6 Days of Take-aways from CADCA Trainer Takeover

 

Day #1- CADCA Forum Trainer Take over- Engaging sectors to create and update objectives, now that coalitions are doing their work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• We have currently been doing webinars for families, continuing coalition meetings via zoom, check in’s with our student groups, and activities through zoom and social media. In addition I am working on a self-help tool kit for teens.
• One thing important for coalitions that we often don’t have time for is planning. This is an excellent time to get back to the basics and comprehensively plan our coalition activities. There are some great ways we can engage our partners (especially those who have a little extra time to focus now) in our planning, even remotely.
  
  The good news is, we don’t have to wait until we can meet in person. We can utilize technology to enhance some of our coalition products.
  
  Some coalition products you may wish to review are:
  
  1. Community Assessment
  2. Logic Model
  3. Strategic and Action Plan
  4. Evaluation Plan
  5. Evaluation Communication Plan
  6. Sustainability Plan
  
  As effective and sustainable coalitions, we should be continuously updating these products. Perhaps a good approach would be to solicit members to work within committees to update and enhance products. Depending on the capacity of your coalition, you may have enough members to update many things at once, or maybe you need to address one thing at a time. Regardless, identifying the members who can help is the first step. Next, you will need to identify the best way to collaborate with one another.
  
  There are a number of collaborative interfaces ranging from easy to more technical and from free to costly. Your coalition should identify what works best for you. Here are some platforms that have free versions we can use:
  
  • Google docs
  • Asana
  • Trello
  • Email
  • Zoom for committee and coalition meetings

 

• Youth participants can “take over” the coalition’s social media platforms for a day to reach their peers (although you will probably want to set ground rules). It is often good to have a theme or system to follow to guide your social media presence. Algorithms are everything and you want to do what you can to maximize your reach.
• Some communities have a central agency helping with the logistics of keeping people informed. In some places I’ve heard this to be the United Way or Chamber of Commerce. If your community doesn’t already have such a group, perhaps that is a role the coalition could play so no one feels uninformed.
• We are doing remote podcasts. We started this back in December and just released our latest episode. We engage different sectors and focus on a different topic related to primary prevention for each episode. This latest episode focuses on things that parents need to be aware of as their teens transition from middle to high school and high school to college from a substance use prevention standpoint. We also have a youth coalition and at the end of each podcast, they record their thoughts on the interview. We have an RSS feed on our website and just link directly to that when we share with our membership and community. Now that we can’t record interviews in person, we are recording audio with Skype.
• This could be the time for coalitions to conduct a survey of members and/or their communities as many people are now working on-line at home. For example, the State of Vermont is conducting a 2020 Survey of young adults aged 18 – 25: “The survey includes measures of young adults’ attitudes and behaviors regarding alcohol use, tobacco, nicotine delivery products, illicit drugs, and prescription drugs. Given that we are launching the survey during the COVID-19 emergency, we have also added some questions about how the COVID-19 emergency may be influencing these behaviors.”
  
  The survey is being promoted through local community coalitions: https://cvndc.org/2018-vermont-young-adult-survey-is-now-open/
• I also know a coalition that is working to review and revise their mission and vision and are getting coalition member input via survey monkey. 
• Our youth group is doing an Instagram Challenge to send words of encouragement and share “what healthy things (subtext there would be “drug free”) they are doing to stay mentally strong and healthy.” Our community partners have been setting up various activities and resources online, which we’ve been sharing on social media (in addition to regular social media content every other day).
•  Our coalition does a yearly Youth Video Project; however, we had to cancel our big event due to COVID-19.  We quickly adapted it to become a Virtual Video Project, where we’ve encouraged families with youth to create short videos about what they are doing to stay resilient during this time.  We share these videos on our social media outlets for others to get ideas and because we have some separate funding outside the DFC Grant, we’ve been able to provide gift cards to locally owned restaurants for individuals who submit.  It’s a great way to support multiple sectors!
  
