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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CDTF-1999 Community Drug Task Force Steering Team January 11, 1999 MINUTES Present:Mayor Cohen,Katrina Turek,Laurel Guy,Judge John Rowley,Georgette King,Chuck Bartosch, Mark Ashton,Tim Marchell,Diane Ferris, Kit Kephart, Ron Schoneman,Viola Scott,Audrey Cooper, Walter Lalor 1. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this meeting was to go through the goals set forth in the Interim Report of the Community Drug Task Force.*Our intent is first to determine the status of each goal and then to establish a strategy and a timeline for achieving these goals.This meeting was spent examining the short term goals.We will continue to go through the intermediate and long-term goals in subsequent meetings. 2. SHORT TERM PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS • Develop and educational/resource booklet for middle school students about substance abuse. Jody Maddren,the health teacher at Dewitt Middle School is working on the prevention booklet.Diane Ferris will check with her on the status of this project. • Survey students and teachers to gather community based data on local conditions and trends. Regarding the survey,Alan Cohen said that the letter went out to the parents saying that it was going to be administered.It is going to grades 6,8, 10 and 12 at ACS,Ithaca High School,Boynton and Dewitt Middle Schools.The survey is a duplicate of the Rocky Mountain Survey. Chuck Bartosch said that the survey was administered with no complaints.We should get the tabulated results in the next few days.Katrina said that the survey chosen is a solid research model and has a lie factor built into it and there are certain questions that are earmarked that can trigger for the computer when kids aren't being truthful. -Allow Parent Education Action Team to speak at ICSD PTA meetings. Parent Education Action Team has spoken to PTA meetings and are wanting to speak again. Sharon Best was suggested as the contact to see if more speaking engagements have taken place or not. *Hire Cayuga Role Players to perform at schools on drug related issues. No one is certain who coordinates the Cayuga Role Players.Anyone who has information about this group should contact Laurel Guy.Walter Lalor suggested utilizing the Mental Health Players from Elmira,who have an excellent reputation. It would also be helpful to create a list of other regional groups that do this type of educational theatre outreach that could be tapped.This would require funding.Laurel will start researching and compiling a list of recommened groups and grant opportunities to fund it. • Advocate community, political and religious leaders to take responsibility for drug- related treatments for youth. Alan and Kit Kephart voiced interest in working with Laurel to organize a series of brown bag lunches for clergy and community to have various providers describe their services.It was decided that a subcommittee could be formed to define what our message is first. Chuck Bartosch suggested creating speaking engagements for Rotary and other business organizations.Alan also suggested that Sara Hess would be a good point person to involve in this project because this goal came out of her group. 1 -Create a directory of active neighborhood association and watch groups. *Develop an informational booklet to give community residents assistance in fighting drugs in their neighborhoods. The directory of neighborhood watch groups and the informational book about fighting drugs in your neighborhood have been updated and they are going to go out together as one booklet.Alan will report on the timeframe of this by next month's meeting.Leslie Chatterton in the Planning Department is in charge of updating these booklets into one booklet.Audrey Cooper asked how these booklets are being distributed. Her comment was that it is sad that something of this caliber is not getting into people's hands. A discussion followed regarding the need of better distribution for these materials.Laurel Guy stressed that distribution is one of the weak links,not only for these booklets but for many other information materials. Two questions were raised: the cost of printing and how many booklets are printed? Alan said that he can find moneys to cover the cost and did not want to consider that an issue.Mark Ashton asked how many booklets exist on this topic. The suggestion was made to create a list of sites for distribution points.The following resources were suggested to include on that list: Southside Center,GIAC, Southview Community Center,Northside Community, Parkside Gardens,Titus Towers. Georgette King can distribute them through Drug Court.Community members like Viola Scott can distribute them.Audrey Cooper and Wilma Martin can utilize them in the Drug Elimination Program through Cooperative Extension.Gerry Robles' program, the Family Development Program in the North and South Sides.The Women's Opportunity Center.Health care providers:Doctors,dentists, social workers,Planned Parenthood offices.All of the neighborhood watch groups can be very effective if they have the tools to give out.Churches should have them.Questions were raised about distributing them through the schools,through the Thursday Take Home Packets in the grade schools.Coffee shops, laundromats.Working with other organizations that have packets,perhaps we could piggy-back with them. Cooperative Extension's Food and Nutrition Program has 20 sites in Ithaca and outlying areas.Every three months they change the packets of information.Women's Community Building,Family and Children's Service.All the police satellite offices should have them.The library. Alan mentioned that there is now a digital map that shows where all the community groups are.Chuck Bartosch mentioned that the 1,000 teachers in the district are an ideal group that should have this booklet,working through the ITA.Also, perhaps distributing these through the parent-teacher conferences that happen twice a year.The Drug Task Force could have an information table at the schools' Open House events.Create a list of special events like the Southside Festival,Take Back the Night event,etc.Laurel will research and create a distribution list using these suggestions as a starting point. Georgette King,Audrey Cooper,Mark Ashton,Chuck Bartosch,and Kit Kephart all want to see the latest draft of the booklet.Laurel will contact Leslie Chatterton and obtain draft copies and distribute them. • Providing local seminars at the local level on how to report a crime. There are police officers willing to come out to interested neighborhood watch groups.The Neighborhood Council was established —it was an intermediate goal that was done in the short term.This is a place that helps all of this. Perhaps with the reissue and publicity of the new updated booklet we could launch a new series of seminars.We can create a timeline for this campaign based on the printing date of the booklet. What's the best way to set them up seminars when someone wants one?Because many of the neighborhoods have a lot of turnover in residents,it would be good to create a regular calendar for these seminars—perhaps in the fall every year.Audrey Cooper asked whether there were members from Southside and Northside on Neighborhood Council and said she would be willing to work on finding representatives for that group. 2 Promote use of "Hot Spot Cards" by campaigning, implementing it as an anonymous service in schools, and including "Hot Spot Cards" in a packet of material with Section 8 Housing program materials. Hot Spot Cards in the schools: Katrina Turek said there was a mixed review on them in the Cabinet.There was the concern that students would abuse this opportunity and make false accusations.There would have to be specific designated people who would have access to that information.What has stopped the process is that there is something similar that's available through Technology.She does not yet have details to present to this committee. Chuck Bartosch is working on a suggestion system for the schools,that deals with confidentiality and political issues that may work for both of these issues.John Rowley was wondering how effective these would be in the schools.Kids reporting other kids using drugs.He felt that a good list could be generated without this. Use of the Hot Spot Cards in the community has fallen off.Alan said that the card is currently being updated.Tracy Farrell is in charge of this process.Laurel will find out the timeline for when they will be done.Once they are updated,we should plan a public awareness campaign about them,how to use them, how to get them. Possibly having them temporarily in Wegmans and other high traffic,high visibility locations so that people know what they are. *Create a signed agreement by students involved in sports, clubs and long standing activities to abstain from the use of drugs (tobacco and alcohol included.) Discussion that this agreement is currently viewed as a joke by the students involved because it is not enforced. Audrey Cooper said that as a parent,when she signs this form,she felt like she was giving the school permission to do drug testing.That without that,the agreement is not Georgette King stated that the drug problem at HIS is rampant.Katrina Turek asked that if anyone had specific information that helps us to move forward,if there are kids that you have suspicion that are dealing when they are at the building— that's where they have jurisdiction by calling an Assistant Principal. The question was raised how it might be possible to have an additional section added onto the signed agreement where parents could give permission for drug testing.Chuck