Learn More About Prevention Services at RACS.

This part of the website is

Under Construction

In the meantime, you can browse the rest of the site!

RACS Prevention Services

It is the mission of RACS Prevention Services to empower the community through collaboration, education, and resources that support informed decisions to enhance quality of life.

Meet the people that make the magic happen

Rebecca Bland

Prevention Services

Program Manager

Learn more

Allison Thomas

Prevention Educator

Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition

Learn more

Charity Smith

Prevention Educator

Live Healthy Rockbidge Kids

Learn more

Rebecca Bland

MPS, CPS

Prevention Services Program Manager

Meet Rebecca

"I’m grateful I work in the expanding field of behavioral healthcare alongside colleagues who are dedicated to helping youth and their families live happier, healthier lives.”
Rebecca is a certified prevention specialist with a master’s degree in prevention science from University of Oklahoma. Since 2010, she’s worked as a substance misuse prevention and suicide prevention professional in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Before rejoining the RACS Prevention Team in 2025, she was a Behavioral Health Wellness Consultant for Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. She is one of the original developers of the suicide prevention and lethal means safety initiative, Lock and Talk.

Where you can find me:

I’m the one most frequently at “base camp” at RACS. I am here managing grants and prevention projects. I am happy to answer your prevention services questions.

If you take a 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training (CIT), you’ll see me there teaching Substance Use Basics and Suicide Prevention Awareness.

I’ll be at community events, especially events for Mental Health Awareness Month in May, and Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in September.

You’ll find me presenting or teaching on behalf of Lock and Talk suicide prevention initiative

I participate in local coalitions like Live Healthy Rockbridge Kids (LHRK), Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition (RAPC), Live Healthy Rockbridge, VACSB Prevention Council, and the local CIT Task Force.

What I can help you with:

Supply free household safety devices to secure medications and weapons.
Connect your agency, organization, school, or business to our wellness resources, services, education, and the coalitions we support.
Consult and help develop effective policies for the prevention of drug misuse and suicide within schools, workplaces, or organizations/agencies.
Inform community members about current drug trends, health assessments, the latest research on a wide variety of substances, and recent data on drug misuse and overdoses.
Train groups in a variety of mental and behavioral health topics, including suicide prevention, dangers of drug misuse, and prevention science.
Refer individuals and families to mental health and behavioral health services offered here at RACS, and to other key statewide resources, including Lockandtalk.org.

Learn more...

Allison Thomas

Prevention Educator

Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition

Meet Alli

“I believe prevention is important because access to education, early support, and resources can break cycles of trauma, substance use, and mental health challenges."

Alli is a prevention educator at Rockbridge Area Community Services (RACS) and the facilitator of the Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition (RAPC). She is a Rockbridge County native and a graduate of James Madison University. She received her Bachelor of Sociology in 2024. She began her prevention career at RACS as the State Opioid Response Prevention Coordinator, moving into the role of Coalition Facilitator in September 2025.

Where you can find me:

You’ll find me facilitating Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition (RAPC) meetings each quarter at RACS, bringing together community partners to collaborate, plan, and take action to promote healthy behaviors among area youth, prevent substance misuse, and promote mental health.

I will be at CCOVA meetings, representing Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition.

I’m often leading trainings for educators and community members to spread education about mental health, wellness, and substance misuse. Trainings are held at RACS, local schools, area colleges, and occasionally at local agencies, organizations, industries, churches and virtually.

I will be at community events in Lexington, Buena Vista, Rockbridge and Bath County that foster connection, health awareness, and engagement.

You can catch up with me at Live Healthy Rockbridge and Live Healthy Rockbridge Kids meetings and activities.

Area youth may meet me in their classrooms when deliver drug education, or after school for community activities.

What I can help you with:

Obtain Training

ACE Interface (Adverse Childhood Experiences)
Adult Mental Health First Aid
Youth Mental Health First Aid
Dangers of Fentanyl
REVIVE! (opioid overdose reversal) w/ Narcan distribution as part of the State Opioid Response.
Coordinating and registering individuals or teams for any of our free, in person, virtual, or hybrid trainings, presentations, and forums.

Learn More

Networking

Contact to join Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition (RAPC) to reduce substance misuse and improve mental wellness in our community.
Identify how RACS and RAPC initiatives, events, and programs can serve you.
Liaison between you and other RAPC members to strengthen our community impact.
Inform you about opportunities to engage in area health and wellness related activities and programs.

Learn More

Providing Resources

Print and social media material about mental wellness, preventing substance misuse, and drug facts (including methamphetamines, opioids, and more).
Free safety devices such as gun locks and medication locking boxes, with suicide prevention information.
Free prevention education and events, including the annual Prevention Forum.
Youth activities and health education.

