The Substance Use Prevention Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SUPPD) is part of the City of Chicago Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), which works to make Chicago accessible on behalf of residents and visitors. This program teaches students who are deaf or hard of hearing to make well-informed and positive choices to support a healthy lifestyle. 

To do this, SUPPD works in collaboration with school and community settings who serve deaf and hard of hearing students in grades 6th – 12th in the state of Illinois. We can come to your school or program and provide up to 10 lessons to teach a combination of life skills and substance use prevention in a fun, engaging format. 

All presentations are conducted in American Sign Language (ASL) and tailored to meet students’ unique learning styles. With advance notice and planning, SUPPD can provide presentations to Deaf or hard of hearing youth who do not use sign language or have diverse learning styles. 

SUPPD incorporates key components from an evidence-based curriculum, “Too Good For Drugs,” into our presentation designs. Its primary focus is to build protective factors needed to support healthy lifestyles and to reduce risk factors that can lead to misusing alcohol and other drugs. 

School/Teacher Engagement 

If you are interested in having your students participate, SUPPD will schedule directly with you and your class. The full curriculum is 10 lessons, but we are able to reduce the number of lessons to accommodate the needs of your classroom. Each lesson is delivered in 50 minutes and can be scheduled weekly, bi-weekly, or however is best for your classroom. Some schools prefer to use resource classroom time once a week. If you are interested in scheduling, please contact Nathaniel Kelly, Project Coordinator, at 773-739-6146 (Video Phone) or email MOPDSUPPD@cityofchicago.org.  

Parent Engagement 

SUPPD also recognizes it is equally as important that parents are educated and empowered with strategies to create healthy lifelong habits to improve their family’s overall wellness.  SUPPD is available to provide information and resources to parents and community stakeholders.  

Community Engagement 

We’re in the community! Community engagement is very important to us. You might find SUPPD at disabled communities’ events to create more collaborative relationships and spread awareness on accessibility.  

SUPPD Team 

Meet who you will work with when you partner with MOPD and SUPPD! 

Karla Castellanos, Community Services Representative 

Karla is a native to the Chicagoland area, born and raised in Chicago, IL. She received her B.A. in Psychology and Communications and M.A. in Communication Studies at Governors State University. She has been teaching American Sign Language (ASL) in both school and business settings throughout the years. With her experience, she aims to bring success to MOPD and the community to thrive.   

Nathaniel Kelly, SUPPD Project Coordinator 

Nathaniel is a New York City native. He received his B.A. in Communications from Gallaudet University. Nathaniel is invested in civil rights movements and accessibility for the Deaf/HoH. Currently, he is studying Strategic Communications at Columbia College in Chicago. 

We are all in this together! 

For more information about SUPPD and/or to schedule a session, please feel free to contact us at 773-739-6146 (Video Phone) or email MOPDSUPPD@cityofchicago.org. 

This program is funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services.  

Read more about the Too Good For Drugs curriculum for middle and high school students.