  We’ve also reached out to many of our coalition members (SAPs, Law Enforcement, Mental Health Professionals, etc.) to make positive videos with ideas for coping strategies or just to say hi – so youth know that they still have community support; it just looks a bit different right now.
  
  I think our biggest struggle is that we are in a large city vast with resources, and there are so many local agencies who are implementing several different remote programs.  It’s been difficult for us to not replicate and ensure the programs we’ve created are being utilized.
• Another way I’ve seen coalitions engage is by television, radio, and Facebook live videos. Since people are isolated, simple at-home videos seem normal, even on the evening news. Since so many people are watching television and streaming services right now, our coalition released our new commercial on stigma early. It shows the faces of coalition members and leaders in the community to reduce the stigma associated with substance use disorder. It also shows people in solidarity. Since there are not many people fighting for ad space right now, we were able to get some prime time spots. The news is also filled with COVID-19 stories and it feels like a relief to hear about anything else, so, if your coalition can come up with relevant news to share with the community, now is a great time!
• I use the Groupme app with our coalition and another group of youth I engage with through my faith community.
• I’ve had people send me the video directly via email.  Many of them are recording on their phones, so it’s easy to send right over.  Here’s the flyer we made! 

• For example, with teens stuck at home, it is plausible that the substance they misuse would be acquired within the home. ​Let’s say a local condition is youth access alcohol that is unmonitored in the home. (Root cause is social availability and the problem is underage drinking.)
  
  Here are some strategies we could implement remotely:
  
  1. Provide information to parents about the prevalence of UAD in the community and typical access points. (Maybe include something about how boredom can attribute to youth experimenting with alcohol and cite the source.)
  2. Provide information to parents about the importance of locking up and monitoring alcohol in the home.
  3. Provide support to parents by identifying where they can get locks for refrigerators, kegerators, wine closets, liquor cabinets, etc.
  4. Change physical design by providing locks outside the coalition office that families who cannot afford their own can pick up while also following social distancing guidelines.
  
  At the same time, we can be enhancing our logic model and action plan and mapping data to ensure we get back to the basics.
•  Our biggest challenge is to try to meet people where they are. I heard about one community organizing a scavenger hunt and incorporating different themes each day. This could be an idea to utilize the media to come up with activities families can do together to prepare for and participate in a scavenger hunt.
  
  Otherwise meeting folks where they are might consist of conversation starters to help families focus on different topics during dinner and incorporating more life skills and protective factors into our daily routines.
• Our Coalition has partnered with the local paper to sponsor an ITAC (our Coalition name) “Connect with Us Challenge”- families, students, community members, young and old are asked to submit pix of how they are coping with social distancing; playing up the idea of being connected and using their creative skills, talents, coping strategies, supports, and resources they have tapped into during this the Stay Home, Be Safe environment. 
•  also know of some coalitions that are working with schools – to distribute coloring books and prevention materials that have activities in them – and they are handing them out when families go to schools to pick up the free breakfasts and lunches that are being delivered curbside at the schools.
• The Faith community.  We present ourselves as a the resource, especially for youth leaders,  for information and activities related to substance abuse.
• I have heard of coalition engaging with faith partners in a number of ways: here are a few.
  
  1. Collaborating to host community forums to reduce stigma, enhance access to treatment, and provide naloxone
  2. Collaborate to provide alternative positive youth activities
  3. Provide support to encourage, enable, and empower faith leaders to speak directly about preventing substance misuse and identify tangible ways churches, synagogues, temples, etc can play a role
  4. Understand the power of the people in the pews, so to speak, and utilize the Strategic Prevention Framework to help them come up with their own plans
• In the event your coalition wants to maximize the use of our “stay-at-home” orders, we can utilize a variety of technology to enable our members to get together to maintain our focus on data-driven outcomes.
  
