Square One A Community Conversation About Substance Use

Westborough Community to Host Square One:

A Community Conversation about

Substance Use Awareness and Prevention

Free program is open to all, with goal of initiating discussion and identifying community education/support needs related to substance use among all age groups

Rotary Club of Westborough, in partnership with Westborough Youth & Family Services, Westborough Connects and Westborough Public Schools is pleased to host

Square One: A Community Conversation about Substance Use Awareness and Prevention on Thursday, March 28, 2019 Doors open at 5:30.

The program will run from 6-7:30pm with a follow-up Q&A session from 7:30-8pm, at Mill Pond School.

Through joint work and collaboration, these organizations recognized the need for a program that begins to address ever-growing concerns from community members surrounding substance use among both youth and adult age groups.

No one is immune or insulated from this topic, and Westborough is not unique. This program aims to open up a discussion for all to begin to address education and support needs together. Program goals include:

Initiate a community conversation on substance use prevention, substance use disorder and addiction (including a brief look at the issue of Juuling/vaping).

This is the first in a series of programs. It will be a “world cafe” format program with small group discussions led by experienced individuals. Topics to be addressed include the brain chemistry of addiction, increased risk to youth as a result of the developing brain and external forces that fuel addiction.

The program will be moderated by Jason Verhoosky, director of the Wayland Youth & Family Services. Jason has worked in the field of youth development since 2001 and has focused on substance abuse prevention since 2008. Jason has worked as a regional and national trainer for The Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Abuse Services, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, The Office of National Drug Control Policy and The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration.

This program is FREE and open to all, with a recommended age of 14 years or older. It will be held on Thursday, March 28th from 5:30-8pm at Mill Pond School, located at 6 Olde Hickory Path in Westborough. Please come to be part of this important first step in addressing the critical issues of substance use disorder and addiction for our community.

Pre-registration opens March 5th and is requested but not required. For more information and to register, please visit: www.westboroughconnects.org/programs

Media contact: Julia O’Neil Welch, Westborough Youth & Family Services, 508-366-3090