Assessment............................................................................................... 4
Capacity...................................................................................................11
Planning...................................................................................................14
Implementation....................................................................................... 15
Evaluation................................................................................................17
Long-Term Goals and
Outcomes................................................................. 18
Table 1
Substance
Abuse Service Programs, Resources, and Activities…........21
P.A.C.E. Coalition
Logic Model................................................................... 23
ABOUT P.A.C.E. COALITION
P.A.C.E. Coalition,
formed in 2001, is a 501(c)3 non-profit, grant-funded alliance of public and
private sectors. We use the combined strengths of educators, parents, law
enforcement, business owners, faith based institutions, and community members
to strengthen the character and competencies of Elko County youth and
families.
By definition, a community
coalition begins when individuals, in previously unrelated groups, come
together to build a better community. Research indicates that a “systems
approach” can be significantly more effective than classroom education alone.
Coalitions who follow a written strategic plan that includes measurable
objectives are significantly more likely to report having a direct impact on
reducing substance abuse and other problem behaviors (see attached Long Term
Goals). This Comprehensive Community Prevention Plan details P.A.C.E.
Coalition’s structured, planned approach to substance abuse prevention.
P.A.C.E. COALITION
VISION STATEMENT
To create an
environment in Elko County where every person is supported by family, peers,
and the community and where every individual will receive all that he or she
needs to become safe, healthy, substance-free, educated, and a contributing
member of the community.
P.A.C.E. COALITION
MISSION STATEMENT
To engage people
from every sector of Elko County to form a community alliance for healthy youth
and families that focuses on strengthening the character and competencies of
our youth and families.
GEOGRAPHIC AREA SERVED
Our service area is
Elko County, Nevada, with a population of 47,114 (NV State Demographer 2006
Estimates). The county is classified as micropolitan and includes tribal
areas. It covers 17,179 square miles in two time zones and borders Idaho to the North and Utah to the East. The largest city, Elko, is located along I-80, a
major travel route. Elko lies 290 miles east of Reno, Nevada, 230 miles west of
Salt Lake City, Utah, and 255 miles south of Boise, Idaho. Our primary area of
service includes the following communities: Elko, Spring Creek, Carlin, Jackpot,
West Wendover, Wells, and Owyhee. P.A.C.E.
supports a holistic approach to substance abuse prevention that meets the needs
of all ages and racial/ethnic groups.
MEMBERSHIP
P.A.C.E. Coalition collaborates with approximately 375
coalition members representing multiple sectors of the community that are all
vitally interested in learning about prevention and healthy communities in Elko
County. We consider anyone interested in reducing the negative effects of
substance abuse and learning about prevention are prevention providers. We
believe parents, teachers, grandparents, neighbors and business owners are all
prevention providers and are capable of learning about prevention and
integrating it into their relationships with young people. We strive to
increase Elko County prevention providers at all times.
A. ASSESSMENT OF DATA:
Research shows that certain characteristics or risk
factors present in a young persons’ life increases the possibility of becoming
involved in problem behaviors. Risk factors that occur statistically more
often in a young person’s life are directly related to the development of the
following five problem behaviors: alcohol, tobacco and other substance abuse, delinquency,
violence, teen pregnancy and dropping out of school. Indicators are related to
multiple problem behaviors, but the focus of this assessment was on risk
factors associated directly with young adult and underage alcohol abuse,
intoxication, binge drinking and alcohol-related motor vehicle fatalities.
P.A.C.E. Coalition
has prioritized the following three major risk factors within Elko County. The risk factors, which are intrinsically tied to each other, have been identified
utilizing a compilation and analysis of local, state and national data, in
addition to data obtained from local focus groups identifying specific community
risk factors and priorities. However, the cornerstone
of P.A.C.E.’s quantitative outcome data is the Youth Risk Behavior Survey
(YRBS). The YRBS is a multiple-choice survey administered by Elko County
middle and high schools under the authority of the Nevada Department of
Education.
1.