Bartosch thought that drug testing would be difficult to get passed by the school board.He also felt most parents don't believe they have a problem.Therefore most parents would not give permission for it. Chuck also felt that there is a large segment of the community that does not trust the schools and will not go to the school and will not tell us anything.They do not have a positive image of the school and are the least likely to communicate with usDiscussion led to the need to really find out the reality of the drug problem in the schools versus the perception of the drug problem. . No resolution was reached on this issue. Audrey Cooper announced that on Feb.20 there will be a Youth Speak Out as part of the 11,41-IS/Ithaca Journal city initiative.This is specifically for teens to have a safe place to talk about some of the issues and problems they are having in school,home, and community. Adults will not be invited to this event. • Change departure time of school buses to 4:00-4:15 Change the departure time of the school buses to a later time.The buses currently leave school at 2:45 pm. The research shows that 3:00—8:00 is the most`at risk' time for kids ages 12 and up.After school activities like interest clubs or intramurals or enrichment classes on the school campus could create positive choices for kids.But transportation is the single largest obstacle preventing this from developing.Chuck Bartosch said this has not come up in any School Board meeting.It is a Student Services Committee issue. But he will ask to have it put on the Finance Committee agenda within this month just to find out what the cost would be. It's not changing the time,but actually adding a set of buses that leave later.It will be a huge cost.But the way the School Board is doing the budget this year is unique and it is possible for them to make a major change in services. Also Alan has a proposal to arrange free TCAT for students.He has 3 f` had no luck on that as yet.He would like to limit it to a particular time and day—and having it only from the schools to the homes. It should have a limited impact to the system. • Adopt a no open container rule in the ICSD schools. • Monitor rest rooms/cafeteria in the schools for drug trafficking. Katrina talked about how there are so many restrooms and a lot of places in the building where students can really hang out and hide and disappear.It is nearly impossible to monitor every single one of the locations. There are also problems about jurisdiction.A teen can step right outside school property,stand right on the sidewalk in front of us and blatantly stand there and smoke without repercussions.Upper classmen have a rule that they can leave.Leaving campus is tradition,a privilege that you earn.The issue of this open campus is an ongoing problem and it will be difficult to change.It is difficult to monitor.Kid's schedules change frequently,they are sometimes not solidified until October.Kid's are reluctant to carry their ID cards,which makes it difficult to check if they are where they are supposed to be. Enforcement issues.Chuck has seen kids smoking ON school property frequently.When the AP comes out, they step out onto the sidewalk onto city property.The bridge across Cayuga St. is one of the worst locations. Alan said that the city is brainstorming a couple of solutions.One is to create a no smoking zone around the school and they are doing the legal research on that.The other solution is a bit more controversial: a nicotine possession law.Currently, it's illegal to sell nicotine products to a minor but it is not illegal for a minor to pQssess it. If the City is able to pass this law, they would have to have the Town of Ithaca to also do the same.The Mayor is going to be bringing someone in to assist with this.There is also one more idea,an unusual one: the city wants to see if there is a way they can actually make the bridge school property.He recommended that the district attorneys look at the liability side of that idea,that might be the only hang up.The city could legally deed over the bridge to the district and still be responsible for maintenance and upkeep.Then the district would have jurisdiction of the bridge itself. *Create a clear policy regarding use of drugs in schools so that all staff, students and parents understand the policy and the consequences of violating them. Katrina is meeting with one of the board members to work on the discipline policy in the district,the blue book,to really tighten these things up.Georgette requested in that in any form of discipline that a referral to treatment be the one of the first steps.Georgette feels that some of the perceived resistance may be that if the kids are not being funneled to help first but instead it is punitive action, then parents who will hang up or react negatively.The perception needs to change so that parents feel like they are getting some help and support in getting these kids help.Katrina responded in addition to disciplinary action there will be support offered and in place.They are not able to make referrals—it's against the law that they insist or require that there be drug prevention counseling.But they are allowed to do is they can wave certain portions of the disciplinary action if they can show documentation that they and their families have participated in drug assessment and drug counseling.Plus the new Drug Prevention Counselor is now the gateway back in for these kids to know that there is support there.They are working to get the school counselors, social workers working more as a team around all kinds of issues.Georgette reinforced that this positive approach would be even more effective if the parents could be included on the team and if they could bear that message clearly.She stressed that perception is everything,that parents will stay in that denial if they don't hear this message. 4 s 3. CONCLUSION How can this steering team be most helpful in working on all of these goals? Katrina stated that the actions that she has been working on since a year ago are the actions generated by the Drug Task Force. That's been her road map for what she had felt the community has been bringing forward--issues that needed to be addressed.Some of them are more long-term,some are short-term.As a district,as we continue to chip away at this list we're going to run into road blocks and places where we need to have a forum where dialogue can take place so that we can continue this partnership.Laurel asked how else can we keep the communication two way?How can we lobby effectively for the implementation of these goals?Should we periodically attend principals'meetings?Should our Report and goals be distributed in the school board packets? This steering team is so important.Tonight the school district has been under a magnifying glass as we look closely at the short term goals.Next month we will look at the larger picture of how we can continue to be an effective community voice.We will be brainstorming ideas about forming the community coalition,CASA(Coalition Against Substance Abuse). Save the DATE! Next Meeting: Monday, February 8, 1999 5:30 p.m. 2nd Floor Conference Room City Hall 5 Community Drug Task Force Steering Team February 8, 1999 MINUTES Present:Mayor Alan Cohen,Katrina Turek,Laurel Guy,Chuck Bartosch,Sharon Best,Judge John Rowley,Michele Murphy,Tim Marchell,Mike Leary,Mark Ashton,Audrey Cooper,Cassandra Nelson, Mike Thomas,Gino Bush,Joe Cassaniti,Waltor Lalor,Diane Ferris 1. INTRODUCTION The main agenda item for this meeting was to discuss the pros and cons of forming CASA(Coalition against Substance Abuse.) 2. Updates on Short Term Goals In January's meeting we discussed the current status of the short-term goals recommened in the Interim Report.Here are some updates: • The Drug Task Force Report will be published in April (finally!) The target date for having the Interim Report published is April, 1999.At the same time,we will publish the 1s'in a series of quarterly newsletters that has updates on the DTF Steering Team's progress on the recommended goals and other things that we are working on.Laurel may contact you to contribute to this newsletter! Both the published report and the newsletter will be sent to all people who were involved in this process.We want to make sure that all participants know that their efforts have created positive results in the school district and in the community. • Create an updated directory of active neighborhood watch groups that is also an informational booklet to give residents assistance in fighting drugs in their neighborhood. The Neighborhood watch booklet is mLbeing updated into one booklet as we thought.This project is currently on hold.Laurel will be the catalyst to get this project back on the high priority list.There is however.500 conies of the 1997 booklet.which Leslie Chatterton in the Planning Department has.We should deride how best to distribute these. • Promote the use of Hot Spot Cards Laurel spoke with Common Council member Tracy Farrell,and the community Hot Spot cards are nearly completed.One of the ways that this steering team can be helpful is to work together with the Common Council's drug task force and plan a community public awareness campaign about what the card is and where to get them.We can get them placed in high visibility locations like Wegmans,Tops,P&C. • Advocate community, political and religious leaders to take responsibility for drug- related treatments for youth Creating a series of brown bag lunches for clergy to help inform them about substance abuse issues. Sally Sumner of BOCES,Kit Kephart of the Alcoholism Council and Laurel Guy came up with a different concept:create a speaker's bureau that has individuals can speak on