June 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 48

OPIOID CRISIS

and defense workshops.
" We also offer recreational programming and team sports, like
basketball, tennis, volleyball and
softball, " says Magakyan. PAD collaborated with the Department of
Public Health to offer walking clubs,
as well as access to the county's pools
and gym facilities free of charge.
She adds, " Many of our participants have said this is the first
time that they were able to have all
of their kids participate in a team
sport. So, it really maximizes opportunities for physical activity
and healthy living. We also offer
entertainment programming, like
movies, concerts, talent shows and
various cultural shows. These are
really effective in increasing attendance and creating family and
community cohesion, which we
know are protective factors against
a lot of the trauma that the children
in the communities are facing. "
West Allis-West Milwaukee is also
working to alleviate childhood trauma. Strasser says West Allis-West
Milwaukee Recreation & Community Services Department is very
unique because it runs under the auspices of the West Allis-West Milwau-

PHOTO COURTESY OF COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

recreation and social engagement.
But because of the high rates of violence, oftentimes, they are afraid
to go back to the parks, and this
inhibits active living efforts. " This
causes social isolation, which can
lead to a wide range of mental and
physical health problems.
" Our park staff have not seen any
significant issues with drug use/
drug problems at the parks; however, we do partner with various organizations, such as the County of
Los Angeles Department of Mental
Health, San Fernando Valley Partnership, Inc., and California Hispanic Commission on Alcohol and
Drug Abuse - which offer information regarding drug-abuse resources
and services during our Parks After
Dark resource fairs - because we
understand that these are issues that
often impact underserved communities, " says Magakyan.
What makes this program so successful is the fact that LA Parks and
Rec partners with the Los Angeles
County Sheriff 's Department to
provide patrol services during PAD
programming. Sheriff 's deputies
also partake in activities alongside
participants - even offering safety

Parks & Recreation

kee School District and the Board
of Education. " There are about 25
recreation agencies in the state of
Wisconsin that local school districts
operate, similar to the WAWM RCS
Department, " she says.
" Our school district actually has
a trauma team, and it's our school
district personnel who go into our
schools and work with administrators, teachers, parents and students, "
Strasser explains. What's more, the
school district has a partnership with
mental health service providers. She
adds that her agency oversees more
than 1,000 youths who participate in
daily afterschool programs.
Drug abuse education and awareness are also a primary focus. According to the WAWM School District's 2015 Youth Risk Behavior
Survey, 18.2 percent of 10th grade
students took painkillers without a
prescription, while 32.7 percent of
10th graders tried marijuana at least
once. As part of its Knowledge Is
Power (KIP) program, the WAWM
Heroin/Opiate Task Force, along
with its community partners, introduced a " Teen Replica Room "
designed to train and teach parents,
families, educators and the community at large about the red flags of
potential drug and alcohol abuse by
middle school and high school teens.
When it comes to substance
abuse prevention, Pirelli says, " It's a
no-brainer. " He contends the problem is that many park and recreation departments offer programs
for elementary school children and
then " it kind of dies off from there.
We should be doing programs from
cradle to grave, " he adds.
Pirelli explains that during his
time as park and rec deputy direcChildren participate in a Parks After Dark
event hosted by LA Parks and Rec. Los
Angeles County Sheriff's deputies partake
in activities alongside participants.

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June 2018 - Parks & Recreation

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