Favorable Community Laws
and Social Norms
Parental Attitudes/Involvement in Alcohol Consumption and Abuse.
The attitudes and
policies a community or family holds about substance abuse and crime are
communicated in a variety of ways: through laws and written policies, through
normal social practices or social norms, and through the expectations parents
and other community members have of young people. Youth are at higher risk when
laws, community standards and social norms are favorable toward alcohol abuse,
or even if they are just unclear.
Elko County communities are 24-hour towns. Supermarkets, convenience stores, and casinos are
open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with most selling alcohol and tobacco. Gold
mines, which also operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, coupled with the
casinos are Elko County’s largest employers. These industries require employees
to work unusual schedules, with many traveling up to two hours to get to job
sites and then working twelve-hour shifts. These working conditions can lead to
high transience rates, high levels of family stress often resulting in family
violence, parental absenteeism due to shift requirements, separation and
divorce, community disorganization, family management problems, and substance
abuse among adults. Children are often left unsupervised and, due to a lack of
public transportation, are isolated from activities that would reduce their
exposure to various risk factors. Additionally, parents who condone or
participate in substance use themselves send their children the message that
these are acceptable behaviors.
How adults and youth view alcohol and its
effects also influences a child’s drinking behavior, including whether they
begin to drink and how much. An adolescent who expects drinking to be a
pleasurable experience is more likely to drink than one who does not. An
important area of alcohol research is focusing on how expectancy influences
drinking patterns from childhood through adolescence and into young adulthood. Beliefs
about alcohol are established very early in life, even before the child begins elementary
school. Before age 9, children generally view alcohol negatively and see
drinking as bad, with adverse effects. By about age 13, however, their
expectancies shift, becoming more positive. As would be expected, adolescents
who drink the most also place the greatest emphasis on the positive and
arousing effects of alcohol.
Underage drinking is a serious national problem that
costs the United States $62.6 billion annually in deaths, injuries, property
damage and related economic and productivity losses. Underage drinkers are a
threat to themselves and their communities. Nationally, illegal alcohol
consumption by minors in 2005 led to 5000 deaths, 142,000 visits to the
emergency room and an estimated 2.9 million other harmful events in the lives of
families and citizens. In 2005, 33% of all Nevada traffic fatalities resulted
from drivers driving under the influence with a BAC of .08+ (NHTSA). In Elko
County, in the 30 days prior to the 2005 YRBS survey, 23.2% of middle school
students rode in a car driven by a driver that had been drinking alcohol and
5.7% drove a car after drinking alcohol. Conversely, for the same period,
33.6% of Elko County high school students rode in a car driven by someone who
had been drinking alcoholic beverages and 15.6% drove a motor vehicle after
consuming alcoholic beverages.
Following
are quick facts on the use of alcohol in middle and high school students based
upon results from the 2005 Elko County YRBS:
Ø
During the lifetime of middle
school students, 58.4% had at least one drink of alcohol in their lifetime.
Ø
44.9% of middle school students
had their first drink of alcohol other than a few sips before the age of 13.
Ø
74.7% of all high school students
have had at least one drink of alcohol in their lifetime.
Ø
Of the high school students who
decided to drink alcohol, 23.5% of them began drinking during their first year
of high school (13-14 yrs.)
Ø
48.5% of all high school students
drink alcoholic beverages on a monthly basis.
Ø
Of the high school students that consume
alcoholic beverages, 35.3% binge drink on a monthly basis. (five or more drinks
in a row within a couple of hours)
As noted earlier,
favorable community attitudes toward the use of alcohol,
parental expectations or the
lack of clear communication of the expectations of youth can further encourage
the use of alcohol within Elko County as shown by the latest data in the
2003-2005 YRBS:
|
Statement of Belief
|
Middle School Students
|
High School
Students
|
|
|
|
|
2003
|
2005
|
|
How would your
parents/guardian feel if you had five or more drinks of alcohol in a row?
|
|
|
Approve,
Don’t care
or
Not Sure
|
Approve,
Don’t care
or
Not Sure
|
|
|
|
19.1
|
19.1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
How would your
parents/guardian feel if you attended a party where alcoholic beverages were
available?
|
|
|
Approve,
Don’t care or
Not Sure
|
Approve, Don’t care or
Not Sure
|
|
|
|
32.2
|
29.6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.
