On Saturday April 22, 2023, the Lebanon City Police Department participated in the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) National Drug Take Back Day event. National Drug Take Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription substances, while also educating the general public about the potential for misuse of medications….

The relationship our culture has with alcohol is complicated. 70% of U.S. adults age 18 and over use alcohol. Drinking is paired with activities from 5K runs to cooking or yoga classes. Its negative impacts, however, are far-reaching and often under-discussed. Drinking rates rose during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in nearly…

March is National Problem Gambling Awareness Month–a time to learn more about this silent addiction which effects an estimated 4-6 million adults in the United States. Unfortunately, youth are not immune to issues related to gambling, and for many, their introduction comes in the all-too-familiar form of video games. There are various studies that show…

Any celebration is an opportunity for joy, but the fall and winter holidays–held as the days get shorter–are difficult for many. In addition, thousands in our communities are impacted by the worsening opioid crisis and require our support and caring. There are many reasons for feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed this time of year: waning…

Interns Kaelyn Harris and Amber Aungst with a Leaders of Future Generations group Welcome back to #MUMonday! Kaelyn Harris here, intern from Millersville University. For my second and final post of this series, I am going to talk about the program Leaders of Future Generations (LFG). For those of you that may not know what…

Hello everyone! My name is Kaelyn and I am a current student at Millersville University. I’m interning this semester with Compass Mark and have the opportunity to share with you what I have learned through observing a Compass Mark program called Skills for Life. The focus of my article is on an activity we shared…

School year 2020-2021 was extraordinarily challenging for schools, educators, parents, and students. Youth were separated from friends, extracurricular activities, and classrooms. Additionally, students were distanced from essential school staff members who are sources of support, compassion, and encouragement. During this time, students have reported increased levels of stress and anxiety, interruptions in sleep and eating…

In late 2019, Compass Mark formed an internal staff team to guide the organization’s work around diversity, equity and inclusion. The team had several areas of focus: to plan opportunities for staff education on diversity-related topics; to evaluate areas of potential growth for Compass Mark’s programs, policies, staff and board recruitment, and other areas; and…

One of the most successful public health campaigns in U.S. history has been around cigarette smoking. From the publication of the first Surgeon General’s report on the harmful effects of smoking in 1964, prevention specialists have brought the percentage of Americans who have smoked a cigarette in the past week down to 14% in 2019…