  To be prepared to write objectives, your coalition must have:
  • Community Assessment
  • Logic model
  • Data-mapped to each part of your logic model (problem, root causes, local conditions)
• When you take a moment to look at your objectives, you should have short-term, intermediate, and long-term objectives. Your short-term objectives tie to your local conditions; intermediate objectives tie to your root causes; and long-term objectives tie to your problem.
• Here are some tips if your coalition wants to update your objectives. Like my fellow trainer Dorothy Chaney said, if you don’t have your data mapped to your logic model, you won’t be able to effectively show (or know if) you made an impact. Mapping your data helps define your work and lead to lasting change and sustainability.
  
  Here is a sample statement you can use to help craft a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound) objective:
  
  • To [increase/decrease] [indicator] by #/% by [month/date/year] as measured by [data collection instrument/question or measure] from [baseline/year] to [target/year].
    
    When you frame your objectives, you want to consider the timeliness of them: 
    • Short-term objectives should be achieved in 6-24 months
    • Intermediate objectives should be achieved in 1-4 years
    • Long-term objectives should be achieved in 3-10 years
      
      Here are a few examples:
  • Examples
    • Short-term:
      • To decrease retail alcohol sales to minors by 12% by July 31, 2021 as measured by County Sheriff Alcohol Compliance Checks from 38% failure rate in 2020 to 26% failure rate in 2021 

• Intermediate

• • • • To decreased youth perceived easy access to alcohol by 4% by August 20, 2023 as measured by perception of easy access to alcohol from Pride Student Survey from 36% easy/very easy to 32% in 2023.
    • Long-term
      • To decrease underage drinking by 3% by October 30, 2027 as measured by 30-day use of alcohol from Pride Student Survey from 24% in 2020 to 21% in 2027.

 

 

 

DAY #2 -CADCA Forum Trainer Takeover-You Take the Lead: Social Distancing for Coalitions

Leader: Yvonne Stroman

4/7/2020

Session Description: The next hour will be informative, educational and inspiring.  What are your action steps or challenges to engaging youth as leaders in your community during our time of social distancing?

Top 3 Things I learned this session:

1)     Remind app: Texts everyone at once-brief messages but keeps everyone connected.

2)     Keep meetings consistent for coalitions-just do them virtually. Helps create a sense of normalcy in a time of much unknown.

3)     Team up with restaurants doing deliveries and curbside pickup to send positive messages

4)     Whatever you do, involve the local media to highlight your efforts. They are looking for positive news right now.

What do I want to share with key leaders/community/stakeholders?

Remind app: Texts everyone at once-brief messages but keeps everyone connected.

Notes:

Social Media:

1)     Start posting hit things, that are already out on social media. Like tik toks or dance videos. We are learning that it’s not always the substance related messaging that gets the most hits (likes/comments). Post funny memes that are made to avoid peer pressure and bullying. But also funny videos that has nothing related to substances. I also noticed posting fun facts or national days helps.

2)     County coalitions are also working together at present to see if we can connect youth across multiple towns to create a video to share with peers across multiple towns–again, with the them of “hang in there” “tips for staying mentally healthy (and substance free) during stressful times.”

3)     Host lunch and learn leadership training sessions

4)     youth have been participating virtually in the National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week by having daily conversations with three different peers and family members about the topic of the day which included different prevention messages, facts, substances.  We posted the messages and conversation starting questions on Facebook and our Group Me app. 

Youtube: Youth engaging the community by creating fun Youtube video on how to properly wear your mask. CADCA leader recommended having youth also make masks and distribute to people with a youth prevention message. Find a local news station or radio to cover the youth’s positive efforts in the media.

 

TikTok:

1)     Creating a TikTok account and creating challenges for youth during Alcohol Awareness month.

2)     youth collaborate over video calls to plan out the TikTok, submit their own personal video in the comfort of their home, and send it to one person to compile all the small videos and edit the TikTok! This makes it easy for them to create prevention messages   while social distancing and it is also very easy to share to their friends.

 

Facebook/Instagram:

1)     Have youth coalition send in videos on what they are doing to keep safe and keep their social distance. One of the youth put it together and post on Facebook.

 Virtual Meetings:

1)     Keep the meeting schedule the same, just host them virtually.

