Teens Sign Sobriety Contracts
Lucas County Teens Sign “Sober Contracts” During Event at Westfield Franklin Park Mall on March 5.
Unison Behavioral Health Group joined forces with students from Cardinal Stritch High School to offer “sober contracts” for area teens to sign during the Junior League of Toledo’s “Formal-ly Yours” event on Saturday, March 5, 2011. The sober contract signing took place in the food court of the Westfield Franklin Park Mall. Nearly 100 teens signed contracts during the event. The students from Cardinal Stritch High School are members of Lucas County’s only Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) chapter.
What is a sober contract? According to Dr. Larry Hamme, Chief Clinical Officer for Unison, a sober contract is a document that formalizes a teen’s commitment to stay away from drugs and alcohol during the upcoming prom and graduation season. “Kids think they are invincible,” said Dr. Hamme. “But all it takes is one bad decision to destroy a teen’s life.” The sober contract was developed by students from SADD, many of whom were at the Westfield Franklin Park Mall on Saturday to encourage other Lucas County teens to take the pledge.
The sober contract signing was part of Unison’s Spring Prom and Graduation prevention campaign and is funded by The Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Lucas County. The prevention campaign, “Live to Celebrate Another Day,” is designed to increase awareness of alcohol and drug use, misuse, and abuse during the 2011 prom and graduation season. The campaign will target Lucas County teens and their parents. One third of alcohol-related traffic fatalities involving teens occur during the prom and graduation months of April – June.
During the course of the campaign, Unison will also involve parents of Lucas County teens by making a parent pledge available as well. “Parents may not realize it but research has shown that 65% of 10-18 year olds cite parents as the leading influence for their abstinence from alcohol use,” said Dr. Hamme. Dr. Hamme explained that by signing the sober contract, Lucas County parents pledge to do everything in their power to communicate with their children about the many difficult and potentially destructive decisions they face. Both teen and parent sober contracts are available for easy download on the Unison website. Visit www.unisonbhg.org and click on the “Live to Celebrate Another Day” link.
A recent survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicates that on average 13.2 percent of all persons 16 or older drove under the influence of alcohol and 4.3 percent of this age group drove under the influence of illicit drugs in the past year. Ohio had a high rate of driving under the influence of alcohol compared to other states and was in the mid?range of people driving under the influence of illicit drugs.
Unison’s prevention “Live to Celebrate Another Day” campaign will launch officially on April 1, 2011. The prevention campaign will utilize a combination of live events, contests with prizes, traditional and social media as well as outreach to schools, parent organizations, and religious and community institutions. For more information visit Unison on Facebook at http://facebook.com/unisonbhg or call 419.693.0631.
About Unison Behavioral Health Group
With over 35 years of experience, Unison Behavioral Health Group is the community’s recognized and preferred leader in caring for the behavioral health and substance abuse issues of adults, adolescents and children. Unison accepts Ohio Medicaid and most private insurances. Through their contract with the Mental Health & Recovery Services Board of Lucas County, Unison is able to offer subsidized services to Lucas County residents who are unable to afford the total cost of treatment. Unison is certified by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, and accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. For more information, visit www.unisonbhg.org.
Press Release Contact Name: Kitty Slight
Press Release Contact Email: [email protected]
Press Release Contact Phone: 419.693.0631
Organization Name: Unison Behavioral Health Group
Website or Link: www.unisonbhg.org
Organization Address: 1425 Starr Avenue, Toledo, OH, 43605