various topics.They can go to clergy meetings as well as Rotary meetings,PTA meetings,church groups and other community groups.They talked about creating a list of topics,basic drug and alcohol education,treatment options.In addition, we can create a packets of information that can accompany the speakers so that the people have take additional information about treatment providers in Tompkins County.Sara Hess had a very good suggestion.She described how TO used to put out a brochure to promote some of their lecturers and professors to do community outreach.The brochure had a list of topics that they could give presentations on.People would call and request a speaker on a specific topic.Sara thought that we could create a similar thing—we have people who could talk about various things from drug court to treatment to how to start your own parent advocacy group.We are developing a list of topics with resource people.Audrey Cooper said to add Circle of Recovery to that list.This is an excellent example of how the Drug Task can function as a catalyst to make things happen. • Change departure time of school buses to 4:00-4:15 Laurel is working on a`fact sheet' for the School Board regarding the recommendation to have a set of late buses leave the high school.This sheet would outline the reasons why this is such an important need and why they should fund it in the next budget!Chuck Bartosch has gotten a rough cost from the Finance Committee that is much lower than was projected for running a late bus program.The figure was$25,000, which makes this a realistic proposal.Currently at the high school,there is the first bus run and the second bus run is only 40 minutes later.To do the second bus run,they collapse 3 to 5 different bus runs into one. There are some legal state issues in terms of kids who normally don't take the bus.There are specific state regulations that impact the district's reimbursement rate from the state if we bus people who are too close to the school. With regard to using public transportation,i.e.TCAT,to bus kids,there are some liability issues around this even though it's after school hours.Chuck is going to get a written opinion from the school lawyers on this issue. 3. Who else should be participating on the DTF Steering Team? Laurel asked who else should be participating on the steering team.The following suggestions were given: Rev.Doug Green from the Congregational Church;Rabbi Lisa Freitag of the Ithaca Reform Temple;Rabbi Scott Glass from Temple Beth-El;Marcy Hudson from IHA's Drug Elimination Program;Mike Thomas and Aqella Shikur from Circle of Recovery;a law enforcement representative.We want to have no more than 18-20 members on the steering team to keep it a manageable size. 4. The Pros and Cons of Building a Community Coalition Chuck Bartosch suggested we reiterate the mission of the Drug Task Force Steering Team before suggesting other participants.The mission of this steering committee is: 1)to facilitate implementing the goals recommended in our report;2)Create greater public awareness by forging an alliance between our schools, government and neighborhoods,and together developing strategies to reduce alcohol and other substance abuse in Ithaca and Tompkins County. Tonight's question is whether or not this can be done more effectively by building a community coalition. The question was raised whether participants in the coalition should be only from the City of Ithaca or can they be from the town or the county?For example should there be someone from the County Board?It might make sense to have them involved now,especially if in the future we end up working with them on county-wide programs. Chuck Bartosch asked how this steering team is defined as separate from CASA.Alan Cohen said that he saw the coalition focusing on raising and maintaining community awareness-an educational vehicle,a public relations vehicle.He did not see that group following through on all the other disparate recommendations that the original Drug Task Force report came up with.Essentially,CASA would be an outgrowth from one of the recommendations that we made.It just happens to be a very big outcome from a recommendation and merits its own group of people to focus more specifically on that task.It will take a lot of work to get it off the ground and more importantly,to maintain it. • What is the history of other similar efforts in Tompkins County? Laurel Guy said that it is informative to look back at the history of what has gone on before,to see what the positive outcomes were and to keep us from reinventing the wheel.Her intent,if we move forward with the coalition,is to build a strong,active organization that has a well-defined purpose.She passed out information on building a coalition she received from Prevention Partners,a community coalition in Rochester.They are a very strong group that has been around since 1984.They have funding to help other communities get started in this process. Mark Ashton,formed a similar coalition here in Ithaca,ironically also called CASA(Citizens Against Substance Abuse.They started a group to do community education and community awareness.It was a small group of about 30 people who met monthly for several years.Over time,this group dissolved but groups of people continued doing things.And the one group that was interested in the schools,which included Mark,the principal of Dewitt Middle school and a couple of other folks,created a strong group that devised the BOCES program that Sally Sumner and Bob Fitzsimmons run.They got the funding to start it and got it instituted.The group also published a handbook called"Parents,Kids and Drugs."This handbook for families,which was very widely used and teachers still refer to it.Its format was picked up by Gannett Clinic and made into an alcohol handbook.Laurel suggested that this handbook should be updated and republished as the education resource booklet for middle school students that is on our list of short-term goals. She will bring a copy of Mark's booklet to our next meeting. An aside:Joe Cassaniti made a comment about the Eckerd Drug Quiz Show(run by Sally Sumner). Northeast was the only Ithaca City School that participated.He suggested that the other schools assign someone from Dewitt,Boynton,and the other elementary schools to ensure participation in this program. The Northeast kids had a great experience and we should set a goal to have all the schools involved next year. Alan Cohen said that the importance of raising community awareness,the more information people have, the likely they are to have discussions with their children;the more aware they'll be about resources that are available.With regard to the CASA discussion,is that a reasonable premise? Audrey Cooper recalled that four or five years ago John Bonaguro and a group of people and community agencies tried to put together a very similar coalition.John Rowley gave some history—it was called the Community Prevention Coalition and Ithaca College was the lead agency.A comprehensive grant was written,it didn't funded and the idea of forming a community coalition was dropped. Sharon Best did not see how the coalition was different than the Drug Task Force,she felt that we are already doing it.Katrina Turek and Sara Hess agreed that the mission and intent of the Task Force fulfilled the same purpose as a coalition.They cautioned the group that a coalition can easily become a dead weight. They stressed how important it was to maintain a connection to all the people who had participated in the Drug Task Force—that we should keep the organization as it is,with the same name as opposed to creating a new organization. The general feeling at this point in the discussion was that perhaps creating a coalition was NOT the way to proceed.That instead focus so much of our energy and time on creating a new organization we should instead work through the existing organizations and small groups at the grassroots level. 5. Updates from Cornell University and Ithaca College Tim Marchell,the Substance Abuse Director at Cornell University spoke about the work that they are doing on campus.Their main problem is alcohol abuse and they have taken an environmental approach to the problem.They are in the process of implementing two strong public awareness campaigns on campus this semester.And they have an active group of students that are developing alternative alcohol-free activities on the weekend during 10:00 p.m.-2:00 am.Tim said,"Our students can create havoc for the community,in particular during Slope Day and Senior Week.And we're port of entry for the youth into the alcohol and drug scene.We have not even begun work towards having our students explicitly work on these issues with high school students.I think there is potential there for some positive mentoring,educational activities.We have a group of students that is really actively in this"Gino Bush asked Tim if he was aware of the number of teens that frequent fraternity and sorority parties.Gino said that a common tactic,called "Favor for Flavor,"is for teens to bring pot to the Greek houses and trade it for all the beer they can drink. Mike Leary,the Assistant Director for Jucicial Affairs at Ithaca College,spoke about the strong commitment with regard to substance abuse issues that their new President,Peggy Williams,brings to the campus.They will be implementing a student survey this spring. 