Los Angeles County | San Gabriel Valley | Youth Substance Prevention | Fentanyl Awareness
Picture a Tuesday night in Duarte. A mom and dad are sitting at the kitchen table with their 14-year-old daughter, reviewing a permission slip for a school fentanyl awareness assembly. She rolls her eyes, the way many teenagers do when school paperwork appears. But later that evening, she asks a question that stops them both:
“Do you actually know what’s in the pills kids talk about at school?”
It is a question more parents across the San Gabriel Valley are hearing as concerns about fentanyl, counterfeit pills, and youth substance use continue to shape conversations at home and at school.
Here is the encouraging news: fentanyl-related deaths in Los Angeles County have been declining for two consecutive years, reflecting the impact of prevention efforts, education campaigns, and increased community awareness. But the risk has not disappeared. Counterfeit pills containing fentanyl continue to circulate, and a single pill can still have devastating consequences.
That is why schools, parents, community organizations, and health professionals throughout the San Gabriel Valley are not easing up. From fentanyl education assemblies and parent workshops to youth wellness programs and substance use prevention initiatives, local communities are working together to help young people make informed choices before a crisis occurs.
For families the message is simple: progress is real, but prevention remains essential. The most powerful tool may still be an honest conversation at the kitchen table, before experimentation, peer pressure, or misinformation can take hold.
What the Numbers Actually Say
Every June, LA County Public Health puts out a full accounting of fentanyl-related deaths across the county. The June 2026 report has some genuinely good news in it: fentanyl-related deaths dropped 37% from 2023 to 2024, then fell another 10% in 2025. Fentanyl’s share of all overdose deaths in the county eased too, from a peak of 64% in 2023 down to 49% in 2025.
The San Gabriel Valley, which the county tracks as Service Planning Area 3, has held some of the lowest fentanyl death rates in LA County. Between 2016 and 2025, SPA 3 recorded 877 fentanyl-related deaths total, with 25 of those among residents 17 and under, a small number compared to most other parts of the county, and one worth keeping small.
That is the part that should give San Gabriel Valley families some real relief. Here is the part that still deserves attention: the report notes that illicit fentanyl now shows up throughout the counterfeit pill supply, and the DEA’s counterfeit pills fact sheet, cited in the same report, puts it at roughly 2 out of every 5 counterfeit pills containing a lethal dose. These pills are often made in bright colors specifically to appeal to young people, and sold through social media more than any street corner.
A teenager does not have to go looking for fentanyl to run into it. One pill, taken once out of curiosity, is enough.
Why the Middle School and High School Years Matter So Much
There is a real reason prevention work leans so heavily on this age group. A 2024 study in JAMA Network Open, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, followed almost 10,000 kids from ages 9 to 11 into early adolescence and found that key parts of the brain are still developing during exactly the years many young people first come across alcohol, nicotine, or cannabis. The researchers were careful to say brain development alone cannot predict who will use substances. What it does show is that these years are genuinely different, and that support and honest information can shape what happens next, long before anything becomes a crisis.
That is really the whole idea behind bringing prevention into school. It meets kids where they already are, on an ordinary Tuesday, not after something has gone wrong.
How Connections by Maryvale Fits In
Connections by Maryvale, based in Duarte and serving families across the San Gabriel Valley, built its substance use programs around that same idea. Instead of waiting for a family to hit a breaking point, Connections works directly inside school communities, alongside the counselors and teachers who see students every day and are often the first to notice when something feels off.
Here is what that looks like in practice:
- Drug education and prevention services with school communities: age-appropriate prevention, early intervention, and recovery support for adolescents ages 12 to 17 through workshops and online support groups.
- DMH partnership programs: this is not a referral out to a separate agency. Maryvale’s own Community Support for Families team works alongside Connections, already embedded in San Gabriel Valley schools and already connected to Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health resources, so a family moves between prevention, mental health support, and county-level care without ever leaving Maryvale.
- Enhanced Care Management (ECM) under CalAIM, known at Connections as Care Connect, is designed for families whose needs extend beyond traditional services. Through Care Connect, families are paired with a dedicated Lead Care Manager who coordinates medical, behavioral health, and social supports, helping them access the care they need without having to manage multiple systems on their own.
