Dear Parent/Guardians:
We are sending out our yearly letter to let you know we will be continuing the iDecide program at Oakmont High School. For those families that are new to Oakmont, this will be our 4th year working with the Massachusetts General Hospital in conjunction with the Department of Public Health and the Institute for Health and Recovery regarding iDecide. We have had wonderful feedback from students and families in regards to the current program our district has adopted to aid our students and families on their journey in healing from, or learning about, Substance Use Disorder. Each year we administer a completely voluntary school-wide anonymous survey, and with additional consent from guardians, we also offer a 4 week educational class by trained staff on ways we can empower students to change unhealthy behavior related to substance use and abuse. In addition, Oakmont is assisting MGH in their pursuit of evaluating the effectiveness of the state mandated SBIRT screening to determine the best way to optimize this framework for schools.
Addiction is a disease of isolation, and by gathering data over the past couple of years, we have been able to adopt programs that provide our students and families with options to make connections and access resources in the community. As previously stated these programs are completely voluntary, and you may opt out of having your student participate in any of our surveys and/or classes at any time by filling out this quick form HERE. In addition, our 4 week class will never be offered to your student without additional consent obtained by their Legal Guardian. Please note, even if this form is not filled out prior to administering the survey, your student will be informed before the survey is administered that they are not required to participate if they choose.
iDECIDE:
iDecide is a program that promotes education and empowerment as an equitable response to adolescent substance use by providing youth with science-based knowledge and skills, iDECIDE challenges young people to make decisions that align with their core values and future goals to support their own personal well-being.
IDecide Core Principles:
1. Adolescents are the experts in their own experiences.
2. Empowerment, strength-building, and factual information change behaviors more than punishment.
3. Long-lasting behavior change is most achievable when goals are aligned with core values and fundamental needs.
4. Cultivating non-judgmental, authentic, and reliable relationships with trusted adults at school is a powerful protective factor against substance use and its comorbidities.
5. All adolescents deserve access to science-based information and support, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability. Improving equity has a positive impact on individual outcomes and school culture.
The iDecide content includes identifying potential triggers, adapting healthy alternatives to substance use, identifying specific motivations for change, identifying risk and protective factors and brain development and addiction.
This survey will be administered the week of November 27th.
For more information about iDECIDE you can go to the following website: www.iDECIDEmyfuture.org and please see the attached letter regarding additional information regarding opting out.
We understand and respect all families as the experts on their student’s needs. Again, if for any reason you would not like your student to meet with or participate in any iDECIDE classes, and/or participate in any of the iDecide survey’s for the 2023-2024 school year, please fill out this short form HERE.Thank you for your time and cooperation.
Dear Parent/Guardians:
We are sending out our yearly letter to let you know we will be continuing the iDecide program at Oakmont High School. For those families that are new to Oakmont, this will be our 4th year working with the Massachusetts General Hospital in conjunction with the Department of Public Health and the Institute for Health and Recovery regarding iDecide. We have had wonderful feedback from students and families in regards to the current program our district has adopted to aid our students and families on their journey in healing from, or learning about, Substance Use Disorder. Each year we administer a completely voluntary school-wide anonymous survey, and with additional consent from guardians, we also offer a 4 week educational class by trained staff on ways we can empower students to change unhealthy behavior related to substance use and abuse. In addition, Oakmont is assisting MGH in their pursuit of evaluating the effectiveness of the state mandated SBIRT screening to determine the best way to optimize this framework for schools.
Addiction is a disease of isolation, and by gathering data over the past couple of years, we have been able to adopt programs that provide our students and families with options to make connections and access resources in the community. As previously stated these programs are completely voluntary, and you may opt out of having your student participate in any of our surveys and/or classes at any time by filling out this quick form HERE. In addition, our 4 week class will never be offered to your student without additional consent obtained by their Legal Guardian. Please note, even if this form is not filled out prior to administering the survey, your student will be informed before the survey is administered that they are not required to participate if they choose.
iDECIDE:
iDecide is a program that promotes education and empowerment as an equitable response to adolescent substance use by providing youth with science-based knowledge and skills, iDECIDE challenges young people to make decisions that align with their core values and future goals to support their own personal well-being.