6. ICSD Survey Results The survey results will be released next month by the Superintendent's office.Chuck Bartosch suggested that a small group meet before March 8 to develop a strategy for how the Drug Task Force can support this media effort.Alan Cohen,Katrina Turek,Chuck Bartosch,Laurel Guy and Sara Hess will meet and report back at the March 8 meeting. Save the DATE! Next Meeting: Monday, March 8, 1999 5:30 p.m. *********Women's Community Building******* *Note: Next month we'll be back at City Hall Commmunity Drug Task Force Steering Team March 8, 1999 MINUTES Present: Peggy Williams, Mark Ashton, Tim Marchell, Marcy Hudson, Dianne Ferriss, Sara Hess, Audrey Cooper, Chuck Bartosch, Katrina Turek, John Rowley, Kit Kephart, Georgette King, Laurel Guy, Alan Cohen. UPDATES The survey results are being released at the School Board meeting on tomorrow night. The Board members have received an executive summary.There is also an in-depth report available. Katrina Turek will be giving a 20 minute presentation on the results as well as an update on the Community Drug Task Force. Mark Ashton and Laurel Guy met with Bill Barnett and Susan Strauss regarding the IHS Site-Based Council and the School Portfolio.The School Portfolio is a process and product that is generated by an organization in California. It's being done at IHS in response to the requirement by Regents that all schools have school improvement plans. It's a comprehensive look at the state of the school with the participation of a whole lot of people in order to develop targets for improving it.This process started about a year ago and is coming to fruition with the publication of a document called the School Portfolio, which is available for people to use on a day to day basis. The Community Drug Task Force will be listed in the Portfolio in the section titled `School Partnerships.' Drug Free Community Support Program Peggy Williams is a grant writer working for the Mayor's office, through the Office of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Program. This is a federal grant, which awards$100,000 each year for the next four years. It requires$100,000 in cash or in-kind donations each year. The goals of the grant are to reduce substance abuse among youth and to strengthen collaboration among community groups. We are developing a grant proposal that focuses on a public awareness campaign and increased partnership with ICSD. Mark Ashton said that we do not yet have programs in place for either of those areas. Laurel Guy responded that this grant would provide the funding needed to develop such programs.The public awareness campaign would include a student developed media campaign targeted at the high school with the help of Cornell students who would act as mentors. Regarding partnerships with ICSD, we are looking at strengthening existing after school programs for teens as well as developing collaborations with other organizations that would lead to more activities and programs for teens. Katrina Turek reiterated that we have to give the youth something concrete and constructive to do in this town. The main thing that she continues to hear that there is `nothing to do.' There is nothing for sixth graders—no intramural activities,no sports activities. We can't just count on GIAC—it's a bigger problem than GIAC. Audrey Cooper agreed, saying that one of the main statements that came out of the Teen Speak is that there is not a place where teens can go to have a good time, to dance,that is alcohol and drug free. Planning a Media Strategy for Release of the Survey The Ithaca Journal is interested in doing some follow up stories, possibly a series of articles, that would be related to results of the survey. Katrina gave them a media packet as well as some suggestions in terms of parenting, family life,community agencies,clergy, law enforcement. The Ithaca Times and the two high school newspapers have also been contacted. Chuck Bartosch will be on WHCU, on the Casey Stevens show, talking about the results. We should also plan on developing some op-ed pieces,perhaps once a month, that target issues that we are most concerned about. Chuck Bartosch expressed concern that we have not planned student participation in terms of how the results are released to them but also just making sure that they feel they are part of the process. Mark Ashton asked how are they planning on discussing these results with the students. Katrina Turek responded that this is not yet figured out. She wants to make sure that the information is communicated is more of a positive slant. Tim Marchell has spoken to us about how college students look to a peer group,a social norm group that they begin to identify with. And the way that you send the information to students is more of a positive slant, i.e. instead of saying 10% are involved, say 90% aren't involved so that they start to identify with that larger peer group. She wants to meet with faculty soon so that they can communicate with youth with this approach. She will also be meeting with administrators to have an in-depth discussion with them. Kit Kephart suggested that the Peer Education group from the Alcoholism Council might be utilized. Chuck Bartosh said that the plan had been to make presentations to administration, faculty, to PTA Council as well as individual PTAs,students, Rotary and other community groups. The problem is that we can't expect Katrina to make all of these presentations. What we need to do is expand the number of people who can make these presentations. Georgette King felt that there was a need to get a broader response out to parents than just through the PTA. If they are only getting the information from the media,that will create a lot of frustration. Chuck responded that they also intend to make presentations to PALs and at GIAC. Katrina Turek gave a nutshell version of the results, which included that we do indeed have 6t' graders that are drug involved so people can't keep their heads in the sand about that any longer. That alcohol is by far our most serious drug and marijuana is second, and hallucinogens are third. Chuck felt another significant factor was that most use does not occur in school. That tells us that it has to be a community effort to solve this. Chuck Bartosch expressed concern that we are not prepared to take advantage of media. Mark Ashton asked that what can we do one day before the release of the survey?Laurel suggested that we need to know more about the survey results,that we should devote our next meeting to a discussion about it and what we can do. It was decided that the survey would be distributed to the Task Force and we would meet again on Monday, March 22 at 4:30 p.m. i Laurel also said that April is Alcohol Awareness month and ask Kit to give us some idea of what the Alcoholism Council is planning. Kit said that April is a national screening day and the Mental Health Association and Alcoholism Council will have information booths with clinicians on site to help people identify if they have a problem. They are also planning on doing a `Walk for Awareness.' SafeNight USA A national event that happens simultaneously in hundreds of cities across the country on June 5, 1999. About 60 people came to the first planning meeting at Cooperative Extension. The focus is on teens with an evening that is filled with fun that is alcohol and drug free. It also has an educational component about violence, drugs,alcohol,etc. The reason that this event has taken off is that in Milwaukee where it started in 1991,it gives youth the power and the tools to plan these types of events. It's not just one night out of the year,it can multiply into many events throughout the year. The results in the communities that have created SafeNights have included a dramatic drop in violence. Laurel encourages Task Force members to participate in the planning of this event. Audrey stressed that this event is planned by teens for teens with assistance from the adults. This is a separate event from National Night Out that occurs in August. r Community Drug Task Force Steering Team March 22, 1999 MINUTES Present: Laurel Guy, Katrina Turek, Sally Sumner, Peggy Williams, Kit Kephart, Sara Hess, Marcy Hudson, Mark Ashton, Audrey Cooper, Tim Williams, Phil Newby, John Rowley, Dianne Ferriss, Doug Green, Mike Leary,Tim Marchell. Discussion of ICSD Survey Results Clarification question was raised: In the survey tables say"Parents knew while their children were doing it at home..."Is"knew"the same as"condone?" Katrina Turek will call the drug survey company in Colorado to clarify. The point was raised that the relatively high percentage of students who have had alcohol in the home—some of that could be parent-condoned moderate use of alcohol. Doug Green asked about the statistic that 20% of sixth grade parents knew at the time that their kids drinking alcohol or taking drugs. John Rowley knew of a party of 12' grade students at a home, where cases and cases of beer were consumed.The parents response was that this was a safe environment for it to happen in. There's no concern for the high-risk behavior—an overnight sleepover for boys and girls with cases of beer... John noted the statistic that 37% of 12`h graders say they couldn't remember what happened after using alcohol. (p. 28 of main report) Sara Hess said that in interviewing young people, they have learned that "I don't remember what happened"is code for"something bad happened to them but they forgot it or don't want to say what it was." So it doesn't really mean that there was a blackout, in fact the description implies that it was something like—they were humiliated, some negative event that they didn't want to think about. But there are certainly seniors who have blacked out while drinking. 