Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
WORLAND – The Washakie Prevention Coalition (WPC) met for their first meeting after a two month summer break at the Worland Community Center on Thursday, Sept. 17, to discuss a future Positive Culture Framework (PCF) Social Norms Campaign, provide updates on the W-Club presence in elementary schools, data from the community survey sent out last year and discuss other youth initiatives in the community.
Washakie County Youth Alternatives Grants Manager/Fiscal Supervisor Sheri Gunderson discussed with those in attendance, in person or via Zoom, the WPC’s plan to begin a more than year-long process with the Montana Institute to help create a new public campaign to help reduce youth substance abuse.
According to Gunderson and Washakie County Youth Alternatives Program Director Sarah Garcia, this program is meant to take the strengths and needs of the community, and place it into a positive campaign to help reduce substance abuse in youth in Washakie County.
The focus of the partnership is to create a comprehensive social norms campaign that will include specific, targeted, data-driven messaging that will help Washakie County build on its strengths to begin changing attitudes, beliefs and behaviors around youth substance use.
During the meeting, Gunderson said that this was the best way to utilize funding for the coalition at this time due to state COVID-19 restrictions limiting the ability for large in-person events.
According to Gunderson, the plan will take longer than usual to implement because the Montana Institute likes to specifically tailor the program to Washakie County and ensure that it is the best plan for the community.
According to Garcia and Gunderson, this program will be a positive message driven campaign to promote a permanent attitude change toward substance abuse in youth; this campaign will be unlike scare tactic ads that have been used by large companies in the past that have not always been proven effective.
The WPC will meet again next month on Oct. 15 at noon, and then again on Nov. 19 via Zoom with Katie Dively to discuss the PCF campaign.
According to Andee Bilodeau, the W-Club has been unable to do any in-person activities in elementary schools due to COVID-19, but they are hoping to do a set of inspirational posters and videos with targeted messages customized to each building in line with each building’s vision and mission.
West Side Principal Bruce Miller said it is sad that students are unable to physically attend and be with his students, but said this would be a great option at this time to help reach the kids. Bilodeau and Miller also discussed the possibility of a Zoom call between the students to help keep the W-Club in contact with kids.
Along with W-Club, Candace Whitlock of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Worland discussed how they are working on the Breakfast Buddies program, and how they are also working on a pen-pal program to help encourage connections between the “bigs” and “littles.”
Results were presented to those in attendance from a survey sent out late last year that indicated 93% of parents have talked to their children about the risks of using alcohol or vaping, and 87% have talked about marijuana use with their children.
OTHER BUSINESS
Gunderson shared with those in attendance that Stacey Utterback of Impressence Design had been working to update the WPC website, and said that if there is more information to be included on the website to let her know.
The first members of the Washakie County Activity Pass Program Board of Directors was announced —Ryan Clark, John Burns, Sheri Gunderson and Megan Truman. Gunderson said that one or two additional board members may be added to help oversee the processes of the activity pass.
Lila Jolley of Washakie County Prevention said that next month is “Drug Take Back Month” as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month winds down to an end next Wednesday, Sept. 30.