BUSINESS PROFILE:
Name: Nancy Paquette, Administrative Assistant/CFO
Business: Substance Abuse Prevention Team of Essex County, Inc.
Years in Business: 34
Q: Briefly Describe “The Prevention Team”
The Substance Abuse Prevention Team of Essex County, Inc., dba The Prevention Team,” is a private, not-for-profit 501.c.3 corporation. We are the County’s primary contracted provider of substance abuse prevention services for Essex County schools and communities. We connect with and support both the substance use dependency treatment providers and mutual aid self-help recovery groups in the local area, county and region.
Q: What is your mission?
We offer an array of evidenced-based and locally developed prevention programs that increase protective factors and decrease risk factors associated with youth substance abuse and other high-risk youth behaviors – to support healthy youth development. We work with communities interested in organizing to address local concerns relating to prevention, early intervention in substance use, and programs that support parents and healthy lifestyle choices for adults. Currently there are local prevention coalitions in Ticonderoga and Lake Placid/Wilmington.
Q. What are the origins of your organization?
The Agency began as the “Moses Ludington Hospital Substance Abuse Prevention Program” in 1986 as a hospital department. With four staff initially, we provided classroom-based prevention education and prevention/early intervention counseling to county schools, as well as outpatient counseling in our Ticonderoga office for individuals with substance use dependency. Responsibility for outpatient counseling was transferred to St. Josephs in 1991 with the closure of the county alcoholism clinic. We became a 501.c.3 corp. in 1993, and moved to our current location on Lord Howe St/Moses Circle in 1998.
Q. Why do you recommend people utilize your services?
In our culture of instant online information, the ability to connect with people, groups and products worldwide, and confusing messages about personal identity, families, young people and communities need a source of trustworthy information and dialogue relating to choices that will impact their lives both in the short and long term. We can be that source – contact us!
Q. What makes you the most proud of your organization?
The Prevention Team has been an innovator with creative ideas, programs, personal development and educational opportunities throughout our agency’s history. We are committed to the FUTURE of our wonderful community/county/region by supporting people in making the best choices possible in their lives TODAY. Our staff love their work and do it passionately – because they love their communities and the people they serve
Q. What do you most want people to know about The Prevention Team?
Collectively our staff has over 115 years of experience as Prevention Team staff working with young people, parents, other adults and communities to promote healthy choices, positive personal development and early intervention for treatment when appropriate. They represent a variety of backgrounds and experience including education, military service, addictions treatment, personal long-term recovery, social work, business, the performing arts, athletic competition and the faith community. Our staff represent a broad understanding of life, and the majority are North Country natives from Essex, Franklin or Clinton Counties.
Q. What is your key to success?
Work that is dependent upon building effective, engaging relationships – as does ours at all levels – can only be accomplished by people able to make and maintain those relationships, and who are supported by their agency Board and administration. We have always done collective interviewing and decision making on new staff hires – at least the administration and staff, and sometimes including a Board member. As a result we have been very successful at finding, choosing and maintaining the quality staff who have been the face of The Prevention Team throughout Essex County.
A really great day for our team is when…
…the children and adults that we are in contact with have a great day.
Contact the Substance Abuse Prevention Team of Essex County, Inc. or call (518) 585-7424 for more information on prevention education and prevention counseling services to schools in Essex County.
This business is a proud member of the Ticonderoga Area of Chamber of Commerce! To learn more about the many benefits of becoming a TACC Chamber Member, and how they can help you grow your business, call 518-585-6619. (Be sure to check out these other resourceful business owners in our TACC Member Spotlight articles section!)