IDecide Core Principles:
1. Adolescents are the experts in their own experiences.
2. Empowerment, strength-building, and factual information change behaviors more than punishment.
3. Long-lasting behavior change is most achievable when goals are aligned with core values and fundamental needs.
4. Cultivating non-judgmental, authentic, and reliable relationships with trusted adults at school is a powerful protective factor against substance use and its comorbidities.
5. All adolescents deserve access to science-based information and support, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability. Improving equity has a positive impact on individual outcomes and school culture.
The iDecide content includes identifying potential triggers, adapting healthy alternatives to substance use, identifying specific motivations for change, identifying risk and protective factors and brain development and addiction.
This survey will be administered the week of November 27th.
For more information about iDECIDE you can go to the following website: www.iDECIDEmyfuture.org and please see the attached letter regarding additional information regarding opting out.
We understand and respect all families as the experts on their student’s needs. Again, if for any reason you would not like your student to meet with or participate in any iDECIDE classes, and/or participate in any of the iDecide survey’s for the 2023-2024 school year, please fill out this short form HERE.Thank you for your time and cooperation.
Dear Parent/Guardians:
We are sending out our yearly letter to let you know we will be continuing the iDecide program at Oakmont High School. For those families that are new to Oakmont, this will be our 4th year working with the Massachusetts General Hospital in conjunction with the Department of Public Health and the Institute for Health and Recovery regarding iDecide. We have had wonderful feedback from students and families in regards to the current program our district has adopted to aid our students and families on their journey in healing from, or learning about, Substance Use Disorder. Each year we administer a completely voluntary school-wide anonymous survey, and with additional consent from guardians, we also offer a 4 week educational class by trained staff on ways we can empower students to change unhealthy behavior related to substance use and abuse. In addition, Oakmont is assisting MGH in their pursuit of evaluating the effectiveness of the state mandated SBIRT screening to determine the best way to optimize this framework for schools.
Addiction is a disease of isolation, and by gathering data over the past couple of years, we have been able to adopt programs that provide our students and families with options to make connections and access resources in the community. As previously stated these programs are completely voluntary, and you may opt out of having your student participate in any of our surveys and/or classes at any time by filling out this quick form HERE. In addition, our 4 week class will never be offered to your student without additional consent obtained by their Legal Guardian. Please note, even if this form is not filled out prior to administering the survey, your student will be informed before the survey is administered that they are not required to participate if they choose.
iDECIDE:
iDecide is a program that promotes education and empowerment as an equitable response to adolescent substance use by providing youth with science-based knowledge and skills, iDECIDE challenges young people to make decisions that align with their core values and future goals to support their own personal well-being.
IDecide Core Principles:
1. Adolescents are the experts in their own experiences.
2. Empowerment, strength-building, and factual information change behaviors more than punishment.
3. Long-lasting behavior change is most achievable when goals are aligned with core values and fundamental needs.
4. Cultivating non-judgmental, authentic, and reliable relationships with trusted adults at school is a powerful protective factor against substance use and its comorbidities.
5. All adolescents deserve access to science-based information and support, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability. Improving equity has a positive impact on individual outcomes and school culture.
The iDecide content includes identifying potential triggers, adapting healthy alternatives to substance use, identifying specific motivations for change, identifying risk and protective factors and brain development and addiction.
This survey will be administered the week of November 27th.
For more information about iDECIDE you can go to the following website: www.iDECIDEmyfuture.org and please see the attached letter regarding additional information regarding opting out.
We understand and respect all families as the experts on their student’s needs. Again, if for any reason you would not like your student to meet with or participate in any iDECIDE classes, and/or participate in any of the iDecide survey’s for the 2023-2024 school year, please fill out this short form HERE.Thank you for your time and cooperation.