The Availability of Alcohol.
The availability or
perceived availability of alcohol and drugs within Elko County is also a risk
factor within the County. If a young person perceives that substances are
readily available in their community, regardless of how available they actually
are, that young person is at higher risk of using and abusing. It is clear
from the community survey data that people don’t believe there is much
difficulty in youth obtaining alcohol from any source.
Availability
Through Purchases: Elko County community norms survey conducted in September
2006 reflects that 83.3% of the respondents believe that alcohol, tobacco and
other drugs are generally available at most local community events.
Nevada’s “24-hour
lifestyle” is another factor in the availability of alcohol. People can access
alcohol at any hour, of any day, with little or no inconvenience. Numerous special
event liquor licenses are purchased every year in the City of Elko. These
special event liquor licenses, the cost of which is nominal, allow the
purchaser to serve alcoholic beverages at parades, festivals, conventions,
picnics, and other community events. The servers are not required to attend
any training to insure they have an understanding of the law with regard to
serving underage patrons or in proper I.D.ing procedures. Additionally, Elko County has a high concentration of convenience stores, grocery stores, bars, restaurants,
beauty salons, casinos, etc., which provide easy access to alcohol. These
businesses represent nearly 200 locations to purchase alcohol in the county.
The majority of these licenses are concentrated within the City of Elko, which has 92 liquor licenses; the remaining 96 licenses have been issued to various
businesses within the County.
Availibility
through Home: When considering how young adults and underage youth
obtain alcohol, research data obtained from the 2005 Elko County YRBS indicates
that 60.4% of middle school students and 24.2% of high school
students who have had an alcoholic drink get their alcoholic beverages from
home. In 42.7% of the time, parents knowingly supplied
their middle school students’ with alcohol and in 14.8% of the time, the
parents of high school students knowingly supplied alcohol to
their underage children.
When parents
condone or participate in substance use and actively encourage alcohol use,
they reinforce the message that alcohol use and abuse is an acceptable
behavior.
Availability
Through Friends and Other Adults: According to the results obtained in
the 2005 YRBS, high school students obtain alcohol from their friends 56.8% of
the time. Further, our Community Norms Survey indicates that 93% of respondents
ages 16-66 or more years of age believe that it is “very easy” or “fairly easy”
for youth to obtain alcohol. Teachers, counselors and youth advisors have
identified “peer pressure” as a major challenge for today’s youth. The
majority of youth involved in risky behaviors, including alcohol abuse, admit
to having been pressured to partake in the behavior or having pressured some of
their friends to join in. Many youth start to use alcohol because they think
“everyone else is doing it”, but in reality, it is usually not the case. However,
the 2005 YRBS reflects that out of high school students’ closest friends, 64% generally
do not drink alcohol on a monthly basis.
3. Poor
family management practices and perception of risk
Poor family management
practices include a lack of clear expectations for behavior, failure of parents
to monitor or actively supervise their children, and- imposing excessively
severe or inconsistent punishment. Family functioning, structure, and values
have a significant impact on children’s capacity to develop positive social
skills and cope with life’s challenges. Nevada has the highest divorce rate in
the country at 9.0/1000, and Elko County alone had 425 child abuse cases last
year; 21% of these cases were attributed to the lack of supervision. These two
statistics coupled with the unusual work schedules of most Elko County parents, the rural setting of the county and limited safe recreational
opportunities for youth, all add to ever-increasing family management problems.
