Vision and mission
Educating and creating awareness in our communities to prevent and reduce substance abuse and promote understanding of the mental health and wellness needs of our youth.
Research shows there is a direct connection between mental health and substance abuse. Turning to drugs or alcohol often begins as a misguided coping strategy that can, in some cases, spiral into problematic use and addiction. Promoting wellness and mental health awareness provides an opportunity to build resilience. Increasing protective factors such as problem-solving, conflict resolution, collaboration, building an emotional vocabulary, and enhancing self awareness gives the youth in our communities ways to understand their struggles, feel validated, and leads to healthier life decisions.
“The partnership between Upper Saddle River and Allendale is a true win since we share our high school and student/parent community. The intent is to make programming we provide at the regional level through the DFC –M funds to be inclusive of Ho-Ho-Kus and Saddle River students. Our goal is to make our communities safe and drug-free,” said Joanne Minichetti, Mayor of Upper Saddle River. “Prevention is a powerful tool to counteract drug use in our communities, and we will use this funding to help our young people make healthy choices regarding substance use.”
