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On Tuesday, the Washington Parish Coalition on Human Services (WPCHS) held its December meeting at ADAPT in Bogalusa.

Rusty Fornea, ADAPT executive director, presented an overview of services and programs offered at ADAPT. ADAPT stands for “All Deserves Advocacy, Prevention, and Treatment.” Sexual assault and domestic violence programs offered at ADAPT include a rape crisis center, 24/7 crisis line, hospital escort services, mental health counseling and more. All sexual assault and domestic violence services are offered free of charge to victims and survivors.

ADAPT also offers substance abuse services including drug screening, START (Stages Toward Addiction Recovery Treatment) classes, and SACAY (Substance Abuse Choices And You) classes. Prevention programs are provided free of charge to students in city and parish schools including Life Skills Training, Generation Rx, Kid’s Don’t Gamble, Safe Dates, and Catch My Breath. All programs are evidenced-based or evidenced-informed.

The mission of ADAPT is to unite the community in providing resources and implementing prevention strategies and direct services to address the causal factors that lead to violence, substance abuse and other problem behaviours in Washington Parish.

Those in attendance included: (in-person) Ginger Champagne, Rusty Fornea, Rhonda Gunnell, Glory Davis, Emma Ross, Charlette Minor, Stephanie Seals, Regina Meyerchick, Maddie Champagne, Mike Ingram, Linda Mizell, Gloria Kates, Don Soviak, Paula Charles, Emma Dixon and Elbert Buckley; (via Zoom) Jennifer Johnson, Nnenna Minimah, Wendy Castillo, Marty Hennegan, Master Sgt. Amy Thomas, Donna Davis, Lori Aversa and Toni Staton.

The next scheduled meeting for WPCHS will be on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. at ADAPT, located at 222 Memphis St. in Bogalusa. Meetings are open to the public. For more information, call Fornea at 985-735-0160.