Coupled with poor
family management is the inaccurate perception of the risks involved in the use
of alcohol. Underage youth and young adults who drink are more likely to be
victims of violent crime, to be involved in alcohol related traffic accidents,
to make poor decisions because of impaired judgment, and to have serious
school–related problems. Alcohol use is also linked with youthful death by
drowning, suicide, and homicide. Teens that use alcohol are more likely to
become sexually active at earlier ages, have sexual intercourse more often, and
to have unprotected sex more than teens that do not drink. Forty-seven percent
of people who begin drinking before the age of 14 become dependent on alcohol
at some point in their lives, compared with 9% of those who began drinking at
age 21 or older. (Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine)
B. ASSESSMENT OF
COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE:
The goal of a
community infrastructure assessment is to identify existing services within the
community that are available to impact the target populations prioritized risk
and protective factors; identify community readiness, intervening variables,
potential barriers to success, and to identify where gaps may exist. Table 1 attached on page 21 lists the prevention
programs, activities and services available in Elko County. A majority of
these services have either been funded through P.A.C.E. Coalition or P.A.C.E.
Coalition has collaborated with various sectors of the community to implement
these services.
P.A.C.E. Coalition
has seen a substantial increase in prevention services, activities, community
collaboration, and awareness over the past several years, but gaps in service
still exist for the following target populations:
v
Prevention opportunities for youth,
young adults and their families, especially in outlying areas.
v
Children and youth without
supervision after school.
v
Prevention services for Hispanic
youth and families, especially in Wendover and Jackpot.
v
Prevention education for parents
and community members regarding alcohol use and abuse, binge drinking, and the
hazards of drinking and driving.
Potential
Barriers: The most prevalent barrier to the success of P.A.C.E. Coalition
in implementing an effective prevention strategy is the existence of long
standing social norms within the community that accept and/or encourage abusive
drinking combined with the easy access to alcohol. We will overcome this
barrier by continued efforts to educate and inform the youth and adults, the
community leaders, and business entities about the dangers, risks and hazards
of high-risk alcohol consumption that often result in alcohol-related motor
vehicle fatalities. P.A.C.E Coalition will focus on engaging the County’s key
stakeholders, long-standing partnerships already established within the
community and our growing coalition members.
Level of
Readiness. P.A.C.E. Coalition conducted key leader interviews in
2006 in the communities of Carlin, Elko, Jackpot, Owyhee, Spring Creek,
Wendover and Wells. Key Leader interviews assess the community’s level of
readiness to accept and support substance abuse prevention programs. Scores
from the key leader interviews reflect a stage of “preplanning”. The
preplanning stage is indicative of a community that knows or perceives there is
a local problem with substance abuse, something should be done about it, but
for the most part, nothing has been implemented. Ideas about the cause of
substance abuse or risk factors tend to be stereotyped. There are identifiable
leaders and there may be a committee, but no real planning yet.
P.A.C.E. continues
to educate the communities in Elko County increasing public awareness of the
dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other substance abuse in anticipation of all
the small communities reaching the “preparation phase” prior to the year end of
2008. The “preparation phase” functions under an active and energetic
leadership who is seeking funding of programs, implementation of programs on a
trial basis, and all planning activities would be based upon practical
details. Leadership would conduct educational outreach programs open to the
general public, community leaders and local sponsorship groups on prevention
programs, goals, staffing requirements and other start-up aspects of programming.
Additionally, an environmental strategy would be initiated to bring awareness
to the community on the affects of high risk alcohol consumption. Thus far,
the City of Elko is the only community that has surpassed stage 5 and has
progressed mid-way between stage 6 and 7. Stage 6 is the “Initiation” stage
where there are programs running, but they are generally trial programs; staff
is being trained; and there is still great enthusiasm because limitations and
problems have not yet been experienced. Stage 7 is the “Institutionalization
and/or Stabilization” stage. Successful programs, experienced staff,
established funding that allows for the implementation of an action plan, some
routine tracking of prevalence of various problems, and the support of administration
are all characteristics of stage 7. P.A.C.E. Coalition is optimistic that the
City of Elko will continue to progress fully to stage 7.
P.A.C.E.