2)     Use technology such as Zoom, Google Hangouts or Skype to meet and create fun prevention messages to push out on social media. They can experiment with different types of trends and multiple platforms, to make the activity enjoyable for them.

3)     An energizer as a fun way to begin before the actual conversation takes place regarding prevention strategies. Some ideas that the group can work on is a Prevention Anthem – kinda like come up with a script about what Project Peace stands for. It is ideal to a mission statement, but delivered in a way that youth become gravitated to the work the group engages to make their community safer. 

4)     Kahoot games through Zoom. The questions are a mixture of pop culture and questions about drug an alcohol. We have found that students always enjoy Kahoot.

5)     Zoom youth coalition meetings and included a different speaker for the past two weeks who spoke about leadership. Our Youth Advisor for the coalition is a high school coach and has connections with other high school coaches.  The Youth Advisor starts each meeting with a fun ice breaker question. 

 

Topics to Cover:

1)     Reminder to parents to lock up their alcohol while many people are spending time together at home.

2)     Making videos to target specific behaviors, or things to keep kids safe at home

3)     Youth are posting a picture or video to share words of encouragement and to show what they are doing to stay “healthy and safe” (including mentally healthy) during this stressful times (e.g.–playing board games, walking their dog, doing yoga, making music, doing their makeup and sharing it with friends. Make their post and tag their coalition’s social media accounts and then tag 3 friends to challenge them to create a post.

4)     Shift focus of prevention messaging to how we can use healthy coping mechanisms

5)     Send positive, uplifting messages with food deliveries to homes.

 

 

 

How to reach youth:

If you’re having trouble reaching youth: do you or members of your coalition have youth; sons, daughter, nieces, nephews, cousins?  Youth know youth and know ways how to reach their peers.

 

Day 3 – Challenge Sample Resources for Building Protective Factors, Developmental Assets and Resiliency

 

Categories (ctrl+ click on the text to go directly to the category) Page

1. Protective Factor Resources for Parents – Covid-19 Specific    1
2. General Resources on Protective Factors – Covid-19 Specific    2
3. Coalition and Community Examples of Protective Factors – Covid-19 Specific   3
4. Descriptions and Definitions of Protective Factors, Developmental Assets and Resiliency   3
5. Protective Factor Resources for Youth, Parents, Schools and Community – General   5
6. Data and Research on Protective Factors   5
7. Coalition and Community Examples of Protective Factors in Action   6
8. Protective Factors – At Home Activities   7

 

1. Protective Factor Resources for Parents – Covid-19 Specific

 

Helping Children Cope With Changes Resulting From COVID-19 – National Association of School Psychologists

https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/health-crisis-resources/helping-children-cope-with-changes-resulting-from-covid-19

Countering COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Stigma and Racism: Tips for Parents and Caregivers – – National Association of School Psychologists

https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/health-crisis-resources/countering-covid-19-(coronavirus)-stigma-and-racism-tips-for-parents-and-caregivers

COVID-19 – Tips to keep children healthy while school’s out – Centers for Disease Control

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/children.html

Messages for parents, school staff, and others working with children: General principles for talking to children  – – Centers for Disease Control

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/talking-with-children.html

Helping Children Cope Emotionally with COVID-19 – The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress

https://www.aaets.org/helping-children-cope-emotionally-with-coronavirus

Flexibility for Families During COVID-19 – Search Institute

https://www.search-institute.org/families-working-from-home/

How to Talk With Children About the Coronavirus – Oregon Department of Education

https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/healthsafety/Documents/6.%20How%20to%20Talk%20With%20Children%20About%20the%20Coronavirus.pdf

Know! Frequent Family Dinners Make a Big Difference – Prevention Action Alliance

https://preventionactionalliance.org/advocate/newsletters/know-frequent-family-dinners-make-a-big-difference/

Supporting Youth, Families, & Staff – Afterschool Alliance 

http://afterschoolalliance.org/covid/supporting-youth-families.cfm#platforms

Parenting in the time of COVID-19 – World Health Organization

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/healthy-parenting 

2. General Resources on Protective Factors – Covid-19 Specific

 

