LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — The Sullivan West Community Task Force has taken up the charge of confronting student substance abuse and other risky behaviors. They’ve decided that developing a unified message is the first critical step to focus their efforts.

The new task force convened on December 3 with 25 members present.

“It was amazing, so productive with so many great ideas and enthusiasm,” said Sullivan West High School Assistant Principal Scott Haberli. He organized the group after getting frustrated when parents would ask what was being done to counteract the risks and challenges that youth in the Sullivan West School District face every day.

While the first gathering on October 22 was largely introductory, the objectives for this meeting were to determine action plans, assign individual responsibilities and create a timeline for implementation.

But first, the task force discussed at length developing a mission statement to guide their work and provide a reasonable framework to achieve results.

Extensive notes were taken to summarize the thoughts provided, and will be circulated this week for further consideration.

Reports were given on existing programs such as Save a Life, which addresses drinking or texting while driving; Take Back Our Children, which describes symptoms of drug use; and the Great American Smoke-Out, which assists with cigarette smoking cessation.

In addition, the school district’s health teachers led an open discussion about modern issues confronting kids today, such as the recent opening of “vape” shops selling e-cigarettes within the district and the implications of having such products more locally available.

Four breakout groups dedicated to education, research, resources and communications/publicity convened to brainstorm specific activities that could be pursued.

Ideas included organizing community rallies in the district’s main population centers of Jeffersonville, Narrowsburg and Callicoon; inviting recovering addicts into classrooms to share their personal experiences; finding ways to get parents more involved in the health and safety of students; holding a safe-sex educational program prior to the prom; promoting the availability of substance abuse support groups; and inviting the Wayne County, PA Heroin Prevention Task Force to share its more advanced outreach efforts.

“The feedback was incredible,” Haberli said.

While the next meeting of the entire Sullivan West Community Task Force is not anticipated until early March 2016, Haberli said work will continue behind the scenes to synthesize these ideas and focus actions around them.

Additional task force participation is always welcome. Contact Laurie Henry at 845/932-8401 or henrylau@swcsd.org with a request to be added to the communications list.