Coalition’s capacity can be measured by the ability to mobilize, train, and
engage key stakeholders, partners, community leaders, and service providers to
insure sustainability of activities and prevention practices within the
community.
P.A.C.E.
has greatly increased its prevention capacity within the county by reaching out
to multiple sectors of the community in a number of ways including public
forums, prevention literature distribution, media campaigns, educational
outreaches, participation in community activities, and executive advisory board
memberships. We maintain contact with coalition members via email and faxed
communications and occasionally through the mail. We identified and conducted
key leader interviews in each of the seven Elko County communities face-to-face
and learned their perceptions of substance abuse problems within their
communities. We also gathered ideas for addressing the problems.
Key Stakeholders: P.A.C.E. Coalition has developed a strong working
relationship with all the law enforcement agencies of Elko County including the
Elko, Carlin, West Wendover City Police, the area Tribal Police, the Elko
County Sheriff Department, the Juvenile Probation Department, the Juvenile
Detention Center, and the Nevada Highway Patrol. Northern Nevada Associates DUI School and the Elko County School District (ECSD) are also key
stakeholders within the community who, along with law enforcement, will prove
to be valuable assets in the implementation of sustainable prevention efforts.
We look for
training opportunities and encourage our stakeholders to attend. We also look
for local and online training courses that will provide continuing education
units without the stakeholders having to travel outside the area to update
their professional competency. Additionally, we provide current substance
abuse prevention research, literature and science-based programs.
The P.A.C.E.
Executive Director and/or staff serve on the following committees and the
advisory boards: Great Basin College Student Leader Committee, ECSD Healthy
Youth Summit Steering Committee, Business Leaders for a Drug Free Community,
Wells Task Force, Jackpot Task Force, Northeastern Nevada Coalition on Oral
Health, Wendover Resource Council, Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS)
Child Protection Team, DCFS Community Council, Nevada Faith-Based Women’s
Executive Council, Statewide Partnership of Coalitions, Nevada Faith Based
Executive Board, Safe Kids Steering Committee, Suicide Prevention Team and the
Rural Regional Providers. These partnerships provide opportunities for
networking and collaboration. In addition, the Executive Director has an
opportunity to assist these groups in recognizing risk factors and social norms
within the community and their organizations that increase the likelihood of
substance abuse. The Executive Director also works with leaders and members in
these organizations in understanding and implementing Search Institute’s 40
Developmental Assets for increasing youth protective factors.
Community Partners: P.A.C.E. Coalition has built an extensive network
of partners throughout the County who provide resources and assistance.
·
We partner with Great Basin College to sponsor satellite audio teleconferences and video broadcasts
highlighting the dangers of substance abuse, and the prevention and recovery
from substance abuse. We also partner with Great Basin College and the Elko County School District throughout the year educating and informing the students,
faculty and community members at various national and local events like Red
Ribbon Week, Love Your Body Week, and other activities which promote healthy
choices and prevention.
·
We partner with the Blach
Distributing, law enforcement and other alcohol retail vendors, outlets and
distributors to host Responsible Beverage Server Training. We conduct these
trainings on a regular basis within the various communities to educate and
inform alcohol vendors of the laws, liability and consequences to the server
and to the business entity, and the statistics related to high-risk alcoholic
consumption.
·
We partner with the Elko
Motorcycle Jamboree Committee and law enforcement to reduce underage drinking
at the Motorcycle Jamboree held annually during the month of June.
·
We partner with local media
resources including newspaper, radio, television and newsletters, producing
environmental strategy campaigns aimed at increasing community awareness and to remind people about the dangers of underage
drinking.
·
We partner with the Elko County School District in funding and implementing the Healthy Youth Summit. The
Healthy Youth Summit is a two-day event reaching approximately 2500 middle and
high school students, numerous community leaders, educators and parents. It is
an opportunity for the students to learn more about making healthy decisions
including substance abuse prevention and quality lifestyle choices. Adults
learn how to positively affect the youth within our community, be it their own
child or neighborhood youth.