Stress and Coping Guide – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html

 

FAST Values in the Time of the Coronavirus Pandemic – Families and Schools Together

https://www.familiesandschools.org/blog/fast-values-in-the-time-of-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

 

Mental Health And COVID-19 – Information and Resources – Mental Health America

https://mhanational.org/covid19##ToolsToConnectWithOthers

 

Resources to Support Mental Health and Coping with COVID-19 – Suicide Prevention Resource Center

http://www.sprc.org/news/resources-support-mental-health-coping-coronavirus-covid-19

 

Information on COVID-19 for Survivors, Communities and DV/SA Programs – Futures without Violence

https://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/get-updates-information-covid-19/

 

Supporting Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness during the COVID-19 Outbreak: Questions to Consider – United States Interagency Council on Homelessness

https://www.usich.gov/tools-for-action/supporting-children-and-youth-experiencing-homelessness-during-the-covid-19-outbreak-questions-to-consider

 

Resilience During a Pandemic – ACEsConnection

https://www.acesconnection.com/blog/resilience-during-a-pandemic?reply=491370309756543546

 

For Providers and Community Leaders: Helping People Manage Stress Associated with the COVID-19 Virus Outbreak – US Dept. of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD

https://www.ptsd.va.gov/covid/COVID_providers_comm_leaders.asp

 

COVID-19: Resilient Wisconsin – Wisconsin Department of Health Services

https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/resilient.htm

 

Can Technology Help Cultivate Relationships – Search Institute

https://www.search-institute.org/can-technology-help-cultivate-relationships-while-were-social-distancing/

 

Resisting the Pandemic of Prejudice – Reclaiming the Power of Relationships – Search Institute

https://www.search-institute.org/relationships-during-coronavirus/

 

 

3. Coalition and Community Examples of Protective Factors – Covid-19 Specific

 

Virtual YMCA Membership – Southington-Cheshire Community YMCAs

http://www.sccymca.org/21-about-the-y/53-developmental-assets-s-t-e-p-s

 

Coalition Webpage – Upcoming Partner Events – Sussex County Health Coalition   https://www.sussexcoalition.org/

 

Pandemic Resource List – PACT Coalition    http://drugfreelasvegas.org/

 

Fairfield coalition to address top risk factor in drug use: Boredom from coronavirus – Fairfield Prevention Coalition

https://www.journal-news.com/news/local/fairfield-coalition-address-top-risk-factor-drug-use-boredom-from-coronavirus-shutdown/gFbDMVdest0Y2zGHRh5jiK/

 

Laura Alderman: In time of COVID-19 pandemic, resilience defeats adversity – Shreveport Times

https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/opinion/columnists/2020/03/30/laura-alderman-time-pandemic-resilience-defeats-adversity/5086516002/

 

COVID-19 Resources for Kids – San Antonia Council on Alcohol and Drug Awareness

https://sacada.org/covid-19-resources-for-kids/

 

Parents Lead – COVID-19  – Parents Lead North Dakota

http://www.parentslead.org/COVID-19

 

4. Descriptions and Definitions of Protective Factors, Developmental Assets and Resiliency

 

Risk and Protective Factors

 

Risk and Protective Factors – East Texas Council on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse

https://www.prcfour.org/uploads/cms/nav-11-5be31135b8020.pdf   **

 

Risk and Protective Factors – Youth.gov

https://youth.gov/youth-topics/youth-mental-health/risk-and-protective-factors-youth

 

What are Risk and Protective Factors – NIDA (click on PDF link for publication)

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/preventing-drug-abuse-among-children-adolescents/chapter-1-risk-factors-protective-factors/what-are-risk-factors

 

Risk and Protective Factors for Adolescent Substance Use – Alaska Division of Behavioral Health http://dhss.alaska.gov/dbh/Documents/Prevention/programs/spfsig/pdfs/Risk_Protective_Factors.pdf

 

Protective Factors – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/protective/

 

