Hey everyone, Kasey here to update you on all that's been going on with GCAT and SADD these past few months. Here are the minutes for the meetings in case you missed them:
GCAT--
October 5, 2010:
In Attendance: Joe Goguen (GHS-SADD), Kasey LeBlanc (GHS-SADD), Gene Farrell (GPS- Adjustment Counselor), Jacalyn Boucher (LUK), Selena Johnson (CHCFHC), Bernie Sullivan (Board of Health), Kim Davis (GMS), Pastor Scott (Greater Gardner Religious Council), Katie Kamenski (Higher Ground Ministries), Fran Longton (HOPE)
I. Social Norming: The group talked about the Social Norms Marketing process, and what Social Norms Marketing is. Many members were excited about creating a campaign to establish community norms in relation to underage youth substance abuse prevention. The group came up with the example of establishing a perception verses reality of youth who are using with that “not being the social norm” The Group will have a finished version of the Social Norms Marketing Plan by the end of November.
The group will need to utilize its data and pick out areas of concern to focus on within the next few meetings
II. Doug Miller, a diabetes Educator at the Heywood Hospital will be attending the next SADD meeting to talk about “Nutritional Messaging.” He has asked the SADD group to come up with ideas (10) to focus on in relation to keeping youth healthy; thus reducing substance abuse in the later years. The Nutrition, Fitness and Wellness Program will begin October 12th at the Waterford Street School for youth in grades Kindergarten through Third grade.
III. Checked with the coalition to make sure all members have been added to the googlegroups list serve. If not, we need to add them so we can establish a sustainable community coalition.
IV. There will be a Drug Free Communities Question and Answer Session to take place. Date/time TBD.
V. GHS SADD will presenting at the Regional School Health Coalition on November 15th located at the Westminster Village Inn from 3:30-5:00pm. Please come and support the group. We will be touching upon points of alcohol and its affect on mental health. We will be partnering with the Suicide Prevention Coalition and addressing specific issues around prevention of suicide and how the youth have taken a proactive approach in dealing with the awareness of suicide and mental health in the Gardner community.
VI. GCAT is interested in applying for the Determination of Need Grant being issued by CHNA 9 regarding the Heywood Hospital expansion to address the needs of the outer communities of Gardner. Since Gardner is the “hub” for services that all the rural towns are accessing the group though it would be a great place to start to help the coalition get money to help the outer communities in order to free up services in Gardner specifically for Gardner residents.
VII. The group updated the Workplan and looked at the status of the GIS Mapping that the youth took part in over the Summer
VIII. Gardner Police will be giving a speech at the Higher Ground Ministries service on Tuesday night on Prescription pills to create an awareness to the parents that these substances are out there and youth are abusing them at alarming rates.
November 2, 2010:
In Attendance: Selena Johnson (CHCFHC), Shannon Jardin (GPS Alternative School), Josh Caron (GHS SADD), Gene Farrell (GPS School Adjustment Counselor), Mitch Aho (GHS Assistant Principal), Lieutenant Minns (GPD), Katie Kamenski (Higher Ground Ministries), Danielle (HOPE), Jacalyn Boucher (LUK)
I. Introductions and Announcements
a. Welcome Shannon and Cassie Meaney from the Gardner Alternative High Schoo
b. GHS SADD students will be presenting to the Regional School Health Coalition on November 15th at the Westminster Village Inn from 3:30-5pm
c. The Gardner Public Schools Superintendent released the 2010 YRBS (Youth Risk Behavior Survey) to the School Committee
d. The Social Norms Marketing Plan is to be presented to the Steering Committee on the November 17th Steering Committee meeting.
II. Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) Training for Members went well. The coalition had an overview on what the SPF is all about. We talked about Assessment, Capacity Building Planning, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation and how this method fits into prevention of underage drinking. We talked about mobilizing the community to take part in certain strategies that have been proven over time to reduce underage drinking among youth. The only way to engage a community is to build their capacity while helping them sustain themselves to a point where they can keep the momentum going without funding.
Members were very much engaged in the dialogue around SPF. Selena and Shannon
added excellent feedback to the coalition on their experiences with their organization in relation to SPF to help the group understand the process a little better.
Jacalyn explained to the coalition that we will be doing a Cultural Competency training
(Selena suggested we contact Emily McRae) and starting the process of a Strategic Planning session that we hope to complete with the coalition by March. From March through June GCAT will be working on a set of strategies approved by the Steering Committee to tackle social norms marketing; a strategy used to change community perceptions and behaviors around youth and alcohol.
III. Joe is the point of contact person for GCAT, so if you have anything upcoming that you would like forwarded, please send to him at jpro1994@gmail.com
December 7, 2010: Nothing significant other than introductions and announcements, and the minutes don't mention what those were.