·
We partner with more than 15
entities that serve as literature distribution sites throughout Elko County. These sites are routinely restocked with new literature.
·
We partner with approximately 375
Coalition members representing multiple sectors of the community that are all
vitally interested in learning about prevention and healthy communities in Elko
County. P.A.C.E supports any individual in the community who cares about
reducing the negative effects of substance abuse are prevention providers. We
believe that parents, teachers, grandparents, neighbors, business owners, etc.,
are all capable of learning about prevention and integrating it into their
relationships with young people. We strive to increase Elko County prevention providers at all times.
·
We partner with the Nevada Highway
Patrol and the Elko County Sheriff Department to promote the use of the DUI
simulator. The simulator will effectively demonstrate the hazards of drinking
alcohol and driving. The successful implementation of this simulator will
increase awareness of the impact alcohol has on a person and the increased
potential for fatalities because of alcohol consumption.
Community Resources: Facilities and equipment necessary for building on the existing
prevention infrastructure are already in place. P.A.C.E. has at its disposal
the use of the facilities, equipment and technology at Great Basin College, area public schools, various public buildings and private collaborative businesses.
Many of the P.A.C.E. sponsored activities are conducted in a social services
community center that houses three other non-profit agencies including P.A.C.E.
Coalition. We have obtained the necessary equipment to conduct the Beverage
Serving Training including a PowerPoint presentation and Age ID wristband
machine. Finally, P.A.C.E. has adequate technological equipment and the staff
has completed the necessary training and education to promote readiness,
cultural responsiveness, leadership, data collection, monitoring, and
evaluation of outcomes.
We work with substance abuse prevention youth
leadership teams in Elko County schools and communities. We support Elko County School District nurses, health and home economics instructors at Elko Junior High School, Spring Creek Middle School and the Carlin Combined Schools as they add substance abuse prevention to their curriculum. We also provide ideas and
support for school-wide prevention activities such as Kick Butts Day, Red
Ribbon Week and Tar Wars, which address tobacco, alcohol and other drug use.
We also distribute
substance abuse prevention literature at community events, such as fairs,
expos, summits, focus groups, and educational functions throughout Elko County.
We host several community forums throughout the year and
conduct ongoing media and publicity campaigns aimed at increasing community
knowledge about substance abuse and prevention.
Sustainability: P.A.C.E.
Coalition currently receives funding from the following grants: Fund for a
Healthy Nevada, Drug Free Communities, and anticipates funding from the Nevada
Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant and the Nevada Substance
Abuse Prevention and Treatment Coalition Block Grant. We continue to seek and
apply for grants that are applicable to our mission.
P.A.C.E. Coalition,
in an attempt to address the gaps in resources and services offered to youth
and young adults within Elko County, developed broad strategies and plans that
will assist in the development and implementation of prevention services.
Our primary
strategies for making positive change through reducing substance abuse in Elko County are as follows:
Strategy #1: Changing
long established social norms and parental attitudes.
·
Continue our media advocacy/environmental
strategies campaign to increase awareness of the consequences of underage and
young adult alcohol abuse, DUI and binge drinking.
·
Increase social event monitoring
and compliance in collaboration with local law enforcement.
·
Increase parental and other adult
knowledge regarding alcohol use and abuse.
·
Increase community awareness of
P.A.C.E. Coalition resource library.
·
Increase opportunities for parents
to improve their parenting skills.
·
Increase adult awareness of
underage alcohol consumption and laws.
·
Increase the awareness of the
consequences of supplying underage youth with alcohol.
·
Increase the activities available
for youth in our community.
·
Seek out and promote educational
programs and support for schools.
Strategy #2: Reduce
Alcohol Availability.
·
Increase Responsible Beverage
Server Training opportunities within the community.
·
Increase awareness of the dangers
of underage and young adult drinking and driving through an active media
campaign.
·
Increase the collaborative efforts
with law enforcement to deter drinking and driving through providing education,
trainings and support.
