youth-adult partnerships, education, collaboration and coalition building.
Prevention Services Objectives
Substance Use Disorder Prevention Programs
- Santa Cruz County Friday Night Live Partnership
- Santa Cruz County Friday Night Live Partnership includes Friday Night Live for high-school students and Club Live for middle school students. These programs are multicultural and youth driven. They’re designed to prevent alcohol, tobacco and other drug use among young people.
- Impaired Driving Traffic Safety Program
- The Impaired Driving Traffic Safety Program aims to reduce the number of people killed in impaired driving crashes caused by people driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or other drugs. It also aims to reduce DUI frequency through educational, prevention and enforcement programs.
- Impaired Driving Traffic Safety Program Resources
- Thriving Youth and Community
- The Thriving Youth and Community program provides support for cannabis prevention, intervention and cessation for middle and high school students who are either at risk of using cannabis or are currently using cannabis. The program aims to support youth well-being, foster connection between youth and their school and community, and reduce disciplinary incidents. The program also educates and trains adults on how to support youth and build resiliency.
Prevention Resources and Community Groups
- Community Prevention Partners is a coalition of individuals and organizations that mobilize for policy and environmental change to improve community health and safety in Santa Cruz County. The program focuses on preventing substance use disorders and related consequences by reducing youth substance use.
- SafeRx Santa Cruz County is a local substance use safety coalition comprised of entities dedicated to creating best practice guidelines to reduce death from opioid and other substances. SafeRx works toward a healthy, thriving, safe, equitable Santa Cruz County through prevention, increased treatment access (particularly with proven-effective and promising medications for treating substance abuse) and evidence-based, harm reduction practices, to improve community well-being and save lives. Available resources include:
Friday Night Live Partnership
Santa Cruz County Friday Night Live Partnership includes Friday Night Live for high-school students and Club Live for middle school students. These programs are multicultural and youth driven. The programs are designed to prevent alcohol, tobacco and other drug use among young people.
Youth participate in weekly meetings (on their school campus or online) and lead community service projects designed to improve their school and the wider community.
Friday Night Live & Club Live youth:
- Learn leadership and advocacy skills
- Develop meaningful partnerships with caring adults
- Engage in community activities and events
- Build knowledge of community issues and resources
- Create meaningful change in their community
Participation in Friday Night Live and Club Live empowers young people and supports them in making healthy choices free of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
Friday Night Live & Club Live programming is open to all middle and high school students in Santa Cruz County.
“Friday Night Live builds partnerships for positive and healthy youth development which engage youth as active leaders and resources in their communities.” - The California Friday Night Live Partnership (CFNLP) Mission Statement
Contact Us: 831-454-5483 (LIVE)
Thriving Youth and Community Program
Working together to build schools and communities where youth can thrive!
The Thriving Youth and Community program provides cannabis prevention, intervention and cessation support to middle and high school students who are at risk of using cannabis or are currently using cannabis. The program aims to support youth well-being, foster connection between youth and their school and community, and reduce disciplinary incidents.
There are three pathways of available services, depending on need:
- Prevention - Eight weeks of Stanford Cannabis Awareness and Prevention Toolkit and Integrated Youth Development interactive activities.
- Intervention - The Seven Challenges substance use program motivates youth to evaluate their lives, consider the changes they wish to make and succeed in achieving goals.
- Cessation - Eight sessions of Project EX, a smoking/vaping cessation program that teaches goal-setting techniques and enhances self-esteem.
Thriving Youth and Community staff will help determine which pathway(s) is appropriate for each student. Assessments and programming can occur both during and after school.
Anyone can refer students to the program and student self-referrals are encouraged.
To make a referral, complete the confidential referral form:
- (English) https://www.pvpsa.org/tyc-referral
- (Spanish) https://www.pvpsa.org/tyc-referral-spanish
Eligibility:
- Middle and high school students (ages 12-18) qualify for this free program.
Caring & Connected Adults:
Thriving Youth and Community provides training for adults (educators, caregivers, parents and community members) to nurture skills in supporting youth and building resiliency.
For more information about the Santa Cruz County Thriving Youth and Community program, contact:
Sofia Cuentas
Phone: 831-728-6445 ext. 321
Email: sofia.cuentas@pvpsa.org