28% reported passing out. One of the prevention strategies that can be used to tell teens that things happen to people—they're publicly sick—that kind of humiliation can help curb the use in teens. There was a huge jump in use between the 8'grade and 10' grade. It points out that the 9' grade is a critical transition time. Sara Hess created a chart that translates the statistics into numbers of students. She came up with a number of about 200 high school students and about 25 middle school students who were in the high risk category. That indicates the number of kids who should be in treatment or getting some intervention. They are kids who are drinking almost every day and drunk almost once a week. They are using large amounts of marijuana. It is possible that this could be figure could be under estimated because they said that kids that didn't take the survey because they were absent that day might be higher drug users than the kids that were in school. "Moderate „ ode ate risk was defined as alcohol occasionally as well as marijuana occasionally. II They have used drugs other than marijuana but rarely used any drugs more than once a month. Katrina Turek said she is in the process of setting up focus groups of students at the middle schools and at the high schools to ask them two questions: 1) How accurate do you really feel the survey results are?2) What do you think we can do to decrease the use of alcohol and other drugs? She hopes to have that additional information back by early May. Katrina is open to suggestions on how we go about getting more information to parents. She has a draft memo ready to go out to the PTAs, PALS (Parents of Latino students). There will be three or four sites set up throughout town with information. She is concerned about the rural area and would like suggestions on how to reach those parents. Kit Kephart asked if there had been other methods besides the newspapers of getting information to the students. Katrina responded that this has not occurred yet because they are concerned about the importance of framing the information differently for them. In terms of developing a peer group model that will in fact contribute to them having a larger peer base of kids that aren't using rather than emphasizing the peer group that is using. Comments were made that students have been asking when they were going to be told about the results. Katrina said that she released the results to the student newspapers and was surprised that she received no calls from students about that. The comment was made that students say they don't read the student newspapers. She said she expected to get phone calls after the survey was released and there has been very little interest outside of the Drug Task Force! Kit Kephart spoke about the Peer Education program that the Alcoholism Council sponsors. They train high school students to present workshops to the middle school students. She has asked the trainers to talk to the students about how they would feel presenting information to their same-age peers. She has also spoken to Wendy Suchotliff, the Student Assistance Counselor, to see if there were formats that would be appropriate for presenting material about the survey results. There are no assemblies but they are trying to think of other groups of students to make presentations to. She also said staff at the Alcoholism Council would be willing to go in and talk to kids about some of this information and some education as well. She asked if that would be helpful to have an outside body coming into the school. The Social Norms Approach Katrina said that another way that she wanted to get the information to the kids is to meet with the faculty and do some of the work around social norm behavior that Tim Marchell has been talking about. Exploring with faculty how they could use this information in terms of their curriculum, to give them a framework for presenting the results. Sally Sumner also felt that working with the faculty made the most sense in terms of reaching the students effectively. Sara Hess said that the faculty should be given something in writing to use as a tool—a fact sheet. Sally also suggested that they should use visual aids—posters or video messages. Get five or ten facts that you would like to have emphasized and do campaigns around getting that information out. For example, "Did you know that 90% of sixth graders don't smoke?" (not an actual statistic) With the students you want to emphasize the positive—let them do the math! Taking the positive messages and getting art and media students to create a public awareness campaign. Tim Marchell said the social norms approach being used on college campuses is an empirically driven strategy, which is based on the research finding that students tend to over-estimate considerably the amount of alcohol and other drug use that is going on among their peers. And this misperception creates an imaginary peer group that they tend to conform to. And if their misperceptions are corrected with factual information based on survey findings, there's an indication at least at the college level,students will conform their behavior to the more moderate norm, the actual norm. He hasn't seen this done yet at the high school level. One of the main methods for doing this is the media. Using posters and advertisements because you can reach many more students effectively than the more time-intensive inter-personal method. But on a small scale in a high school, an inter- personal method will be equally effective. One of the important aspects of doing this is finding out from students what sources of information they consider to be credible. We have to figure out who they would really believe the information—where it's coming from. Tim added that it's important to add subsets of the population. A social norms approach is primarily oriented toward that 85% of students who are at low or moderate risk. Whereas, the students who are really at high risk are in much greater need of intervention to treatment. Katrina Turek said that we have a prevention piece,we need to decide what we are going to do with students who need more intervention. How can we get those students to self- identify more to our Student Assistance Counselor? Tim said that we can't have the expectation that the social norms approach is going to have a significant impact on that 15%. But the impact on the other group is really there. Finding a small number of messages that you really want them to understand and finding creative ways for them to be interested in this information... A small example...at one university they have students dress up as "The Blues Brothers." And they have contests and if you know the right answer to this social norms question, you get a small prize.This is a way of generating interest. Use multiple strategies. Use teachers, posters, peer-led contests. Tim strongly recommends that we contact Alan Berkowitz, a local Ithacan, who is one of the developers of social norms process. He has offered to do a presentation for those who are interested in learning about this.That is one concrete resource that we have available to us. He pointed out on Sara's chart that among 10'graders,67% of them are considered as having low involvement. It would be interesting to know what tth think the answer to that question is. He would guess that they would think that it's higher. He suggested that if you take that strong majority in the 10' grade and strengthen them to realize that they're normal, that they don't have to conform to experimentation and excessive use. So perhaps focusing on those age groups and correcting those misperceptions at that level will help stem that shift. Sara Hess added that she has heard a lot of young people say that they feel caught between two groups. They can go with the kids who don't use and they're the safe group. Or if they go to a party where kids are using alcohol or other drugs, they will have to use. There's nothing in between. They can't go to a party and not use. It would really help to make non- use the norm and acceptable in any situation. Giving the young people the chance to talk about this—"What am I going to do if I'm going to go there and there's alcohol?"Giving them the social tools to be able to say, "I'll just have a coke."For adults that would be pretty easy to do but for them that's a very hard thing to do. Getting that kind of discussion going to normalize non-use in any situation would be very helpful for kids. Strategies and Solutions Audrey Cooper said there is a group of kids at the high school who don't use, who go to those parties where alcohol is prevalent and feel comfortable. They don't catch flack or get pressured because their own self-confidence is very strong. Those kids might be the young people that we might want to tap into for peer education—they're popular, they're not drinking and drugging. They could be effective in talking to their peers. Phil Newby suggested utilizing the athletic dept. to get information out to the kids about misuse of drugs and how it could interfere with their sports, potential scholarships. He also said that he would like to see a closed campus at the high school. He sees that much of the problem is not use in the school, but leaving school and then coming back. John Rowley suggested we talk about strategies for how we reach students, how we reach parents, how we reach staff, how we reach the community. He suggested we write a response to the newspaper editorial that came out the day the survey results were released,which was filled with -- an informative response and talk about some of the plans to have discussions around the survey results. Laurel Guy, Mark Ashton and Dianne Ferris volunteered to write a response. He said that PTA is a good starting place, to get parents discussing the issues. And to use the Michael Nirney video from 1997, which was very practical and very focused on raising teenagers. He showed it at a movie night at Fall Creek last year. We need to look