Here is something a lot of families do not realize: if your teen is on Medi-cal and needs help with mental health or drug or alcohol use, that is one of the specific groups the state uses to determine who qualifies for ECM. ECM may already be part of the plan you have, at no extra cost and with nothing new to sign up for.
Many families are surprised to learn that Media-cal may cover a wide range of behavioral health and support services. Eligibility is not automatic for every Media-cal member, and specific requirements from the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) must be met, but these services are often more accessible than people realize. A single call to Connections can help determine whether your child or family qualifies for Media-cal-covered services and connect you with the support you need.
Learn more about what ECM covers and who qualifies, or see the statewide program overview from DHCS.
A Connected Path to Support, Not Separate Systems
These services are not separate doors that families must choose between. Instead, they are connected pathways designed to meet families where they are and provide the right level of support when they need it.
For example, a student who first connects with Maryvale through Youth Connect, our free substance use prevention and education program, already has a trusted support system in place if their family later needs Department of Mental Health (DMH) services or the more intensive care coordination offered through Care Connect, Maryvale’s Enhanced Care Management (ECM) program. Families don’t have to start over, retell their story, or navigate a new system on their own.
Prevention is most effective when it reaches young people through conversations, programs, and trusted relationships that feel relevant, engaging, and safe, rather than waiting for a crisis to create urgency. By building connections early through prevention and education, families can access support, resources, and guidance before challenges escalate into more serious concerns.
As a result, young people are better equipped to make informed decisions, and families have a trusted place to turn when questions or concerns arise.
What Prevention Actually Covers
Connections brings a full slate of Wellness and Health Promotion groups into San Gabriel Valley communities and schools each year, covering far more ground than substance use alone. Topics are organized into a few core areas:
- Healthy Relationships, including boundaries, communication, and recognizing the difference between a healthy relationship and a toxic one.
- Substance Use Prevention and Education, including how substances affect the developing brain and the risk and protective factors that shape a young person’s choices.
- Mental Health and Emotional Regulation, including anxiety, mindfulness, and practical tools for daily coping.
- Safety and Empowerment, including consent, safety planning, and finding your voice.
These same groups are available to students through school partnerships and to families already enrolled in Care Connect, so the support a family receives through ECM and the prevention work happening on campus come from the same trusted team.
As child psychiatrist Bruce Perry has put it, “The opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety. The opposite of addiction is Connection.”
What You Can Do This Week
Protecting your child’s well-being does not require a diagnosis, an insurance card, or a crisis. Here are a few simple steps any family can take today:
- Ask your child’s middle school or high school whether Connections by Maryvale’s prevention programming is available as a resource for students and families. If it isn’t, ask who you can speak with about bringing these evidence-based prevention services to your school community.
- Have an honest conversation about counterfeit pills. Many teens do not realize that pills obtained from friends, social media, or online sources can look identical to legitimate prescription medications while containing fentanyl or other dangerous substances. DEA’s One Pill Can Kill resource, available in English and Spanish, is a good starting point for that conversation.
- Reach out to Connections before a problem develops. Prevention education, school partnerships, and family support services are available to San Gabriel Valley families who want trusted information, guidance, and resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we need a referral to contact Connections by Maryvale?
No. Families, school personnel, community partners, and DMH providers can contact Connections directly. While a referral from a physician, counselor, or other professional may help streamline the process, it is not required to begin exploring available services and support options.
Is Connections only for families facing a substance use issue?
Not at all. Substance use prevention and early intervention are core components of the program. Connections helps young people and families access accurate, judgment-free information before problems begin, empowering them to make informed decisions and build healthy futures. Whether your family has concerns today or simply wants to stay informed, support is available.
¿Necesita mi familia una remisión para comunicarse con Connections by Maryvale?
No. Las familias, el personal escolar y los socios de DMH pueden comunicarse directamente. Connections by Maryvale ofrece servicios en inglés y español.
Healthcare providers, school staff, DMH partners, and community members can reach the Connections by Maryvale team through Maryvale contact page.
Sources
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Substance Abuse Prevention and Control Bureau. “Data Report: Fentanyl Overdoses in Los Angeles County.” June 2026. Read the report
- U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. “Counterfeit Pills Fact Sheet.” May 2026. Read the fact sheet