Learn More

Charity Smith

Prevention Educator

Live Healthy Rockbridge Kids

Meet Charity

“I have always been involved and enjoyed being in the community.”

Charity Smith was born and raised in Rockbridge County. She graduated from Rockbridge County High School in 2016, and today she is raising her own family in the area. She began her career in prevention at Rockbridge Area Community Services in 2024. At that time, she became a certified ACE Interface instructor and joined the Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition. She now facilitates Live Healthy Rockbridge Kids coalition, and she is a member of Tobacco Free Alliance of Virginia (TFAV) and Community Coalitions of Virginia (CCOVA).

Where you can find me:

You’ll see me leading Live Healthy Rockbridge Kids meetings at RACs.

Pre-school and elementary students will meet me when I bring samples of healthy veggie and fruit snacks and healthy hydration tips to schools or youth programs.

You may catch up with me at a meeting for Rockbridge Feeds Coalition, RAPC, and Live Healthy Rockbridge.

Students will hear me speak about the dangers of Fentanyl and other synthetic drugs at the middle and high schools.

I’ll be at middle and high schools teaching students about the dangers of vaping and nicotine.

I participate in many community events, especially events that focus on community food access and recreational activities.

What I can help you with:

Obtain Training

Dangers of Fentanyl
Catch My Breath (nicotine and vaping education for youth)
ACE Interface (Adverse Childhood Experiences)

Learn More

Networking

Contact me to join Live Healthy Rockbridge Kids (LHRK) to reduce childhood obesity and promote healthy movement and good nutrition for our children.
Inform you about opportunities and activities of LHRK partners.
Help you access food in the area when needed.
Provide you with information about free youth recreational opportunities.

Learn more...

Providing Resources

Childhood Obesity Prevention
Youth Movement/Fitness Education
Youth Nutrition Education
Drug Facts and Information
Story Walks for Families with Children
Free safety devices such as gun locks and medication locking boxes.

Learn More

Coalitions

COALITION

Live Healthy Rockbridge Kids

The mission of Live Healthy Rockbridge Kids is to prevent & reduce childhood obesity with Nutritional Education & Physical Activity.

All about our meetings

We hold our LHRK meetings on the second Tuesday of each month from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Meetings are either in-person or virtual. When we hold a meeting in-person we will announce this in advance and let participants know which conference room we will use at the Rockbridge Area Community Services building at 241 Greenhouse Road, Lexington. These meetings are open to the public. If you have an interest in our mission, or an interest in learning more about a particular coalition project or event, you are welcome to attend.

Meeting Minutes

What We Do

The Live Healthy Rockbridge Kids coalition is beginning its second decade strong, with a new 3-year grant and an ambitious workplan, supported by motivated community partners dedicated to the access of healthy food and nutrition education for area youth, plus fun, family-friendly opportunities for physical activity.

LHRK is involved in successful local initiatives throughout the last ten years, including; Veggie Brigades, Girls on the Run, Community Gardens, Healthy Retail (for families), nutrition and physical education for all school-age children. Currently, LHRK is involved in the new Food RX pilot with our community hospital, continuing “Story Walks” for families with young children, engaging in “Rev Your Bev”, W&L Campus Kitchen mobile food pantries and other outreach, community meals, Rockbridge Area Relief Association food access, DREAMS after school program, health fairs, preschool education, our local skatepark, YMCA summer activities, and more.

Want to get involved?

About Our Partners

We are adding new partners this year; they include VMI Men’s Basketball, Rockbridge Area Relief Association (RARA), Washington and Lee Bonner Leader Program. Our current core membership includes Rockbridge Area Community Services (RACS), Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition (RAPC), Carilion Rockbridge Community Hospital (CRCH), Campus Kitchen at Washington and Lee University (CKWL), Rockbridge County Public Schools (RCPS), Boxerwood Nature Center (BNC); Natural Bridge State Park (NBSP); Chamber of Commerce (CoC); Rockbridge Area Health Center (RAHC); Yellow Brick Road (YBR); Greater Rockbridge County Skateboarder Coalition; Rockbridge Outdoors; Main Street Buena Vista; Lexington Office on Youth; and community members.

Want to join the coalition?

About HCAT Funder

Our coalition currently receives funding from the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth. If you would like to learn more about VFHY, you can visit their website at vfhy.org

Want to join the coalition?

Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition (RAPC)

We work with you to come up with the very best solutions for your challenges!

01

Mission

The coalition’s mission is to reduce substance use among youth and build resilient youth and families through evidence-based strategies to achieve community-level change.