at steps for getting the word out,having discussions with information available.We need to establish a timeline in order to get this information out before the end of school. There needs to be a clearly written message regarding the survey results that is consistent so that people making presentations to PTA,or faculty talking with students all have a similar message regarding the survey results. It was decided that a one page fact sheet should be created parents and teachers. Sara Hess and John Rowley volunteered to work on this before we meet again. In order to do a public awareness campaign for students at the high school there needs to be a team to implement that. It takes time to design a campaign around whatever facts are extrapolated from the survey results. We can also utilize the educational piece during the SafeNight USA event on Saturday, June 5, to reinforce this public awareness campaign. We are projecting about 500 teens from throughout the county will attend this event. Audrey Cooper suggested using the school cafeteria to set up an information table to get survey results out to kids. It's an effective way to reach the kids for 3 hours during the lunch period times and some of the study halls. Dianne Ferris said at ACS is there is a Drug Committee. Diane Carruthers is the person in the lead for that committee. They have been looking at the survey information.There are also all-school meetings that reach the entire student body. Katrina asked if there are people who are willing to be part of a team of presenters of survey info to let her know. Sally Sumner is willing to do outreach in the elementary schools, Bob Fitzsimmons will do outreach in the middle schools. Doug Green said he would be willing to put together some ideas for doing outreach to parents. Next Meeting: MONDAY, APRIL 12, 530 p.m. Common Council Chambers, City Hall �T Community Drug Task Force Steering Team Monday, April, 12, 1999 MINUTES Present: Laurel Guy,Dianne Ferriss,Lynne Tylee,Alan Cohen,Tyler Crosby,John Rowley, Kit Kephart,Wendy Suchodiff,Chuck Bartosch,Phil Newby,Audrey Cooper, Katrina Turek, Sara Hess. Drug Free Community Suport Grant Alan ohen gave a report on the Drug Free Community Support Grant that was just completed. This grant awards $100,000 for four years. Nationwide about 2,500 communities are competing for this funding. They are awarding 150 grants. We will hear by early summer. The money would be disbursed August or September, 1999. Some of the programs we applied for included: 1. Paid Coordinator of the Community Drug Task Force 2. An agreement was made with TCAT to purchase 500 student passes for $15,000. The actual value of those student passes is $100,000. These student passes will be available for the academic year for students who staying after school for extracurricular activities or have work opportunities that they otherwise would not be able to take advantage of because of transportation problems. 3. There's a component for the Mental Health Association. Some of it is looking at neighborhood-based community building and trying to identify signs of substance abuse in families and giving family support. They will'be focusing in the neighborhood surrounding BJM and out in the Caroline area. If that is successful they will expand that focus. 4. A scholarship program for at risk students that would give them the opportunity to take classes after school at CSMA or by utilizing the Kaleidoscope Program at CSMA where they offer classes in satellite locations that are designed to appeal to a specific group of students. 5. The Stepping Up Tutoring Program, which is sponsored by GIAC. This is a satellite tutoring program at the high school. 6. Some money was allocated for a social norms campaign at the high school. Alan Berkowitz who is a nationally renowned expert on this at the college level would for the first time be working to do the same thing at the high school level. 7. The rest of the grant was allocated for a public awareness campaign targeted for cable and radio ads. Time Warner made a 50150 matching agreement and Eagle Broadcasting also does that with not-for-profits. The Final Report The Community Drug Task Force Report has been completed, will be printed and sent out this month to all participants in the process. Along with that report they will receive the first issue of the Community Drug Task Force Newsletter. This will be sent out quarterly that will keep them updated on our progress and ways they can get involved. Discussion occurred regarding the media surrounding the release of the report. Alan Cohen, Laurel Guy and Katrina Turek are meeting with the Ithaca Journal editorial board on April 27 to talk about a long-term strategy for covering substance abuse issues. We will give them ideas for future stories, features, creating a timeline for op-ed pieces through the calendar 1 year. They are also very interested in working with us on public forums. At this point Laurel is envisioning at least two public forums a year—in the fall and spring — that would introduce the public to what we are doing on a regular basis as well as opportunities for them to get involved. Audrey Cooper suggested that we have a public reception for the participants as a way of bringing closure to the process, have a short program, hand out the reports and invite the press to the event. All agreed to this idea. The newsletter will be sent out with the announcement of the reception. After some discussion, Women's Community Building was selected as the location. Update on Parent Forums on Survey Results John Rowley spoke to the Fall Creek PTA about the survey results. He felt that people were very receptive. Chuck Bartosch spoke to the PTA at the high school and handed out a short survey to the audience—despite the fact 56% of our kids have tried marijuana and 90% have tried alcohol, only 16% of the parents that night thought their kids had tried any drug and only 4% thought their kids were using drugs now. If anyone else is going to give a talk, Chuck has 32 transparencies of the results that were not included in the original data. Report from Wendy Suchotliff Wendy Suchotliff spoke about her work as Student Assistance Counselor at the high school. She started at the end of November and has had a great deal of support from administration,faculty,Alcoholism Council and the students.The position is mostly education,prevention and supportive counseling. If there's a need for more treatment,she refers them to Alpha House or Alcoholism Council.There has been an increase in the amount of students she has seen but even from the beginning kids have felt comfortable coming to see her. She started small groups in February,she has individual sessions with students,and has done faculty trainings. She did a segment on chemical dependence in the health classes,she got a number of referrals after that.When students come on a referral they are usually ok about it. She lets them know it's a voluntary service and they usually continue. She talks to them about the confidentiality and really makes sure that they feel very safe. Parents can also call her and she helps them become aware of community resources.The only mandatory referral is disciplinary. Phil Newby,the police officer at the high school said he will encourage the high risk kids he sees to go talk to Wendy. Lynne Tylee commented on the difference between peer groups and twelve step groups like AA. She felt that the peer groups that Wendy has set up will be more effective for teens. Re-Activating the Action Teams Laurel and Katrina met and felt that there were Action Teams that had tasks still to do based on the recommendations in the report.That it would work more efficiently if we had a small group of people concentrating on those particular issues on a monthly basis. Steering team members were asked to commit to one of the following: Parent Education,Youth Education, School Culture,Community Action,Public Awareness,Justice System,Treatment. Laurel will call the original members of these Action Teams to see if they are interested in become involved. Steering team members will then work on specific tasks and projects and report back on their progress. This will give us all a clearer sense of direction and purpose when we meet. 2 FY 1999 DRUG FREE COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROGRAM Due date April 12, 1999 Goals specific to grant 1. Reduce substance abuse among youth, and over time among adults, by addressing the factors in a community that serve to increase the risk of substance abuse and factors that serve to minimize the risk of substance abuse. These substances include narcotics, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, cannabis, inhalants, alcohol, and tobacco, where their use is prohibited by Federal, State, or local law 2. Establish and strengthen collaboration among communities; Federal, State, Local and tribal governments; and private nonprofit agencies and to support community coalition efforts to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth GRANT SPECIFICATIONS OUTLINE • Table of contents (Peggy) • Forms (Bill Benjamin to Peggy) • Project abstract(Peggy) 150-200 words highlighting key points 4 The Community Drug Task Force recognizes that the sale and use of illegal drugs and the misuse of legal drugs are having a serious, destructive impact on our community, particularly our youth. Successful efforts to address this problem will require open communication and an effective working relationship amongst many individuals and organizations, including neighborhoods, schools, and government. Goals of Drug Free Community Grant specific to Ithaca: 1) are to reduce substance abuse among the youth, and over time adults by educating and alerting and implementing structured programs for adolescents, parents, community organizations, institutions, and local government on substance use and abuse. 