As another academic year comes to a close, we are incredibly proud of our entire team and thankful to all of our partner schools for completing our 6th academic year of prevention programming. Since the inception of our programming in 2019, we have educated over 31,000 students and partnered with more than 95 schools! Each year has brought new opportunities to strengthen our impact, and this one was no exception.
This work is only possible because of the strong partnerships we’ve built with schools across the country. Your commitment to bringing thoughtful, evidence-based substance use prevention education to your students is inspiring. Together, we are helping shape safer, healthier futures for our Jewish youth.
As we approach the 2nd anniversary of our joining with Ohel, we know that much of our growth and success can be directly attributed to the resources and support we have gained through this relationship. In becoming part of Ohel, we can better service the needs of the Jewish community and expand our services in meaningful ways.
Over the past year, we’ve seen an increasing number of questions, concerns, and discussions emerge from both students and educators about a range of behaviors that fall outside substance use. In response to rising trends and direct requests from our students, parents and schools who are experiencing these issues firsthand, CCSA has expanded its prevention programming to address the evolving needs of our community.
Our expanded area of focus has been on process or behavioral addictions, including problematic technology use, gambling, and pornography, all of which have become more prevalent and pose serious risks to our youth. These issues often go undetected, but their impact on mental health is profound. This is why we are developing age-appropriate programming to address these challenges and empower students with the tools they need to stay healthy. By being responsive to communal needs, we ensure that our programs remain effective and impactful.
In addition to new curriculum development, we’re excited to announce an innovative data project we have been working on. CCSA has been collecting and analyzing anonymized student feedback and learning outcomes across participating schools. This project will help us better understand the impact of our programming and identify areas for growth, while giving schools valuable insights into their own students’ experiences and needs.
We are proud to share that thousands of students completed surveys that were administered by CCSA. Overall, students responded very favorably to the intervention. A significant majority indicated that they had learned new information about substance use, were less likely to use substances going forward, and walked away with tools to help them manage challenges. We believe data is a powerful tool for improving prevention work, and we’re eager to share our findings in a way that benefits the entire community.
As we take a moment to reflect on the year, we are filled with gratitude—for the schools that opened their doors to us, the educators who championed prevention education, the parents who support this work, and most of all, the students who showed up with curiosity, courage, and a willingness to learn.
As we look ahead, we’re excited to commence another successful year in just a few months, and even more committed to empowering Jewish youth with the knowledge and support they need. Thank you to all our partner schools for trusting us with this vital work—and for being such critical allies in prevention.
Lianne Forman, a corporate and employment lawyer by training, and her husband, Etiel, founded Communities Confronting Substance Use & Addiction (CCSA) in 2018, due to their own family’s struggles and journey with substance misuse and addiction. CCSA’s mission is to eliminate stigma around addiction and create greater awareness in the Jewish community through educational events, support for families, and providing evidence-based prevention programming in schools for students, parents and faculty. CCSA recently joined Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services to enhance our combined efforts to provide comprehensive mental health services to the broader Jewish community.