·
Increase community awareness and
education about underage drinking laws and the consequences of supplying
underage youth with alcohol.
·
Increase education of management and
employees serving or dispensing liquor through beverage server trainings.
·
Strategy #3: Improve
Family Management and Parenting Skills
·
Increase parents awareness and
knowledge of potential risks related to underage alcohol use and abuse.
·
Increase opportunities available
for parents to improve parenting skills.
·
Increase community awareness of
P.A.C.E. Coalition’s Resource Library.
·
Promote healthy family activities.
These strategies are relevant,
appropriate, and effective to meet Elko County’s needs and address the county’s
alcohol abuse problem. Additionally, P.A.C.E. will assure the activities are
culturally appropriate to the intended audience. Our goal is to deliver
prevention education and messaging to multiple sectors of the population
utilizing multiple strategies.
When a need is
identified and a proposed activity meets those criteria, we seek out collaborative
partners with an interest in, and understanding of, substance abuse
prevention. P.A.C.E. does not implement activities without the collaboration
of at least one partner agency. Examples of community collaborated events
include the Summer Activity Sign-up Fair, Healthy Youth
Summit, JDC Partnership, Safe Kids Symposium, health fairs, puppet shows at
area preschools, Lifeskills program for Carlin Combined Schools, the Elko Motorcycle
Jamboree, and the Native American Meth Symposium to name a few.
STEP FOUR: IMPLEMENTATION
P.A.C.E. Coalition
serves Elko County by sustaining a community prevention system and coordinating
implementation of the plan through our community partners. The coalition
identifies community partners to implement programs and services that meet the
priorities for youth and families as outlined in the prevention plan. The
coalition works with community partners to leverage, access, manage and
distribute resources for implementation of the plan. Additionally, the coalition
provides assistance to community partners with training, data management,
resource reporting, evaluation and other assistance as requested.
Implementation priority is given to model programs and services targeting our prioritized
risk and protective factors. Attention is given to program fidelity as well as
adaptations to appropriately address cultural and other unique considerations
of the diverse populations identified in this plan. The coalition may support
additional programs and services as necessary to meet the changing needs of the
youth and families of Elko County.
Several examples of
successful program implementations are as follows: The SMART Moves program at
the Boys & Girls Club of Elko was a P.A.C.E. funded program through the State
Incentive Grant. Thanks to energetic leadership, it has attracted a large
number of enthusiastic participants. A representative from the Elko County Juvenile Probation Dept. observed some sessions of the program. He was so
impressed with the program that he made arrangements for it to be implemented
for juveniles detained at their facility. We believe that the successful
implementation of this program has not only reduced potential for substance
abuse among participants, but has also had a positive impact on the community
and on the Boys & Girls Club organization.
P.A.C.E. has identified community leaders and is
developing task forces to address substance abuse issues in Wells, Wendover, Jackpot,
and Owyhee. Wells currently maintains Elko County’s most active and successful
community task force. The task force was started in October of 2005 and
continues to grow stronger and stronger each year. Wells currently has
approximately 20 active members working on various prevention activities.
We
continue to collaborate with the Chief of Police in West Wendover to implement
prevention activities within the area school. Additionally, the three major
casinos in West Wendover collaborate with P.A.C.E. to host beverage server
trainings for their employees. Wendover Resources Council serves as a P.A.C.E.
task force and meets monthly.
P.A.C.E. has provided
literature and information to Owyhee for the past three years. Community
members there have now formed a substance abuse prevention task force. We will
work with them and provide mentoring as necessary. We plan to set up a booth
during their upcoming health fair.
We implemented the
LifeSkills program for 6-8th graders in collaboration with the Elko County School District to support youth leadership activities in the community of
Carlin.
P.A.C.E. successfully
established a community task force in Jackpot. The distance between Elko and
Jackpot (145 miles one way) makes this extremely challenging, but we will
continue to support the task force and its activities whenever and however
possible.
