‘VITAL SIGNS’ program designed to educate parents
First-ever 'Victoria’s Voice' screening part of substance abuse series at Grace Church
The first showing of Victoria’s Voice in the country will take place at Grace Church next week as part of the VITAL SIGNS Program.
“I was watching the ‘Queen of Versailles’ television program and learned about the Victoria’s Voice Foundation,” said Deborah Comella, executive director for the Coalition for a Drug-Free Southwest Florida. “I contacted them and expressed an interest in the VITAL SIGNS Program, as so many parents in Lee County have talked to me about concerns about not recognizing the signs of substance abuse in their children. We received permission to show it here, not realizing it would be for the first-time ever.”
Adam Miller, with Rubenstein Communications, said Victoria’s Voice created the VITAL SIGNS Parent Forum program to support and enable drug-free coalitions and like-minded organizations to engage their local communities in VITAL SIGNS.
“Our goal is to empower communities with prevention education made more relevant and valuable through the participation of local leadership and families who can inform these discussions, share their experiences, and generate ongoing community-level support and learning,” he said.
Miller said Victoria’s Voice Foundation was established in 2019 by Jackie and David Siegel after losing their 18-year-old daughter to an accidental drug overdose.
The foundation is based in Orlando and is dedicated to providing evidence-based drug education and addiction prevention support for families, including access to Naloxone.
Since its founding, Victoria’s Voice has positively impacted more than a million parents and children through its education programs.
Comella said as prevention is regional, she also invited other area coalitions — Drug Free Charlotte, Drug Free Collier and Drug Free Hendry Glades — to join them in sponsoring the program.
“In looking for a location, Grace Church is very well respected in the community for both their teen/adolescent program and for Celebrate Recovery, so it was great that they are able to host,” Comella said.
The first video, Victoria’s Voice (self-esteem), will be shown in person at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, at Grace Church, 13 S.E. 21st Place in Cape Coral.
Registration is required and can be done at VITAL SIGNS Presentation Registration.
“We are very privileged to have Brandy Klingman onsite for the first showing on March 12,” Comella said. “She will be available for questions and discussions. The following seven videos will be shown on our Prevention Parents Facebook page, to be introduced by a partner agency and we will have someone available for questions and discussion afterwards.”
The following seven videos will be shown on the Prevention Parents Facebook page, with an introduction by a thought leader, who also will be available for questions.
The series is:
• Tuesday, March 12: Victoria’s Voice (The World Has Changed)
• Thursday, March 14: Grace Church (Bullying)
• Monday, March 18: Drug Free Lee (Sexual Behavior) Elizabeth Dosoretz, Founder and CEO of Elite DNA Therapy
• Tuesday, March 19: Drug Free Collier (Alcohol)
• Wednesday, March 20: Drug Free Charlotte (Marijuana and Vaping)
• Friday, March 22: Victoria’s Voice (Flatline)
• Monday, March 25: Drug Free Hendry-Glades (Drugs)
Miller said the Southwest Florida Prevention Alliance utilizes its Facebook Prevention Page to provide regional prevention resources.
Each of the sessions includes a series of four to six video segments averaging around five minutes each. Each video segmentation allows for participant discussion throughout the session.