By Nicole Thill-Pacheco, October 4, 2019 for the Columbia County Spotlight
Funds will be expended over two years to provide training for mentors for program
The St. Helens School District was selected to receive a nearly $200,000 grant from the Oregon Department of Education's Youth Development Council to further develop a program designed to engage community members through caring relationships.
The school district will receive the grant over a two-year period during the 2019-21 biennium with funds being used to provide training for a network of stakeholders and key community members to help run the program, called Connect St. Helens.
The school district is establishing Connect St. Helens to help provide young adults with a way to connect with the community, combat suicide and substance abuse.
A similar program was developed in Battle Ground, Washington, after a rash of crises from teen suicides to drug and alcohol abuse and violence affected the community, which prompted it to action in 2013.
The Washington program, called Connect Battle Ground, followed the uniting of community members to create a specialized network of people who are trained to be part of a "Caring Adult Network."
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