2) To strengthen the coalition (Community Drug Task Force) by building on existing community partnerships as well as creating new initiatives with: Ithaca City school district, City of Ithaca, town municipalities, Universities, existing community private not-for-profit organizations, and local and state government within the community will take the lead in implementing the public awareness, and monitoring project programs and measuring their actions. The targeted substances include narcotics, depressants, stimulants, and tobacco. The primary target group of the coalition will remain youth under the age of 22, specifically targeting the age of drug use onset. Research has proven that reaching youth at the "transition periods", i.e. entering high school, starting college or the workforce, is the key to modifying or delaying the use of substances. 0 Budget Detail Worksheet/Budget Narrative (Peggy, Laurel, Alan) PROGRAM NARRATIVE (100 POINTS) L PROBLEMS TO BE ADDRESSED(20 POINTS) (Peggy) In the United States, after years of decline, drug and alcohol use among youth in the U. S. is on the rise. Drug and Alcohol abuse play a major role in the decline of the economy, welfare, social structure and quality of life in the United States. The incidence of early experimentation of alcohol and drug use is directly correlated to the propensity of the youth becoming a drug or alcohol abuser as an adult. In The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA), 1998 study Behind Bars, it was illustrated that drug and alcohol abuse are implicated in the incarceration of 80% of the men and women occupying local jails and federal state prisons. In January 1999, CASA released a another disturbing report that uncovered the that the number of abused and neglected children has risen from 1.4 million in 1986 to a disturbing 3 million in 1997. The report further revealed that the alcohol, crack cocaine, methamphetamin and marijuana are responsible for 70 percent of the cases of battered and neglected children. Research by the National Institute on Drug Abuse has indicated that strong family and community bonds are some of the largest preventive measures in drug use and abuse among youth. A study from the Research Institute on Addiction revealed that the parent who effectively copes with the stress at onset of adolescent substance abuse directly effects the positive outcomes for the adolescent. On February 23, 1999, Joseph A. Clifton, Jr., President and Chairman of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) and former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare praised the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and law enforcement officials from more that 80 communities across America on their recent initiative to combat rising drug trafficking in small towns and rural areas across the country. "Meth has come to Main Street", Califano said. The early onset of the experimenting with drugs such as Methamphetimine is up 40% since 1994. Moreover, Drug and Alcohol addiction are no longer an urban problem. Methampehtimin use among youth in rural areas is 50% higher than their urban youth counterpart. Furthermore, he stated that small American cities have now become target of international drug trafficking groups according to the DEA. Ithaca, NY is located in the county of Tompkins County NY, which is in the rural Finger Lakes region of Central New York. The population of the town of Ithaca, City of Ithaca and Ithaca City School District spans the souci-economic spectrum and contains a racially diverse population -NEED PERCENTAGES. The permanent population of Ithaca, NY is about 29,500. However, Ithaca, NY is home to Cornell University and Ithaca College and the presence of these institutions augments the population by about 20,000 people. The problems with substance abuse may be statistically similar to other small communities. However, as a result of the transient student population, the problems of substance abuse and those related to substance abuse are increased. In May of 1997, Ithaca, NY fought back against growing drug trafficking and the grass roots initiate Community Drug Task Force. The Community Drug Task Force recognizes that the sale and use of illegal drugs and the misuse of legal drugs are having a serious, destructive impact on our community, particularly our youth. Successful efforts to address this problem will require open communication and an effective working relationship amongst many individuals and organizations, including neighborhoods, schools, and government. The mission of the coalition is to reduce the incidence of substance abuse among youth and educating the community by bringing the diverse community together and taking a mull-cultural, multi-faceted attack on the abuse of alcohol and drugs. The Ithaca City School District encompasses the City of Ithaca, as well as surrounding municipalities including the Town of Ithaca, Dryden, Endfield, Caroline, Ulysyss and Lansing. In February 1999, the Ithaca City School District has conducted a survey among its High School students. The survey revealed a troublesome percent of ICSD adolescents are experimenting or regular users of alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines, recently, in survey results have risen has risen. Of young people is either experimenting of regularly abusing drugs. Recently, the surveyed showed that the use of substance abuse. American cities troubled due to huge economic shifts that have taken place in the workforce. The jobs that once created the neighborhood are no longer in existence. If jobs do exist they are more professional and often formal education or training. Page 1. Ithaca parallels this trend as evidence with the deterioration mid wage earners in the city- trend of middle class leaving Ithaca. Recently, Tompkins County was awarded with large grant initiative to revolutionize drug abuse offenders and addicts. This innovative approach will become the cornerstone of the drug court arena. The approach will have major impacts on the economy • A.TARGET AREA -----WHAT MY AREA LOOKS LIKE? ---PAINT PICTURE ---Ithaca, ICSD, Town of Ithaca AREA DEFINED, ICSD. CITY, TOWN, GET MAP ---Make sure all problems are then identified late ---In target community use/abuse ---Don't spend, talk about state problem- very little time on Federal ---Police, school, - get concentrated data / alcohol data/state date collaborate 1) Economic/Social Deprivation 2) Low Neighborhood Attachment , communities with large transition groups i.e. groups that move around a lot are more at risk And more at risk for effective drug promotion Price (collegetown keeps beer cheep) Placement Packaging Promotion B. COALITION----THEN TALK ABOUT COALITION WEAKNESS AND STRENGTH DON'T INCLUDE ROSTER UNTIL MANAGEMENT SECTION PAINT PICUTRE WEAKNESS AND STRENGTH OF COALITION (Show research that coalitions work together work together) DON'T INCLUDE ROSTER UNTIL MANAGEMENT SECTION PAINT PICUTRE WEAKNESS AND STRENGTH OF COALITION Show research that coalitions work together work together A major problem'is the lack of cooperation or collaborative efforts with ICSD and the community organizations. Although, they all agree on the message that the youth substance abuse is an issue, there is no clear message that they have agreed to work toward in the sense of accountability. ICSD has to work with the community's many community agencies, and these are problems lack of resources for educating, lack of peer counselors, little of no formal training for students, parents and community organizations involved with youth. There are little or no collaborative efforts amongst the churches and synagogues with Ithaca City School District. Show that there are existing agencies, yet there is no cohesive interconnect, or formal network support. See asset building community research- Building Communities From the Inside Out: A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing A Community Assets -The pieces are there but there is no tie in the approach, training's, education, network computability. Economically this is not feasible for the local not profits, school budgets and community churches and synagogues. As resources are strapped in the community -give statistics on the decline in economy, budget cuts, and the lack of wages that enable the parent to spend time during transitions stages or to handle the stress at the adolescence The lack of student housing at both Universities has had an increasingly negative effect on the community. As the number of rental units has skyrocketed, the homeownership is at a very low rate. It has been well documented that homeownership rates and juvenile delinquency parallel each other. B. RISK FACOTRS Family School Community a) INDIVIDUAL PEER RISKS Alienation/Rebellions K-3/Boys 70% Antisocial (Boys and Girls early teens Friends use drugs -early teens Favorable attitudes toward drug use Early first use of drugs b) FAMILY RISK Get hard data for Ithaca, then show how to decrease the risk factors (want hard data for Ithaca) Family risk Family history of alcoholism Family Management problem Parental drug use and positive attitudes Family work Str ss Genes c) SCHOOL RISK Academic Failure results in Decreased level of commitment d) COMMUNITY RISK In 4 year plan, INCLUDE POLICY * Use Bibliography C. PROTECTIVE FACTORS (Look at Brook et al 1990 & Hawkins & Catalano) Mediate or moderate exposure to youth of risk 1) FAMILY • Attachment to parenting • strong attachment to parent • strong bond with father • maternal characteristic • marital harmony 3) SCHOOL • Commitment to schools 4) COMMUNITY • Actively involved with church activities before expectations norms • Social Bonding • B. COALITION— THEN TALK ABOUT COALITION/WEAKNESS AND STRENGTH DONT INCLUDE ROSTER UNTIL MANAGEMENT SECTION PAINT PICUTRE WEAKNESS AND STRENGTH OF COALITION Show research that coalitions work together work together II. