Prevent Assault & Violence Education (PAVE)

The mission of Mental Health America of Licking County is to promote good mental health, wellness and achieve victory over mental illness.

Mental Health America of Licking County envisions a just, humane and healthy society in which all people are accorded respect, dignity and the opportunity to achieve their full potential free from stigma and prejudice.

Since 1992, PAVE has been a violence prevention program for area high school students who are peer educators in the middle schools as well as their own communities. Over the years it has evolved to allow college age students to become contract staff members who are then paid to teach some of the same information they may have been teaching during high school. We do youth asset building for students in our classrooms, meetings & clubs. During the 2008-2009 school year, we had different components from grades 6 through 12 addressing different needs at each level. Last school year we reached over 6000 (unduplicated people) with anti-violence messages.

PAVE meets weekly to prepare teen volunteers for their roles as peer educators but also to build assets & other family skills. That is what being a member of PAVE is like - being a member of a family. We also work together on a presentation for the SAVE Awards (Strategies Against Violence Everywhere & our own Peacemakers' Showcase along with other community events during the year. We try to have an annual camping trip & winter outing, too. Depending on funds raised, PAVE can attend international conferences or local fairs.