Risk and Protective Factors for Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/Risk_and_Protective_Factors_revised_02_25_14_459423_7.pdf

 

Risk and Protective Factors – SAMHSA

https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/20190718-samhsa-risk-protective-factors.pdf

 

Social Development Strategy

 

Social Development Strategy – Social Development Research Group (SDRG)

http://www.sdrg.org/pubs/ResearchBrief_May2019.pdf

 

Social Development Strategy – Communities That Care

https://www.communitiesthatcare.org.au/how-it-works/social-development-strategy

 

Resiliency

 

Tapping Resilience in Youth – Prevention Tactics

https://cchealth.org/tobacco/pdf/concepts_in_action.pdf

 

Building Your Resilience – American Psychological Association

https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience

 

Developmental Assets

 

Developmental Asset Framework – Search Institute

https://www.search-institute.org/our-research/development-assets/developmental-assets-framework/

 

40 Developmental Assets – Healthy Youth Network

http://focusontheforty.ca/40-developmental-assets/

 

1)     One of the challenges discussed (with both our youth and adults) is that many people feel its insensitive to deliver specific prevention messages right now, given how stressful things are. People don’t want to talk about prevention specifically when they’re worried about getting sick, losing their jobs, etc. But the high stress environment is also a recipe for higher rates of substance use (both for adults and youth).

2)     There are approaches to discussion about substances in the midst of an epidemic that can be approached in a way that others will receive the information.  It may be helpful for the coalition to partner with other local agencies who delivering services. For example, is the coalition willing to create homemade masks to be distributed to the community at large say via grocery stores.  with the mask comes a card with words of encouragement and your coalition’s name. It plants a seed and lets people know that you are thinking about them. The prevention about substances can come via social media or with the help of your local TV or radio and the coalition name is mentioned again.  

 

Day #4 CADCA Trainer Takeover –Trainer Takeover: New Challenges? New Opportunities!

Moderators: Andrea Marquez and Nigel Wrangham (Youth Trainers)

Description: Brainstorming and creating new and innovative ways to continue to engage youth in prevention work and keep them involved with their communities while practicing social distancing.

Notes:

Challenges for Youth Engagement

• Access to technology
• From NYC: Youth can’t “hear” prevention messages right now with the other noise in their lives
• With so many emails and media and tools: parents, teachers and youth are suffering from “resource fatigue” – they can’t imagine attempting to make use of another new resource
• Prevention curriculums are going to need to look very different than they used to – if we are going to be able to use them in this current climate
• Return to “old school” communications with the limited connectivity that is not just in our frontier Montana communities, but a nationwide issue being addressed each day.
• Youth exposed to substance use and substance related problems because of social distancing
  • Home as a high-risk environment
  • Exposure to family actively using/engaging at higher rates
• Youth are grieving their loss of normalcy – this “collective grief” for their generation is an unknown. Will it bring about mass disillusionment and nihilism or a renewed commitment to change
• Need to get back to the basics of trauma-informed practice and combat trauma experience with validation and solidarity

 

New Opportunities

• Think outside the box
• Create ways for youth to have fun and be “stress free”
• Utilizing social media with resiliency, self-care and mental wellness messaging instead of traditional substance use prevention messaging – recognized as an appropriate change in this time
• Virtual Spirit Week – collaborating with high school student government classes
• Prevention messages provided to schools to send home to families
• Sources of Strength flyer with Instagram and Facebook Challenge programming (see attached)
• *Kansas Youth Community Change Conference!!  
  • https://www.dccca.org/kansas-youth-community-change-conference-kyc3/
  • Virtual and ongoing and open to youth from other states – sessions on substance misuse prevention, mental health promotion, leadership and others
• Youth Coalition group chats – Google Hangouts, Remind, ITAC Team (Microsoft)
• Dissemination of Flyers:
  • Food Distribution Centers
  • Laundromats
  • Clinics
  • Places of worship
• Newspaper and Social Media Photo Challenges
• In Newcastle, WY there are some educational changes that have been implemented with the distance learning model that we are all contending with:
  • Grades are pass/fail
  • Middle school only focusing on math and English currently
  • High school is tracking contact between parents and students to staff members – high risk kids have to maintain contact with at least one staff member
• Think of other materials, whether promo materials or cheap diversion materials that can be sterilized and disseminated with informational flyers
• Disseminate coloring pages with motivational themes to appropriate age groups
• Virtual mental health services where available
• Youth focus on mental health in the future with QPR: identify gatekeepers – coaches, teachers, clergy
• Virtual rites of passages, i.e. Prom, Senior Sunset, Graduation, Senior Highlights

