Bears Bring Comfort to Children of Incarcerated Parents
Our Family Services Advocates give stuffed bears to their clients- children with incarcerated parents. The bears have a recording inside with their parent’s voice on it.
Toxic Stress: Difficult Childhoods Impact Body & Brain
It was the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study in 1997 that made the link between early trauma and illness later in life official. The results overwhelmingly showed that the more significant hardships a person goes through in childhood, the greater…
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Building Healthy Brains: There is Life After Trauma
As we learned in our June Mental Health Moment segment, adverse childhood experiences (ACES) can result in toxic levels of stress, which can harm our physical and mental health later in life. This month, we focus on helping children to…
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My Story- A Pathway to Prevention
Early into my childhood, I experienced the sudden and tragic loss of both of my parents in a car accident. In that brief moment, the single most important relationships in my young life were instantly broken… leaving me frightened, confused,…
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Preparing for the Year Ahead with Student Assistance Programs (SAP)
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…
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Compass Mark’s SAP Training Team Receives Certification
Our Student Assistance Training (SAP) Team – Deb, Josh, and Bevan – have successfully met every criterion for the Student Assistance Program state monitoring! This is a rigorous evaluation of our training standards and competencies that happen every two years…
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How to Prevent Addiction Disorders: Learn About Risk & Protective Factors
Prevention of substance use and gambling disorders is NOT simply about telling kids not to do these things. Effective prevention starts with identifying what children and youth in the community need, and then meeting that need with research-backed strategies. Risk…
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Survey of Youth Substance Use
Last month Compass Mark, in partnership with the Lancaster Lebanon IU13, held the annual Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) Summit. This event was designed to teach schools and administrators on how to integrate the PAYS substance use data in local planning.…
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Compass Mark’s Advocacy Team Delivers!
The Advocacy Team at Compass Mark created a packet containing three lessons with corresponding worksheets for students and families to enjoy at home. The lessons taught on personal strengths, time management, and goal setting. Even the cover page offered a…
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Statement on Racial Equity
As an organization dedicated to the prevention of addiction, Compass Mark is acutely aware of the impacts of trauma, violence, and inequity in our community. We grieve the disproportionate loss of life and freedoms experienced by people of color, and…
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