In the wake of an opioid epidemic in LaPorte County, IN schools there are designing programs to prevent youth substance abuse with the help of $2 million in grants over the next four years from the Healthcare Foundation of LaPorte.

The LaPorte County plan, Partners in Prevention, is modeled after one in Marion County called Prevention Matters, funded by the Indianapolis-based Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation.

The 12 LaPorte County schools are choosing their programs now with the intention of implementing them in the fall. One of the most popular ones in Marion County has been LifeSkills Training, which teaches 8- to 14-year-olds social, self-management and drug-resistance skills.

The Healthcare Foundation of LaPorte will fund one year of planning and three years of implementation. After that it’s up to the schools to keep the programs going on their own.

Read full article: LaPorte County to focus on prevention