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The Prevention Program at Tillamook Family Counseling Center (TFCC) is taking a comprehensive approach to addiction and suicide prevention in Tillamook County, offering a range of services that touch everything from youth education to adult wellness initiatives.
Comprehensive Prevention Approach
Led by Prevention Specialist Sarah Ermer, the program addresses multiple aspects of community wellness. “Very broadly, we focus on addiction and suicide prevention,” explains Sarah. “There is a lot that goes into that. We get into the schools and talk to teens and tweens about prevention, but we’re also talking to adults about high-risk drinking, the harms that come with substance use , and problem gambling prevention.” Sarah delivers evidence-based presentations addressing the harms of substances and broader health, including how choosing to use substances affects your mental health, wellbeing, and nutrition.
Community Engagements & School Partnerships
The Prevention Program’s success relies heavily on collaboration. The most important work comes from these partnerships with other community organizations, whether school districts, the YMCA, or other non-profits. The program works with local school districts, so far including Neah-Kah-Nie and Nestucca Valley, where Sarah presents ninth-grade classes. The prevention program also trains educators and staff through initiatives like QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention training, ensuring a multi-layered approach to community support. Additionally, you will find Sarah at many tabling events throughout Tillamook County distributing resources and connecting with families.
Another standout offering is the annual wellness calendar, a collaborative effort with community partners. “The calendar gets mailed to every household in the county and includes vital prevention information,” Sarah shares. “It’s a big project but an invaluable resource. Watch your mailbox for your copy.” Here’s a link to the calendar: 2025 Monthly Calendar Draft (9)
Upcoming Events and Initiatives
Parent’s Night Out: Taking place on January 17th from 5:30-7pm at Blue Heron, the Prevention Program is launching an important new initiative in mid-January through the SAMHSA “Talk They Hear You” campaign. This event aims to empower parents to talk to their children and young people about drugs and alcohol and will cover how to have these conversations, what to say, when to have them, and why they’re important. With 50 slots available and interested parents are encouraged to register soon by going to bit.ly/tthypno. A Spanish language version is planned for February or March.
To ensure accessibility, the program provides:
●A meal from Blue Heron (sandwich, chips, and fountain drink)
● A $20 Fred Meyer gift card for each adult participant
● A gift/resource bag for each adult participant
● Fidget toys/coloring pages will be provided to kids who attend
Youth Advisory Committee:
The Prevention Program is launching an exciting new youth-driven initiative in Tillamook County this winter. Ten high school students will form a local youth advisory committee, meeting regularly to help shape substance use prevention education in their community. “They’ll come together every couple of weeks to have their voices heard about what would be most beneficial for them and their community regarding drug and alcohol education,” explains Sarah. The program will empower students to take an active role in prevention efforts, culminating in the design and implementation of their own media and messaging campaign. Inspired by Youth Era’s successful model, this initiative will include incentives for participation and give students direct input into how prevention education is delivered to their peers. Interested high school students can email Sarah at sarahe@tfcc.org.
Success Stories and Community Impact
The Prevention Program’s impact is evident in the enthusiastic response from students. After presenting to ninth graders at Neah-Kah-Nie High School, Sarah received heartfelt thank-you cards from the students that now decorate her office wall. “They are the best! I look at them every single day, it keeps me going,” says Sarah. One of the notes is included here: “I’d always been told drugs were obviously bad and ruin people’s lives and witnessed it first hand. But realizing how exactly drugs can hurt someone was something I was never fully experienced until your presentation. I personally thought the slideshow was very well-designed and interactive with students (and very visually pleasing!). But not only that, your style of teaching was very involved and easy to engage with! Thank you so much for finding the time to visit our school and inform us about this incredibly important topic. And for the little yellow squishies!”
Free Resources and Safety Materials
All Prevention Program services are completely free to the community. Currently, there are resources available that can be picked up from TFCC as needed including:
● Lock boxes for safe medication storage and cannabis edibles
● Medication disposal pouches
● Mr. Yuk poison stickers
● Educational materials
● QPR training for organizations
About Sarah Ermer: Sarah brings a background in political science and a Master’s in Public Health to her role. She emphasizes that it’s “really important that people have the resources to make healthy decisions. Whether they use them or not is a personal choice, but it’s important that people understand the risks and have the knowledge to make informed decisions… No matter what the topic is, people deserve to have accurate information to make their own decisions.” To learn more or access resources like lockboxes and medication disposal pouches, contact Sarah Ermer at 503-815-5426 or email her at sarahe@tfcc.org. Follow the SOS Tillamook Facebook and Instagram pages for updates on upcoming events, including Parent’s Night Out. Together, we can build a healthier and more informed community.
