Hiawatha Valley Mental Health staff are dedicated to addressing the mental health and substance abuse  concerns of all of the citizens in the many communities we serve. As part of our dedication to helping families in the communities we serve, we have recently teamed up with local community resources in La Crosse County to form a substance abuse prevention program. A unique component of this program is an educational curriculum titled Active Parenting of Teens: Families in Action. This program uses a family systems approach in which parents and children attend sessions together to learn new skills. Each of the sessions includes time during which parents and youth meet in separate groups and time during which all family members meet together. Modules address parent-child communication, positive behavior management, interpersonal relationships for adolescents, ways for families to have fun together, enhancement of the adolescent’s self-esteem, and factors that promote school success. Youth are taught about the negative social and physical effects of substance use, they learn general life skills and social resistance skills, and are provided opportunities to practice these skills in a safe and encouraging environment. Parents are taught skills to help reinforce their teen’s skills training.  These classes will be offered at community facilities located in La Crosse County.