P.A.C.E. follows an
evaluation plan designed to capture both outcome and process measures. Outcome
evaluation measures actual rates of substance abuse throughout Elko County. We use two sources of primary outcome data: the Youth Risk Behavior Survey
(YRBS) and State Incentive Grant program participant surveys. We refer to archival
data, such as arrest, hospitalization, and traffic citations, to measure the consequences
of youth adult and underage alcohol use, binge drinking and alcohol related
motor vehicle fatalities.
Process evaluation
is intended to help the coalition determine the effectiveness of its efforts.
We measure items such as coalition membership, community perceptions of
coalition work, and coalition capacity. We also utilize, among other things,
an annual Community Norms Survey, a Youth Worker Survey, and exit surveys administered
at events. We will use the services of an external evaluator as well as analyze
the data in-house using SPSS software.
LONG-TERM GOALS AND OUTCOMES
(YRBS High School Frequency Tables)
|
|
2001
n=356
|
2003
n=266
|
2005
n=268
|
Change
2001-05
|
2008
Goal*
|
|
Community Laws, Parental
Attitudes and Norms Favorable Toward Alcohol Use.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Decrease the number of
students who, in the past 30 days, drove a car or other vehicle when they had
been drinking alcohol
|
19.2%
|
21.8%
|
15.7%
|
-3.5%
|
12%
|
|
Decrease the number of
students who, during the past 30 days, rode 1 or more times in a vehicle driven
by someone who had been drinking alcohol.
|
36.4%
|
35%
|
34%
|
-2.4%
|
25%
|
|
Decrease the number of
students who usually get the alcoholic beverages they drink by asking an
adult to purchase it.
|
10.8%
|
11.7%
|
10.2%
|
-.6%
|
8.5%
|
|
Decrease the number of
students who usually get the alcoholic beverages they drink from home with
parental knowledge.
|
13.6%
|
12.4%
|
9.5%
|
-4.1%
|
8.0%
|
|
Decrease the number of
students who report that parents would “approve” or “wouldn’t care” if
student had 5 or more drinks of alcohol in a row.
|
18%
|
13.9%
|
14%
|
-4%
|
11.2%
|
|
Decrease the number of
students who report that parents would “approve’ or “would not care” if
student attended a party where alcohol was available.
|
24.3%
|
23%
|
20.4%
|
-3.6%
|
18%
|
|
|
2001
n=356
|
2003
n=266
|
2005
n=268
|
Change
2001-05
|
2008
Goal
|
|
Family Management
Problems
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Increase the number of
students who report that parents or adults they live with know where they are
and who they are with “most” or “every” time when they are away from home.
|
76.8%
|
77.5%
|
75.8%
|
-2.4%
|
80%
|
|
Decrease the number of
students who think people have “no” or only “slight” risk of harming
themselves if they have 5 or more drinks of alcohol in a row.
|
26.5%
|
26.5%
|
28%
|
+1.5%
|
25%
|
|
Academic Failure
Beginning in Elementary School
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Decrease the number of
students who report receiving “Mostly D’s or F’s” in school.
|
6.7%
|
4.5%
|
5.6%
|
-1.1%
|
4.0%
|
|
Increase the number of
students who report receiving “Mostly A’s or B’s” in school.
|
59.7%
|
65.1%
|
66%
|
+6.3%
|
69%
|
|
|
2001
n=356
|
2003
n=266
|
2005
n=268
|
Change
2001-05
|
2008
Goal
|
|
Early Initiation of the
Problem Behavior
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Decrease the number of
students who had their first drink of alcohol other than a few sips before
age 13.
|
43.4%
|
34.6%
|
34.6%
|
-8.8%
|
30%
|
|
Problem Behavior
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Decrease the number of
students reporting they have ever used alcohol.
|
83.3%
|
82.8%
|
75.2%
|
-8.1%
|
60%
|
|
Decrease the number of
students reporting they have used alcohol during the past thirty days.
|
56.5%
|
49.3%
|
49.8%
|
-6.7%
|
40%
|
|
|
2001
|
2003
|
