Viable Options in Community Endeavors (VOICE)

Prevention education teaches participants important social skills, that increaseprotective factors, foster resiliency, and decrease risk factors to prevent substance use and misuse and promote behavioral health and wellness. In FY23, we served 8,075 participants in our youth prevention education groups. Our participants completed prevention education programs with an 89% completion rate and 95% success rate. In addition, we participated in 603 community events and provided 2,400 educational presentations to youth and adults combined.

The purpose of the Community Coalition Program is to strengthen resources and toimplement evidence-based, environmental strategies related to substance use andmisuse prevention and behavioral health promotion. VASA accomplished a suicideawareness campaign for text 988. This is an immediate text line for anyonecontemplating suicide. The campaign included billboard signs and yard signs that were promoted on the yards of school campuses in McLennan County and other communityorganizations, and a PSA played on the radio. One policy VASA focused on this year was Narcan awareness and educating school administrators and counselors about having Narcan available on school campuses for staff and student safety. VASA provided educational presentations and activities that addressed behavioral health and sustenance use and misuse to over 1,000 participants. VASA also participated in almost 100 community events. In addition, VASA was able to accomplish various COVID Stress Relief projects and activities to help reduce the stresses associated with the impact of COVID-19 in McLennan County.