meeting in review 5.04.2011

I.
We were fortunate to have Kitty Huffstutter present some of the fundamentals of community coalitions and prevention science.  To recap, as a result of the efforts of a few dedicated individuals, we currently have funds for training and technical assistance to develop the coalition.  This mentoring grant is targeted toward applying for a larger 5-year DFC (Drug Free Communities) award.   As a coalition, we can choose to pursue this grant or not.  However in the meantime, the mentoring funds are intended to provide the support that will position us for applying.
Kitty also offered an overview of the Clackamas County Prevention Coalition (CCPC), which serves as an umbrella coalition for local coalitions.  The intention of the CCPC is to get more people learning about prevention science, and to foster a county-wide network of prevention volunteers.
II.
Elizabeth described the tasks and decisions that are immediately before the group:

1. Recruitment and representation from all 12 sectors of the community.

• Contact Elizabeth for any support in extending invitations for participation.

1. Organizational Structure and Decision-Making Process are also on the front burner.

• Review the Coalition Involvement Agreement for discussion at June’s meeting.
• An electronic version of the Member Profile is attached.
• The coalition will want to designate Co-Chairs

1. Mission of the coalition will largely be determined by what participants see as priorities in the community.
2. A Community Assessment is the first step toward identifying key areas of focus and also is a requirement for the DFC grant.  It is also the first step toward identifying priorities for Action Teams.

• Toward this end, we began a Roundtable discussion of perceived problem areas.

III.
With the understanding that coalition work is intended to develop Community-Level Interventions, there was a good beginning discussion of perceived problems in the area.
The topics that came up can serve as hints of what is of interest and priority for Action Teams to form around.
Key questions in the Assessment Process were posed to the group:
.  What are the key problems in the community?
.  How do we know it is a problem?
.  What are the things we can do to reduce the likelihood of this problem occurring?
.  What are the local conditions that are contributing to the problem?
Themes from the discussion include:

• parent education and awareness
• coordination of efforts between sectors
• early onset of use
• extended response to incidents (ie. post-punitive education and awareness)
• social stigma around use and addiction (which keeps problems invisible)
• alcohol use at OCHS
• alcohol and drug use in the home (parent use)
• ease of procurement
• misinformation about harmlessness of marijuana
• homelessness – addressing basic needs

IV.
Agreements:

• Cyndi Borgmeier (OCHS) will attend the Drug Influence Recognition event at OCHS next week and reporting back to the Coalition.
• It was agreed that the coalition will rotate presentations from sector representatives to begin learning about available programs, services, and initiatives.  Dawn Wade (County Juvenile Dept) mentioned the Up in Smoke program and will present at the June meeting.

Next Meeting:
Wednesday June 1^st
1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Eastham, Room 214