Lutheran Social Services of Illinois-Prevention Services

06/17/2026

Summer often means more freedom, more social events, and sometimes more opportunities for kids and teens to be faced with alcohol. Take the time to practice refusal skills and talk through different scenarios and help your child come up with responses they feel comfortable using. Remind them that they can always use you as an excuse to get out of a situation, and make sure they know your family's expectations. When it comes to underage drinking, the answer is always no.

06/16/2026

06/13/2026

Today's the day! Join us if you can, see you there!

06/08/2026

Good Afternoon, all! Join us on Saturday, June 13th at 11:00am at County Market in Dixon for a cookout with United Way! 🌭🥤
United Way of Lee County, Dixon, IL

06/05/2026

Welcome to this rainy Friday! ⛈️

Let's highlight a couple more schools from NPW! West Carroll and Oregon!
Students at Oregon Jr/Sr High School took part in National Prevention Week with LSSI’s Project LEAD prevention specialists. They know it is their choice to remain drug free and want to help support their classmates in making healthy choices.
The students and staff at West Carroll signed a poster saying they too choose to remain drug free!

Ogle County Community Mental Health 708 Board

05/27/2026

🎓 Congratulations, Class of 2026! During graduation season (and as summer activities unfold), it’s a crucial time for parents and students to make informed, responsible decisions.

The Communities Talk to Prevent Alcohol and Other Drug Misuse Toolkit offers valuable resources to help parents and students create impactful, prevention-focused events. Whether you’re planning a graduation celebration or organizing summer activities, this toolkit provides the strategies needed to engage your community and promote healthy, substance-free choices.

Take the next step in ensuring a safe and positive summer for all.
🔗 Explore the toolkit today: www.samhsa.gov/communities-talk

05/22/2026

Happy Friday, everyone!
Our Prevention Specialists had a great time participating in activities with the students in our local schools to celebrate . We were fortunate to have nice weather for several days so there was a lot of chalk and paint involved! 🖌️☀️

Thank you to Amboy Jr. High School and Reagan Middle School in Lee County for participating in National Prevention Week through the creativity of their students! Amboy Jr. High Schools Youth Advisory Committee decorated NPW related rocks to display outdoors and Reagan Middle Schools 6th-8th participated in a chalk activity where they encouraged their student body to stay away from using drugs and shared other positive messages!

05/22/2026

05/15/2026

☀️Happy Friday friends!

Now, these resources are available for access and lookup all the time, but in honor of SAMHSA's , we'd like to highlight a variety of resources available for those in need.

✨SAMHSA's National Helpline - 24/7 referrals to local treatment, support groups, and resources: call 800-662-HELP(4357) (english & spanish available) or TTY: 800-487-4889, or text your zip code to: 435748 (HELP4U).
✨FindTreatment.gov - find treatment facilities for substance use and/or mental health issues
✨National Institute of Mental Health
✨The National Institute on Drug Abuse - NIDA
✨Text or call 988 -- 24/7 judgement free support for mental health, substance use, or other help you need, ✨https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/988 has a link for Deaf/HoH and spanish speakers to access help
✨ https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/treatment/options - has information on treatment options, explanation on patient rights, child safety, and explanations of treatment medications

These are just a few of the resources available. There are many more that can be found on the SAMHSA website. There are subcategories, etc. that are attached as well. Please take a look and share, utilize as you feel the need. NO ONE is alone in their fight, and the goal here is to make sure that everyone understands that and can find the help they need.

05/15/2026

During and year-round, thousands of organizations and individuals across the country host health fairs, block parties, educational assemblies, town hall meetings, memorial walks, social media campaigns, outdoor events, and more. These community events help raise awareness about preventing substance use and promoting well-being (in a fun and engaging way)!
SAMHSA has several campaigns, events, and online tools to use and participate in to aid the goal of raising awareness of preventing substance use, for example: talk.they hear you, screen4success, Voices of Youth, and FentAlert. To learn more, go to https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/prevention/campaigns-events
Drug Enforcement Administration - DEA SAMHSA