CADCA Recognizes Missouri Coalition for their Drug Prevention Efforts

A panel of coalition experts at the federal, state and local levels recently recognized three community coalitions as CADCA's 2010 Got Outcomes! award winners at our National Leadership Forum outside of Washington, D.C.

The Taney County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team (ADAPT) in Branson, Mo., was one of the honorees. Taney County ADAPT received the “Milestones” award for developing and implementing a comprehensive, data-driven approach to address the problem of underage drinking. In 2008, data revealed that 46.7 percent of 6th, 8th and 9th graders reported drinking alcohol in their lifetime (other than for religious purposes). Recognizing that this level of information was not sufficient to take action the coalition collected additional data from archival sources and conducted interviews and focus groups. They concluded that high alcohol outlet density, retailers selling to minors, and low perceptions of risk associated with underage drinking contributed to the problem.

Informed by this local data, the coalition implemented a variety of evidence-based policies, practices and programs such as coordinating an underage drinking awareness campaign, creating graduated sanctions for underage drinkers and drafting and enhancing local alcohol ordinances. Their efforts contributed to drastic changes in youth perceptions of access to alcohol, awareness of harm, and risky behaviors between 2008 and 2010. For example, fewer youth report that alcohol is “sort of easy” or “very easy” to get (70 percent in 2008; 37.45 percent in 2010), and fewer youth report having ridden in a car with someone under the influence of alcohol (27.5 percent in 2008; 14.04 percent in 2010). Student alcohol consumption is also declining and the coalition plans to sustain this downward trend in the coming years.

Educating their local retailers about fake IDs, ensuring children can’t be in bars after 10 p.m. without a parent, conducting DUI checkpoints, and starting a designated drivers program called “04ME” have also helped to reduce alcohol access and change social norms.

The “O4ME” program allows the designated driver at a participating Taney County restaurant to have free, unlimited non-alcoholic drinks. It kicks off today for St. Patrick’s Day.

“Some of these strategies we’ve done with alcohol, we can now use \ to address prescription drug abuse,” said Kara Miller, Health Educator for the Taney County Health Department and coalition leader. She received the award at the Forum with Chris Davis of Missouri’s Community Partnership of the Ozarks.

To help reduce access to prescription drugs in the home, the coalition has conducted drug take-back programs last Fall and plans another one in April. Being a coalition has really helped to open doors for them in all their prevention work, Miller said, especially with drugstore chain Walgreens, who partnered with them on their take-back program.

“Working with all of our sectors, especially our retailers with compliance checks and take-backs has helped our work tremendously,” she said. It also helps fund their community work. The coalition is not Drug-Free Communities Program-funded, so it relies on smaller grants and in-kind donations from businesses. Their Safe and Sober Prom Night event, for example, will feature an after-prom movie night at the local IMAX theater with the venue being donated by the business owner. Law enforcement officers even sit in the movie with the youth.

“When I was at the Forum, it was an honor to be representing my town and my people,” Miller said. “Two years ago, we didn’t even have a coalition and now we’re receiving an award. From looking at our logic model, and looking to see where we were and how far we’ve come, it was eye opening to see how much we’ve accomplished in a short amount of time.”

Also honored as Got Outcomes! winners were The Prevention Council of Roanoke County in Roanoke, Va. and The Van Buren County SAFE Coalition in Keosauqua, Iowa. We profiled the SAFE Coalition in last week’s Coalitions Online and in next week’s Coalitions Online, you will read more about The Prevention Council.

CADCA invites coalition leaders across the country to nominate their coalition for a prestigious Got Outcomes! Coalition of Excellence Award. The goal of the program is to recognize coalitions that achieve measurable success in community-level substance abuse-related outcomes by implementing a comprehensive and feasible plan guided by local data. Applicants choose from three separate categories based on the substance abuse-related outcomes achieved and begin a rigorous two-phase application process requiring them to clearly communicate their story and contribution to community-level outcomes. CADCA will release the Got Outcomes! Phase I application on Thursday, April 14th. Phase I applications must be returned to CADCA by Friday, June 10. For more information, please visit www.cadca.org/gotoutcomes or call 1-800-54-CADCA, Ext. 245.