Long time since I last updated on my prevention efforts in Montgomery County, MD!
My local public school system has setup a May 23rd appointment with me to talk about becoming more proactive/prevention minded in our schools. It's sad that the wait is so LONG just to get the discussion started, and I hope to get to some agreement so we can move forward on this project collaboratively. There may be some restrictions placed on me as to what I can share after that meeting (confidentiality agreements, etc.). We'll see. But there's so much to do here in this county.
I attended EDCI's fundraiser and got a chance to meet with a rep from Chris Van Hollen's office on the prevention/childhood trauma/ACEs front. I also spoke with John McCarthy, Montgomery County's State Attorney General about the need for more prevention-minded laws, which should require youth-serving organizations to show their prevention strategies/practices/policies. He seemed a bit shocked at the idea, but then I reminded him how laws have worked to prevent smoking-related harm to our communities (same would old true for CSA and other hidden violence/trauma).
Hopefully there's more opportunity to meet w/other community leadership in the near future. But my May 23rd meeting with the school looms large in my mind. That would be a huge start to educate, empower, change adult minds when it comes to prevention.