Guiding Good Choices
Guiding Good Choices is an evidence-based, interactive prevention program that provides the families of children ages 9-14 with the skills and knowledge to reduce the risk that their children will use drugs.
After completing the program families will be able to:
- Influence their children to help prevent drug use and other risky behaviors.
- Develop clear family guidelines and expectations about drug use.
- Teach children how to stay out of trouble, keep their friends and still have a good time.
There are five sessions to the course:
- How to Prevent Drug Use in Your Family
- How to Develop Healthy Beliefs and Clear Standards
- Avoiding Trouble: How to Say No to Drugs
- Managing Conflict: How to Control and Express Your Anger Constructively
- Involving Everyone: How to Strengthen Family Bonds
Sign up for the program here: https://hcdrugfree.org/2025/09/guiding-good-choices-free-classes-for-parents-2/
Choose Civility
The Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office is an Alliance Partner of Choose Civility, the community-wide initiative led by Howard County Library System, to position Howard County, Maryland as a model of civility. Valuing diversity, we choose respect, compassion, empathy, and inclusiveness as essential to our quality of life.
Choose Civility website: http://choosecivility.org/
Howard County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team (HCDVFRT)
Established in 2007, the Howard County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team (HCDVFRT) is a multidisciplinary group of professionals whose mission is to reduce domestic violence; specifically, domestic-related fatalities and near fatalities in our county through review of our response to domestic violence in our community. The goal of the team is to use what was learned during review to address and improve training and community-based prevention programs.
The team is made up of Howard County Government Officials from multiple departments, as well as members of the community and community organizations.
More information can be found at: https://www.howardcountymd.gov/boards-commissions/howard-county-domestic-violence-fatality-review-team
Howard County Local Behavioral Health Advisory (HCLBHA) Board
The Howard County Local Behavioral Health Advisory (HCLBHA) Board was formed July 1, 2018.
The Board meets monthly (with the exception of July). The Board’s mission is to advise the County Health Officer and the County Executive of their responsibility to plan, manage and monitor Behavioral Health programs and services for Howard County Residents.
The HCLBHA Board will include a total of 28 members: 18 are appointed members for five-year terms. The Board consists of: 7 Consumers, 7 Family Members, 2 Professional/Provider/Advocates, 2 At Large, and 10 will be Ex-Officio members representing DSS, Public Defender’s Office, DCRS, State Attorney’s Office, Detention Center, Police Department, Circuit Court, DJS, Parole and Probation, and HCPSS. The importance of consumer/family member representation was a key focus in the development of the new board. Members and Ex-Officio members, all of whom have voting rights.