Prevention Alliance of Loudoun
Overview
The Prevention Alliance of Loudoun (PAL) provides mental health, wellness, and substance misuse information, resources, and support to parents and educators. PAL also hosts a variety of events and workshops throughout the year. Explore our offerings below.
Virginia Young Adult Survey
Adults ages 18-25 are invited to take the Virginia Young Adult Survey to share their experiences and opinions on substance use and mental health in their community. This data will help develop health and wellness programming that better meets the needs of young adults in Virginia. The survey is confidential and anonymous and should take about 10-15 minutes to complete. The Virginia Young Adult Survey was developed by the Office of Behavioral Health Wellness (OBHW) at the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.
To learn more about the survey and to take the survey, visit the OBHW’s Virginia Prevention Works website.
Download the Virginia Young Adult Survey flyer.
PAL Youth Group
The PAL Youth group hosts events throughout the school year.
Opioid Abuse Prevention
- Learn the basics of opioids. Opioids: What You Need to Know - English (PDF) | Spanish (PDF)
- Take REVIVE: Opioid Overdose Reversal Training to learn the signs of opioid overdose and how to respond to an opioid overdose emergency.
- Find information and resources available to Loudoun County Public Schools students and their families.
- Explore Know the RxSK Use with Caution to find information and strategies regarding the safe use, storage, and disposal of medications to prevent and reduce the misuse of prescription pain medications.
- Request a free lock box for medications and drug deactivation bags - send an email
Marijuana Use Prevention
- Explore Unfazed to learn the risks of using marijuana as a teen.
Substance Use Prevention
- Explore Talk. They Hear You to learn about the dangers of drinking alcohol and other drugs at a young age.
Suicide Prevention
- Find mental health treatment and resources - in Loudoun County - to help prevent suicide.
- Explore Lock and Talk Virginia to find information and strategies regarding how to recognize and respond to the warning signs of suicide, join community conversations about mental wellness, and restrict access to firearms and poisons during a mental health crisis to help prevent suicide.
- Request a trigger lock or cable lock for firearms or lock boxes for medications - send an email
Our Mission
The mission of PAL is to create a drug-free community. We aim to:
- Achieve sustainable population-level reductions in substance abuse rates.
- Implement communitywide strategies to change problem environments.
- Develop prevention programs focused on serving individuals or groups of individuals.
Who We Are
PAL is a coalition of youth, Loudoun County agencies, faith-based organizations, and other community stakeholders and parents dedicated to mental health awareness and substance misuse prevention efforts. PAL was formalized in 2017 and is made up of stakeholders relevant to the Loudoun County Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services' Prevention and Intervention Needs Assessment mandated by Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS). This informal coalition was formalized to help provide momentum to the strategic planning surrounding mental health promotion and substance misuse prevention in Loudoun County.
The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
PAL is a member of the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA). CADCA defines coalitions as a formal arrangement for collaboration among groups or sectors of a community, in which each group retains its identity, but all agree to work together toward the common goal of a safe, healthy, and drug-free community. PAL includes members from several sectors: youth, parents, business, media, schools, youth serving organizations, law enforcement, civic/volunteer organizations, religious/fraternal organizations, healthcare professionals, state/local/tribal government, and substance abuse organizations.
The Strategic Prevention Framework
PAL utilizes the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) developed by SAMHSA which details how coalitions can create strategies tailored to each communities’ characteristics. The SPF process assists our coalition in developing the infrastructure needed for community-based, public health approaches that can lead to effective and sustainable reductions in alcohol, tobacco and other drug misuse and abuse. PAL utilizes environmental strategies recognizing that risks associated with substance use are, in part, a function of the interplay between the environments where youth use and the substances he/she uses. In the environmental approach, place matters.
Interested in Joining?
Email prevention@loudoun.gov.
PAL receives funding via the DBHDS and the Loudoun County Community Services Board from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.