Be a Part of the Conversation is a nonprofit organization that provides community programs that educate and increase the awareness and understanding of substance use, misuse and addiction and its impact on individuals and their families. We are parents, educators, young people, health care providers, recovering alcoholics and addicts, law enforcement officers, mental health/substance use experts, and others who have a shared desire to help create a community that is educated and able to take timely and positive action toward healing and recovery whenever needed.
Learn much more about us by visiting https://conversation.zone/about/
Chief among the goals is to level the playing field to enable all cross-sections of the community to come together and speak candidly as a means of support, as well as to alleviate stigmas associated with dependence on alcohol and other drugs.
We stay abreast of trends and strive to engage the community with discussions of interest, as well as share stories from people in recovery. We engage experts to discuss addiction as a brain disease, warning signs of substance misuse, communication and intervention, prescription drug misuse, opioid addiction, and much more. Visit our Program Menu to learn more >
Through a series of informational community events, forums, panel discussions and more, we provide access to professional resources, treatment options and programs. Above all, we encourage conversation between all parties and often break into small groups to make discussion easier and feel less like a lecture. Programs culminate with a question and answer session, which allows for a deeper engagement with the subjects at hand.
Visit our “Support” page for links to a variety of resources >
Our audiences vary, depending on the topic being presented:
- Our prevention topics are intended for parents and educators who care about young children, teens, and young adults.
- Early intervention topics help adults to understand the risk factors and early warning signs of substance misuse in their loved ones, as well as presenting options for diversion, assessment or treatment.
- Educators attend our programs that address topics including school policy, trends in adolescent substance use, and continuing education (Act 48) trainings.
- Health care professionals attend programs that help to deepen their understanding of specific substances, including opioid use, medical marijuana, and other complex topics.
- Mental health and substance treatment professionals attend our continuing education programs that address current topics presented by leaders in the field.
- The majority of our presentations are intended for mainstream audiences who are interested in increasing their understanding of substance use disorders (addiction), co-occurring mental health disorders, pathways to recovery, and much more.
We welcome the opportunity to bring our engaging and creative programs to your community. School districts – whether public, private or parochial – are an ideal conduit for bringing together families, community leaders, and young people for meaningful conversations about substance abuse. We also work with municipalities, foundations, government agencies and other organizations that are interested in addressing topics related to drug and alcohol use, abuse and addiction. Please contact Executive Director Kim Porter for more information:  267-629-2214 or kim@conversation.zone
“12 Step Programs” refers to support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Al-anon, and many others. This website provides some general information about the 12 Steps: Â 
Be a Part of the Conversation supports many pathways to recovery. We do not assess individuals, nor do we provide treatment or counseling. Instead, we welcome everyone to join our candid conversations as a means of supporting one another. We strive to provide comprehensive information about a variety of treatment options and recovery solutions.
While all of us at Be a Part of the Conversation sincerely hope that young people will reject or delay the use of drugs or the underage consumption of alcohol, our expectation is not that they will have already decided to abstain from drinking alcohol or consuming drugs. What we would like to encourage in young people is an honest and meaningful conversation about the challenges they face, and a greater understanding of how adolescents and young adults navigate the challenges that confront them in today’s world.
With regard to adult use of substances, Be a Part of the Conversation makes no presupposition about adult substance use. We support multiple pathways to recovery from addiction to drugs and alcohol, including Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) and harm reduction (e.g., a clean needle exchange program can reduce rates of transmission of hepatitis C, HIV, or other infectious disease for individuals suffering from opioid use disorder).
We hold Conversation events several times throughout the year. For a complete list of events visit:
http://conversation.zone/calendar/
Parent Partnership meetings are held weekly throughout the year (some in person and some on Zoom). Please visit this page to find a meeting near you: Â conversation.zone/partnership/
Yes, Be a Part of the Conversation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization that relies on individual, corporate, and foundation contributions and support. Your contribution to us is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Our EIN is 47-1233578
Visit our *GuideStar profile here >
