As some of you may already know, Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM) is in full swing. Every February is a month-long campaign dedicated to raising awareness about teen dating abuse. With 1 in 3 teens in the U.S. experiencing physical, sexual or emotional abuse and two thirds never telling anyone, we have to do more to bring awareness to teen dating violence.

3 Ways to Honor the Month:

• Promote (and Attend!) an Educational Event: Project PEACE will be hosting two workshops on February 24th: one event for youth and the other event for parents/adults. We look forward to continuing to eradicate teen dating violence from our Arlington community together!
• Spread the Word about Healthy Teen Relationships: Through our social media platforms, we're sharing educational content and amplifying awareness during the month to reinforce the message that services and support are always available. Please join us in this virtual push by reposting, liking and/or sharing our content: @arlprojectpeace (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram). Learn more about this month’s campaign and theme “#KnowYourWorth.”
• Advocate: Virginia currently invests $0 toward preventing sexual and domestic violence. Learn more about how you can support efforts to invest in prevention at the state level led by Senator Favola and the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance.

We must come together to support those affected by unhealthy relationships and abuse. Let's shift the thinking that this is a private issue and cultivate a social norm that this is, in fact, a community issue. Thank you for joining us in this effort!

The County will be hosting free, no appointment, drive-thru COVID-19 testing on Wednesday, February 24 from 2 to 6 p.m. at 601 S. Carlin Springs Road. Tests are available to all people age 2 or older, regardless of residency or insurance status. We encourage pre-registration to move more quickly through the line, which is available in English and Spanish.

Learn more about next week's COVID-19 testing in English here or in Spanish here!

If you're between the ages of 18 and 64, currently receiving disability benefits from Social Security, and interested in increasing your income and becoming financially independent, you are invited to attend a free Ticket to Work information session on Thursday, February 18 from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.! Social Security’s Ticket to Work program offers beneficiaries an opportunity to achieve greater financial independence by providing education about benefits, individualized employment services, and support maintaining meaningful work. Register online here! Event details will be emailed to registrants. If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact Emily Hoban at ehoban@arlingtonva.us or 703-228-1419.

Join Arlington County Emergency Management on Thursday, February 18 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. for a free, virtual "Until Help Arrives" training offered by Arlington CERT members.

The training will review essential concepts such as maintaining situational awareness, identifying key life threats, stopping bleeding, moving and positioning the injured, and providing psychological support and comfort to the wounded. The skills you will learn in this class are useful in countless emergency situations, such as traumatic injuries from a car collision, household injury, or events like an active shooting. Come and learn how you can be the help, Until Help Arrives. Register online here!

Naloxone is a safe and effective medication that can reverse an overdose from opioids, including heroin. If you or a loved one are prescribed opioid painkillers, or are taking opioids, you should have Naloxone on hand.

Learn how to administer Naloxone (Narcan) and obtain FREE Naloxone through the mail at the completion of this one hour long training! Information covered includes how opioid overdoses happen, risk factors for opioid overdoses, and how to respond to an opioid overdose emergency with the administration of Naloxone (Narcan). Register for any of the training dates on the right by emailing narcan@arlingtonva.us.

Join Child and Family Services Division's Parenting
Support Group, a virtual discussion group in our community to share experiences and learn about topics relevant to your family each week! Each session, a different topic will be discussed. On Tuesday, February 23, attend "How to Talk to Your Child About Sexual Abuse" from  7 to 8 p.m., and on Tuesday, March 9, don't miss "Nutrition and Impact on Development" from 7 to 8 p.m. Come support other parents, share your successes, and lean in for support. Send any questions to cmarketti@arlingtonva.us.

Don't miss the upcoming event "Federal Retirement Planning: Should Federal Retirees Sign Up for Medicare?", presented by Arlington's Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (VICAP) on February 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. 

Don Oellerich, former Deputy Chief Economist and Senior Advisor at the Department of Health and Human Services, will discuss the basics of Medicare and what it covers, whether people with Federal Health Insurance in Retirement need Medicare, and how Medicare and Federal Retiree Health Plans work together. Please register for the event by Friday, February 19 at 5 p.m.

Arlington County Vision Zero is a bold approach to changing the way we, as a community, view transportation safety. The Draft Vision Zero Action Plan demonstrates Arlington’s commitment to achieve zero transportation-related deaths and serious injuries on our streets and trails by 2030. There are two ways to learn more and share your feedback by February 28:

1. Review and complete the online engagement form
2. Get a summary at Central Library and share your feedback via mail

Each year, there’s a Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 – March 31. During this time, if you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan and want to change your health plan, you can either:

• Switch to a different Medicare Advantage Plan with or without drug coverage
• Go back to Original Medicare and, if needed, also join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan   

If you switch Medicare Advantage Plans or go back to Original Medicare with or without a Medicare drug plan, your new coverage will start the first day of the month after your new plan gets your request for coverage. Keep in mind, if you go back to Original Medicare now, you may not be able to buy a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy.

If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan and want to change your plan, check out your options today. To enroll in a new Medicare Advantage Plan or a Medicare drug plan in your area, call Arlington County Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (VICAP) at 703-228-1725 for help.

If you're a member of a low- or moderate-income household, you may qualify for no cost tax preparation services through organizations in Arlington. 

Due to the pandemic, the organizations that usually help residents prepare their taxes are making a number of changes. Learn more about providers and how to make an appointment here!