Guiding Good Choices

Parents invited to build stronger bonds

Guiding Good Choices series coming to Goldendale in September

Goldendale, WA (July 20, 2022) - Parents are invited to register for Guiding Good Choices, a free and confidential series designed around promoting healthy development and reducing risky behavior for children as they enter their teenage years. 

The program will be offered weekly on Tuesdays in Goldendale beginning September 13 and running through October 11, 2022, for a total of five sessions. It will be held in person at Father’s House Fellowship in the evening from 6-8 pm, with childcare available. Snacks and drinks will also be provided.

“It is a program that actually helps with building strong family bonds, that reduces youth risk of making unhealthy choices,” said Sunday Sutton, coordinator for the Coalition for Preventing Abuse in Klickitat County (CPAKC). She said the program was selected to bridge communication between parents and children to improve their connections and help reduce depression rates among teens.

The five sessions include information for:

·         Understanding social development strategy and learning the role of risk and protective factors in teen behavioral health.

·         Developing guidelines and expectations for behavior.

·         Managing family conflict.

·         Learning refusal skills to avoid using substances, even when under pressure.

·         Including your preteen in family management and learning how to strengthen bonds.

This first series of Guiding Good Choices will accommodate up to 12 participants. 

Pre-registration is required, and parents will be added to a waitlist when the class fills up. A new series will be scheduled to accommodate the additional needs. 

Parents can pre-register online at https://forms.gle/cyt2MduugjakVHNX8 or call 509-281-2330 for assistance. More information can be requested by emailing cpwi@wagap.org.

With community partners in the Goldendale area, CPAKC works to reduce youth substance use as part of the Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative funded by Washington State Health Care Authority, Division of Behavioral Health & Recovery, Substance Use Disorder Prevention Program. 

Learn more about CPAKC at https://www.cpakc.org/. It is one of three youth prevention programs operating under Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) throughout Klickitat and Skamania Counties. Learn more at https://www.wagap.org/prevention.

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Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Community Action Agency that helps individuals, families, and communities. WAGAP addresses basic human needs, including food, shelter, energy assistance, and more, in Skamania and Klickitat Counties. For more than 50 years, WAGAP has helped people help themselves and reach self-sufficiency. Learn more at wagap.org, or contact WAGAP at (509) 493-2662 or info@wagap.org.