"What do you Prevent" - That’s the question I get a lot when I tell people my title: Prevention-Intervention Specialist. At its most basic, I work to prevent youth substance use.
I prefer to look at it from the other direction: my job is to promote and celebrate wellness and healthy choices among students, their families, and throughout the school and community.
My position is funded by the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and I serve all students. Students can refer themselves or be referred by the counselor, teachers, administrators or their families. In Washington, students under the age of 13 need parental permission to work with me on an ongoing basis.
My work includes:
Presenting on prevention topics in health classes.
Providing information and training for staff.
Helping students affected by substance use, their own or someone else’s, through groups or individual sessions.
Educating and providing resources to families.
Providing intervention and referral services for students who are referred for disciplinary issues.
Provide leadership training that I hope will lead to creating a peer to peer support group at the high school.
I look forward to working with your students this year. Please contact me if you have any questions or need support.
E-mail Christine Valdez or Christine Valdez
Phone: (360) 708-2479 (call or text)