SADD--
January 24, 2011:
SADD Members,
Next Thursday, February 3rd from 2:15-3:30 in Rm. 214, we will be preparing the Prom Skits - we usually do three - Sex After Prom, After Prom Party (Drinking and Driving), Drinking at Prom. We need all the help we can get to make these successful. They are always really fun and the audience enjoys them a lot.
We will be holding Sticker Shocks and Shoulder Taps on Tuesday February 6th and Thursday February 8th. On both days the Sticker Shocks will be 4:30-6:00 and the Shoulder Taps will be from 6-8. You do NOT need to attend both, you can if you want. There will be some food provided (pizza, I believe).
Josh was asked to find HOPE mentors. It will be from 2-5 one day a week afterschool. Here are those who have signed up: Brad, Alex, Aurelia, Felicia.
We ask that each of you do 1-on-1 Interviews and turn them in to any of the officers. Attached is the sheet you need, you just need to print it out and ask the questions to any adult. Try to do as many as you can :)
At the last meeting, we asked those who attended what we should take on to spread SADD, as we are currently focused on drugs and alcohol. The main three that were decided upon were:
Physical Harm - this was decided to be the easiest to take on, as it is a specific problem and there are already resources out there that we can draw from.
Peer Pressure + Doing Nothing - these two were seen as the hardest to deal with. We talked about getting posters about them and maybe getting a speaker to come in and talk to us about things we can do.
Just to clarify, "Doing Nothing" doesn't mean being lazy, we mean seeing someone getting picked on or bullied and not doing anything about it.
Also, in Gardner there have been signs put up by churches that say Stop Planned Parenthood. A few people talked about this after the meeting and are for Planned Parenthood. What are other people's feelings about this?? (please reply) We were thinking about putting up signs for Planned Parenthood and possibly doing a protest or something.
Both SADD and GCAT have been up to lots of exciting things, as you can see. GCAT is looking forward to moving forward in implementing social norms and awareness campaigns around our three major sections: alcohol, tobacco, and prescription drugs. There will also be a bit of reorganization of the GCAT group and steering committee, so look out for more news on that as it becomes available.
WHAT IS A CAT? CAT stands for community action team. Together we make up a community and as such have it within our power to create and change our culture as we see fit. As a CAT we can make the positive changes to help out community for the better and make underage drinking history. Our goal is to work with the community to change the perceptions and policies around underage drinking in order to promote responsible choices by youth and adults alike. Underage drinking is an adult problem.
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Social Host Liability
What Is A Community Action Team?
LUK, Inc.’s Community Action Team (CAT) represents an initiative, funded by DPH Bureau of Substance Abuse Services, to help organize and mobilize select communities to reduce rates of underage drinking. CATs utilize a model known as Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol (CMCA). Local data is used to inform activity selection. CATs look for trends in both school and police data. After identifying local trends, CATs plan activities from a menu of interventions with each option designed to decrease underage access to alcohol or to increase community awareness. Community teams monitor their actions by conducting surveys and/or examining the data for new trends. If/when selected activities don’t contribute to desired changes, CATs may adjust their respective action plans.The CATs employ environmental strategies to prevent underage drinking. Environmental strategies focus on increasing community protective factors while deceasing risk factors that influence underage drinking.
Strategic Prevention Framework
Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) is a five step process (see below) developed by the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to assist communities in building the infrastructure necessary for effective and sustainable prevention of substance use and abuse. Programs currently funded by BSAS in Massachusetts utilize this framework.SPF: The Five Step ProcessStep 1: AssessmentStep 2: Capacity BuildingStep 3: PlanningStep 4: ImplementationStep 5: monitoring and evaluatingKey Principles of the SPF· Follows a Public Health Approach· Focuses on change for entire populations (collections of individuals who have one or more personal or environmental characteristic in common)· Considers an entire range of factors that determine health· Is outcome-based· Follows a strategic planning process· Uses data throughout the process to make informed decisions.
CATs In Action
While each CAT is unique, they share common approaches, group maintenance functions, and responsibilities to BSAS. Shared group maintenance functions:
Agenda setting
Meeting facilitation
Minute-taking
Common responsibilities to BSAS to a shared set of activities (some examples include, but are not limited to):
Compliance Check
Shoulder Tap
Social Host Liability Training
Sticker Shock
One-on-one Interviews
Compliance Check
A Compliance Check usually involves the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission (ABCC) or the local Police Department. The purpose of the compliance check is to make certain that establishments selling alcohol are checking identification and selling responsibly according to Massachusetts State Law requirements. To complete a compliance check, preplanning is conducted around the partnership between CAT team members and out-of-area youth. The youth enter alcohol vending establishments and attempt to purchase alcohol. If the bar, restaurant or liquor store finalizes the transaction between the vendor and the youth under twenty-one years of age, the youth must walk with the item in hand and give it to the officials waiting outside the establishment. The youth reports the outcome of the transaction to the ABCC/officers and identify the establishment employee who served them. This person is informed by a ABCC/local Police Department representative that they have just committed a crime. A citation is immediately issued to the person and/or the establishment under the name of the license holder.
