Learn More About Prevention Services at RACS.
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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
Allison Thomas
Prevention Educator
Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition
Charity Smith
Prevention Educator
Live Healthy Rockbidge Kids
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.
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. 
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.
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.
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 2018, 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)

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.
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.
Our Services Include:
Coalition Work
Topical Conversations
Hidden in Plain Sight
Parent Handbooks
Red Ribbon Week
Mental Health Awareness
Educational Programming: Catch My Breath
Firearm Safety Devices
Tobacco Retailer Education - Countertools
Gambling Prevention
Medication Storage and Disposal Pouches
Trauma Informed Care
Trainings
Our Coalition Work
We are the fiscal agent of the Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition, the Live Healthy Rockbridge Kids Coalition and the Crisis Intevention Team (CIT) coalition. We are also active members on the Live Healthy Rockbridge Coalition which is a part of Carilion Rockbridge Community Hospital. To learn more about coalition work or to get involved, click on the links below or email us.
*Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition
*Live Healthy Rockbridge Kids Coalition
*Students in Rockbridge Promoting Healthy Alternatives (SiRPHA) - youth coalition
Data-Driven Strategies
Our prevention team collects data every other year for 8th, 10th, and 12th graders on behalf of the Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition. All of the data that we collect is shared with the coalition in an aggregate form and guides the strategic planning process for our prevention team.
Community Awareness
We participate in several awareness events throughout the year. Some of those events may include:
Red Ribbon Week
Take Down Tobacco Day
Mental Health Awareness Month
Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
Problem Gambling Awareness Month
National Fentanyl Awareness Day
Drug Take Back Events
Trainings We Offer
Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences
SafeTALK (Suicide Alertness)
ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training)
REVIVE (Naloxone Administration)
Trauma Informed Speakers
Topical Presentations
Concept Creation
We partner with all of the area schools to provide educational information based on the needs identifed in the most recent data collection or as identified by the schools.
This school year we are providing a program called Catch My Breath. This program is an evidence-based curriculum with a focus on vaping and tobacco prevention education.
Prevention Team Mission Statement:
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.
Our Services Include:
- Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition
- Live Healthy Rockbridge Kids Coalition
- Students in Rockbridge Promoting Healthy Alternatives (SiRPHA) - youth coalition
- Topical Conversations
- Hidden in Plain Sight
- Parent Handbooks
- Lock and Talk
- Red Ribbon Week
- Mental Health Awareness
- Educational Programming: Catch My Breath
- Firearm Safety Devices
- Drug Take Backs
- Tobacco Retailer Education - Countertools
- Gambling Prevention
- Medication Storage and Disposal Pouches
- Medication Drop-Box Locations
- Trauma Informed Care
- Trainings
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.
02
Vision
A Rockbridge community with resilient youth and families that are physically and mentally healthy
03
Meetings
Our coalition meets monthly to work on multiple strategies.
04
Follow us!
Please follow us on any of our social media channels!
Medication Drop-Box Locations
Educational Resources
Books: ACES Resources
Articles on suicide, tobacco, vaping, alcohol, stimulants, opioids, gaming/gambling, marijuana, ACES
Videos: ACES Resources
Website and Resources
Juul
How School are Responding to JUUling
Daily Princetonian: Juul Epidemic Hits Campus
Center 4 research: Vaping Safer Smoking-Cigarettes
CDC Strengthens Concern Over Vaping
Truth Initiative: 4 Things Parents Need Know About JUUL and Nicotine addiction
New Yorker Magazine: The Promise of Vaping and the Rise of the JUUL.
Stop Cancer Fund: PZ diet habits behaviors the dangers of juuling
Marijuana
Alcohol
coming soon
Opioids
Tobacco
How School are Responding to JUUling
Daily Princetonian: Juul Epidemic Hits Campus
Center 4 research: Vaping Safer Smoking-Cigarettes
How School are Responding to JUUling
Daily Princetonian: Juul Epidemic Hits Campus
Center 4 research: Vaping Safer Smoking-Cigarettes
CDC Strengthens Concern Over Vaping
Truth Initiative: 4 Things Parents Need Know About JUUL and Nicotine addiction
New Yorker Magazine: The Promise of Vaping and the Rise of the JUUL.
Stop Cancer Fund: PZ diet habits behaviors the dangers of juuling
To learn more about our prevention services or either of our coalitions, contact us at prevention@racsb.org.
