08/27/2026
This week, Kindred Hearts attended the Substance Use Disorder Integrated Care Conference in Long Beach as part of our continued commitment to prevention and early intervention. 💚
This work is especially important for youth in foster, kinship, guardianship, and adoptive families. Many of our youth have experienced trauma, loss, disrupted attachment, and other early adversity, experiences that increase their risk for mental health and substance use challenges later.
We see that risk right here in Shasta County. Local data shows that 36% of 9th graders and 49% of 11th graders have used alcohol or another drug in their lifetime, with even higher rates among youth in non-traditional schools.
For us, prevention means getting upstream: supporting kids and families early, strengthening relationships, building connection and belonging, and making sure caregivers have support before challenges become crises. It also means building strong partnerships with agencies across our community, so when youth or families do need treatment or recovery support, we can help connect them to the right resources and ensure they aren’t navigating those systems alone.
Permanency is only the beginning. Strong families, connected youth, and supported caregivers are all part of prevention.
We’re excited to bring what we learned back home and continue building stronger supports for Shasta County families. 💚