Shoulder Tap
A Shoulder Tap campaign involves youth (specifically anyone under twenty-one years of age) in association with liquor store owners and the local Police Department.To perform a shoulder tap, the youth position themselves outside the entrance door of a liquor store establishment and ask customers hypothetically: “We are under the age of twenty-one and cannot buy alcohol ourselves. If we were to ask you to buy us alcohol would you?” Depending on the answer from the customer the youth themselves would issue the person either a “YES” card or a “NO” card, along with a short verbal explanation about why purchasing alcohol for youth is wrong and against Massachusetts State Law
Social Host Liability Training
Social Host Liability Training is an activity usually accomplished in cooperation with the District Attorney or the local Police Department. The training includes reviewing the laws and regulations of regarding serving alcohol to minors on personal property and the liability that comes from alcohol being served on one’s own property without owner awareness. The District Attorney/local Police Department reviews the consequences of the Social Host Liability Laws.
Sticker Shock
A Sticker Shock campaign is an activity that involves adults and youth under age twenty-one entering stores to help raise awareness of underage drinking. With permission from the liquor store owners, youth and adult volunteers enter stores and apply stickers, specifically targeting cases of beer, and all alcohol beverages (excluding single bottles). The sticker must not obstruct the label. The stickers say things like “Hey You! It’s Illegal to Provide Alcohol to Anyone Under 21” and “Buyer Beware Don’t Provide Alcohol for Kids.”
One-on-One Interviews
One-on-One Interviews are an integral element of the CAT project. In a One-on-One Interview, a designated CAT member asks a series of questions to members of the community to get insight into the community at large. The questions are also designed to raise awareness and solicit feedback on project activities.
Agenda setting
Meeting facilitation
Minute-taking
Common responsibilities to BSAS to a shared set of activities (some examples include, but are not limited to):
Compliance Check
Shoulder Tap
Social Host Liability Training
Sticker Shock
One-on-one Interviews
Compliance Check
A Compliance Check usually involves the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission (ABCC) or the local Police Department. The purpose of the compliance check is to make certain that establishments selling alcohol are checking identification and selling responsibly according to Massachusetts State Law requirements. To complete a compliance check, preplanning is conducted around the partnership between CAT team members and out-of-area youth. The youth enter alcohol vending establishments and attempt to purchase alcohol. If the bar, restaurant or liquor store finalizes the transaction between the vendor and the youth under twenty-one years of age, the youth must walk with the item in hand and give it to the officials waiting outside the establishment. The youth reports the outcome of the transaction to the ABCC/officers and identify the establishment employee who served them. This person is informed by a ABCC/local Police Department representative that they have just committed a crime. A citation is immediately issued to the person and/or the establishment under the name of the license holder.
Shoulder Tap
A Shoulder Tap campaign involves youth (specifically anyone under twenty-one years of age) in association with liquor store owners and the local Police Department.To perform a shoulder tap, the youth position themselves outside the entrance door of a liquor store establishment and ask customers hypothetically: “We are under the age of twenty-one and cannot buy alcohol ourselves. If we were to ask you to buy us alcohol would you?” Depending on the answer from the customer the youth themselves would issue the person either a “YES” card or a “NO” card, along with a short verbal explanation about why purchasing alcohol for youth is wrong and against Massachusetts State Law
Social Host Liability Training
Social Host Liability Training is an activity usually accomplished in cooperation with the District Attorney or the local Police Department. The training includes reviewing the laws and regulations of regarding serving alcohol to minors on personal property and the liability that comes from alcohol being served on one’s own property without owner awareness. The District Attorney/local Police Department reviews the consequences of the Social Host Liability Laws.
Sticker Shock
A Sticker Shock campaign is an activity that involves adults and youth under age twenty-one entering stores to help raise awareness of underage drinking. With permission from the liquor store owners, youth and adult volunteers enter stores and apply stickers, specifically targeting cases of beer, and all alcohol beverages (excluding single bottles). The sticker must not obstruct the label. The stickers say things like “Hey You! It’s Illegal to Provide Alcohol to Anyone Under 21” and “Buyer Beware Don’t Provide Alcohol for Kids.”
One-on-One Interviews
One-on-One Interviews are an integral element of the CAT project. In a One-on-One Interview, a designated CAT member asks a series of questions to members of the community to get insight into the community at large. The questions are also designed to raise awareness and solicit feedback on project activities.
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