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES (20 Points) (Peggy, Laurel) You could show how to decrease the risk factors (want hard data) GENERAL TO SPECIFIC VISION------------->MISSION---------->GOALS-----------4ACTIVITIES A. GOALS (Use 2 goals from grant) • Reduce substance abuse among youth, and over time among adults, by addressing the factors in a community that serve to increase the risk of substance abuse and factors that serve to minimize the risk of substance abuse. Th substances include narcotics, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, cannabis, inhalants, alcohol, and tobacco, where their use is prohibited by Federal, State, or local law • Establish and strengthen collaboration among communities; Federal, State, Local and tribal governments; and private nonprofit agencies and to support community coalition efforts to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth B. OBJECTIVES - Expected outcomes Who or what will change How Much What Time Who will effect the change (People 2000)3 Relate to goals Measurable percentages/ #s of sort Consistent with local data Show current age of alcohol onset start at age 12 reduce onset by 8 MOS. Achievable/ In time line Use about 3-7 objectives under each goal Use about 3-7 activities under each objective Goal I: Reduce substance abuse among youth, and over time among adults, by addressing the factors in a community that serve to increase the risk of substance abuse and factors that serve to minimize the risk of substance abuse Goal II: Establish and strengthen collaboration among communities; Federal, State, Local and tribal governments; and private nonprofit agencies and to support community coalition efforts to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth Objectives Goal One: a) increase age onset b) Reduce frequency of use in the past 30 days c) Increase perception of risk of harm d) Increase perception of disapproval of use by peers and adults Objectives Goal Two: a) Improvement in the level of collaboration among communities and Federal, State, Local, and Tribal governments (e.g., increased number of interagency agreements) b) Enhancement of intergovernmental cooperation and coordination on youth substance abuse issues (e.g. adoption and use of an integrated management information system to share data on youth substance abuse c) Increase in citizen participation in substance abuse prevention efforts d) Enhancement of prevention planning and prevention efforts (e.g. data-driven needs assessment and comprehensive, research-based strategies that address identified needs). (Example) Goal I---4 Objective--41A:increase onset age--4 Activity 1A: increase activity with family business, religious, and schools, (increase show numbers percentages) III. PROGRAM DESIGN(25 PTS)jPeggy, Laurel, Alan) • Describe the project, service or activity (what is going on) • Project, Service, or Activity • Hours of operation, days of the week, and hours of the day the activity occurs (When does it occur) • Frequency of activity (How often does it occur-hourly, daily, weekly, monthly • Number of paid staff and Volunteers(who carries our the activity) To make a coalition multi-sector, multi-strategy-> Must cover all of these in each objective Use domains of a) individual, b) family, C) School, d) community Use strategy information, skills building, alternatives, social policy, environmental policy, and early intervention Social change the Rogers social change theory Goal-- Objectives (4)- Indicator (disapproval of alcohol)4 Activity (Media PSA) See Logic Model Evaluation • Refer to page 18 and 19 • Monitor Process • Data Required- reflects all data (pg. 18-20) • How to collect information on activity and outline IV. MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION CAPABILITIES (25 POINTS) (Peggy, Laurel, Alan) • Who will lead? • All Principal Individuals /Directors • Project Management doing Task Force work will be reported to • Resumes -all people must have resumes in appendix • Roster of all names and what role they fill Members must include: Youth Parents Businesses Media Schools Organizations Serving Youth Law Enforcement Religious or Fraternal Organizations Civic or Volunteer Groups Health Care Professionals State, Local, or Tribal governments with expertise in the field of substance abuse Other organizations involved in the reduction of substance abuse The Community Drug Task Force must include description of other public and private resources that will work Required Group Name Sector Contribution Youth Joe Doe Ithaca H.S. Student student govt. activities will be easier to plans Parents Religious Leaders MOUS- For groups providing services Letters of Support- from org., people who aren't in the coalition Staff Experience Staff Manager Past performance of personnel-special awards or data Organization Chart Include staff and coalition members Show how they interact Talk again about 4-year strategic plan V. Budget (10 PTS) (Peggy, Laurel, Alan) LOGIC MODEL U.S. Department of Justice 4, Office of Justice Programs ,y Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Washington, D.C. 20531 August 3, 1999 Alan J. Cohen Mayor City of Ithaca 108 East Green Street Ithaca,New York 14850 Re: Application No. 1999-5790-NY-JN Dear Mayor Cohen: Your application entitled, "The Community Drug Task Force"has been received by this Office. We have entered it into our processing system as of August 3, 1999 and assigned the number 1999-5790-NY-JN for control purpose. Please refer to this number on all correspondence and matters pertaining to this application by this Office. A copy of your application has been forwarded to the Office of the Comptroller for review. It is agency policy that no application will be financially certified for award until the financial administration of all active or prior grants or contracts are current. This includes the resolution of audits, the non-delinquency of required financial and programmatic reports, the payment of all bills for collection and refunds due the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). If any of these matters are outstanding with regard to past or current grants,please provide the information resolving these issues as soon as possible to avoid any delay in processing your application. Please contact the Office of the Comptroller's Customer Service Center at 1-800-458-0786 if you have any questions regarding the financial clearance process. Should you have any questions concerning the status of your application,please feel free to contact Lauren Ziegler or Mark Morgan, Project Monitors, on (202)307-5914. Sincerely, Angela Y. Parker Grant Technician Special Emphasis Division on Memo To: Nicole,Senator Charles Schumer's office From: Margaret C.Williams,City of Ithaca,NY,Mayor's Office Date: 07/15/99 Re: FY 1999 Drug Free Community Support Program,application Nicole, The following is the letter of support you requested We truly appreciate Senator Schumer's efforts in this matter. As I told you yesterday,the application has passed two rounds, but now is the time we really need all the support possible. If the letter should require any changes or you need additional information,please do not hesitate to contact me at 607-274-6545. zem'21C.w;uiams City of Ithaca,NY 0 Page 1 DRAFT FOR SENATOR SCHUAdER Attorney General Janet Reno July 14, 1999 U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 810 Seventh Street NW Washington, DC 20531 Re: Letter of support: FY 1999 Drug-Free Communities Support Program-Ithaca,NY Dear Attorney General Reno: I am writing to offer my whole-hearted support for Ithaca, NY's proposal for the Drug Free Communities Support Program FY 99. Since 1997, The Community Drug Task Force in Ithaca, NY has worked to focus the energies of the diverse community to reduce substance use among youth in the City of Ithaca and the surrounding municipalities. I do not have to tell you the devastating effects alcohol and other drugs have on individuals, families and entire communities. The reduction of substance abuse in communities such as Ithaca,NY is essential to the health and welfare of every citizen. The Community Drug Task Force is a unique coalition. For the past two years the coalition has retained key individuals from all areas of the community, from local law enforcement, schools, area not for profits, churches, as well as area Universities. However, The Community Drug Task Force remains an all-volunteer coalition, and it is in desperate need of funds to keep the mission alive through programs, partnerships and education. By gaining the much needed financial resources,the Community Drug Task Force will have a greater impact on reducing substance abuse among youth and bring the entire community of Ithaca, NY a sense of promise for the future. Thank you for considering this application for funding. Respectfully, Senator Charles Schumer MAYOR'S OFFICE CITY HALL 108 EAST GREEN STREET City • , ITHACA,NY 14850 -IA-- <. 7 Fax TO: NICOLE Front Margaret C.Williams Fac 202-228-4562 Pages: 3 p1m Data 07/15/99 Re: Letter of support CC: DRUG FREE COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROGRAM-ITHACA, NY ❑ Urgent ❑ For Review ❑Please Comment ❑Please Reply ❑Please Recycle e Caws Nicole, Could you please call me to confirm you received the following memo and letter. My number is 607-274-6545. Th ou, �j Margaret C.NO= r