Gera prevention programs target youth at risk of gang involvement and help reduce the number of youth involved. In conjunction with schools, churches, Department of Public Safety and Department of Workforce Services, Gera reaches at-risk individuals through crisis intervention techniques, then teaches decision-making and life management skills to students and community members.
We serve in-school youth ages 14-24 and out-of-school youth ages 16-24. Greater Equatoria Region Association outlines a vision for supporting youth and young adults through integrated services. This vision includes high quality services for in-school and out-of-school youth beginning with career exploration and guidance, continued support for educational attainment, opportunities for skills training, and culminating with a good job along a career pathway or enrollment in post-secondary education.
Out of all 50 US States, Utah had the Seventh-Highest Drug Overdose Rate in the US between 2013 and 2015. In a community where most inhabitants try to live a clean, healthy lifestyle, prescription medications often fall into a “gray” area, with many people believing they are safe and acceptable.
Unfortunately, the addictiveness of many prescription pills, including opioid pain medications, in particular, has led to Utah becoming one of the most addicted states in the nation. That, in turn, has led to six Utahns dying every week from an opioid overdose
Underage drinking affects not only the drinker but society in general. Alcohol has been one of the most widely used substances by youth in Utah.
Similar to Utah adults, in 2017, adolescents report much lower rates of current alcohol use than the national average (8.8% of 8, 10 and 12th grade students compared to 19.8% nationwide in 2016). The prevalence of binge drinking among youth who did drink (2017: 50.8%), however, was much closer to the national average (2015: 57.8%)