The Governor's Office for Substance Abuse Prevention
Governor Kaine launches prevention initiative!
Click on the "Prevention Comes First" logo to see more about the initiative.
Click one of the buttons to see or hear the public service announcement.
Governor Kaine announces the Prevention Comes First initiative
on June 9, 2006. Read the news release!
NEWS!!
GOSAP SDFSCA GRANTS AWARDED FOR 2008-2009
The Governor's Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (GOSAP) is pleased to announce that the 2008-2009 Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA) Grants have been awarded.
Information on the 2008-2009 SDFSCA grantees
Virginia is Top Performing State 2008!!
Virginia has again received the top score in the Government Performance Project’s “Grading the States 2008” report, the nation’s only comprehensive, independent analysis of how well each state performs in serving the public. In the first such rating in three years, Virginia achieved an overall grade of A- for performance. Click here to learn more about Virginia's report.
Parent Guide to Personal Safety for Youth
The Parent Guide to Personal Safety for Youth was released on Monday, October 29, at the 2nd Prevention Comes First Conference in Richmond. This new guide replaces the very popular KIDsafe Parent Guides.
Get more information on the Parent Guide, including how to get copies.
Executive Directive 4 (2006)
In November 2006, Governor Tim Kaine formally established the GOSAP Collaborative, giving it specific powers and duties concerning:
- collaboration to enhance capacity, improve efficiency and produce results;
- infrastructure to sustain and integrate prevention into practice; and
- data to target resources and monitor results.
Read Executive Directive 4 (2006).
This month in prevention
July is...
- Fireworks Safety Month
- UV Safety Month
- Purposeful Parenting Month
- Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month
- Hemochromatosis Screening Awareness Month
- International Group B Strep Awareness Month
Also this month...
- July 13-19, 2008, is National Therapeutic Recreation Week.
- July 27, 2008, is National Parents' Day.
Prevention Comes First Initiative
Governor Kaine announced Prevention Comes First, on June 9, 2006, to coordinate Virginia’s prevention-focused efforts, increase public awareness, and target resources to improve public safety, especially in the area of gang-related activity. Recalling the adage that it is easier to build a boy than mend a man, this initiative will encompass a variety of efforts, throughout the developmental stages, to promote the strong, healthy development of Virginia’s youngest citizens. Click here for the press release. Initial activities include:
- a public service announcement (see above) that sends youth the message that joining gangs is detrimental;
- Virginia ’s Community Profile Database to provide data and
information on effective practices for preventing adolescent problem behaviors
(click icon to right to go directly to the Community Profile Database);
- formalizing Virginia’s Interagency Anti-Gang Workgroup, through an Executive Order, with the mission to serve the Commonwealth by coordinating and leveraging resources to prevent and reduce gang activity in Virginia;
- competitive mini-grants to localities to implement the Governor’s Community Service and Civic Engagement Program;
UPDATE! At the 1st Annual Prevention Comes First Conference, Governor Timothy M. Kaine announced awards to 24 Virginia localities to implement community-based programs for young people considered at-risk for gang involvement.
- the annual Prevention Comes First Conference, to provide prevention professionals and interested citizens with cutting-edge information;
- a Gang Awareness Program, through the Virginia State Police, to educate officers, citizens and parents to recognize signs of gang activity;
- Gang prevention workshops , through the Department of Education and the Governor's Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (GOSAP), to teach risk and protective factors for preventing gang activity and recruitment;
- Prevention Through Information (PTI-VA) training workshops, through the Department of Education and Virginia Commonwealth University, to standardize and improve school violence data collection and use; and
- Safety Matters in Mentoring training to include information on gangs and violence in training for mentors across Virginia.
Virginia's agencies collaborate to make a difference!
Logo for the GOSAP Collaborative
Thirteen agencies in Virginia have responsibility for one or more aspects of prevention. These agencies comprise the GOSAP Collaborative to improve communication, build agreement, cooperate and work as partners, share resources, and increase consistency to simplify processes and increase accountability in prevention practice. These agencies must work together because research shows that the factors that put a child at risk for one problem behavior put them at risk for other problems too. But research also shows that increasing protective factors like healthy beliefs and clear standards, bonding, meaningful opportunities, skills and recognition will build strong citizens to keep Virginia moving forward.