 

Overarching Themes of the Thread

1. Importance of recognition and appreciation
2. Acknowledging and responding to collective grieving
3. Reaching out to youth who are technologically and otherwise marginalized
4. Training Gatekeepers in QPR and other risk reduction strategies

 

Day #5- CADCA Trainer Take Over – Strategies and Messages Using Social Media

Moderator: Dorothy Chaney 

• In terms of underage drinking – the root cause of access looks different now.  With many communities allowing bars and restaurants to sell alcohol “to go” coalitions are responding with strategies to reduce the risk that alcohol reaches the hands of youth.

 

• REACH Coalition in Calumet County partnered with local law enforcement to send a letter to retailers and also did an electronic awareness campaign about keeping alcohol away from youth. 

 

• Most coalitions are engaged and supporting their communities while staying “Safe at Home.” Our work does not stop – but it certainly looks different

 

• One coalition that is doing a great job connecting with people during this pandemic using social media is the Groton Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention.  Carolyn Wilson shared with me her advice:

 

“Our coalition is doing lots of social media- but you must be careful not to overdo it and over tag and like too many posts in a short period of time -( I did that on twitter) I got flagged as a spammer and restricted for 3 days as a result of really trying to engage people during National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week. Observance weeks/months are a great way to meet new people, engage other coalitions, meet experts…I’d recommend hashtag following. For instance #ndafw. I’d recommend reaching out to coalitions over social media if you like what they are doing-most people are very open to chatting and sharing.

 

• One local condition that is happening in communities all across the nation is that families are stopping by schools each day to pick up free breakfasts and lunch.  I know several coalitions have partnered with schools to provide prevention based activity books for elementary school children, information for parents, and resources for youth.  One coalition had just printed thousands of place mats with prevention messaging on them. They had planned to distribute them to local restaurants. Now – the coalition has provided them to the schools and the placemats are being sent home along with the free meals.  Talk about an innovative way to keep the work going!

 

•  A critical population right now is the High School Seniors who are missing prom, graduation and all the other “milestones” of a typical HS Senior experience. The State of North Dakota on their Parent’s Lead website have provided a flyer – that could be sent shared in your communities.

http://www.parentslead.org/sites/default/files/MissingMilestones.pdf

There also have a good website with resources for parents during COVID-19 http://www.parentslead.org/COVID-19

 

• One of the local conditions we are seeing in our community is related to normalizing opioid and alcohol misuse to cope with depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness, and boredom. Since families are sheltered at home together, children and adolescents are exposed to parents and adult caregivers who outwardly express things like, “it’s been a rough day: I need a drink” and other harmful coping mechanisms. We have also had an uptick in overdose deaths and deaths by suicide.

 

A few things we have done to address these concerns are:

-launching(a little early) a pre-planned media campaign to reduce stigma associated with SUD and mental health disorder

-publishing an editorial in the paper about self-care and reaching out to your friends and neighbors

-providing families with open-ended questions to discuss over the dinner table

-promoting the state treatment hotline

-providing Narcan training classes online and offering Narcan at distribution points that can be picked up by social distancing practices

 

• Alcohol sales and consumption has increased as the result of Covid 19. Here is the link to an interesting article:

https://theconversation.com/america-is-drinking-its-way-through-the-coronavirus-crisis-that-means-more-health-woes-ahead-135532

 

• In response to this, one coalition is working to combat the “mom wine drinking culture” that is so prevalent – especially on facebook and other social media sites.  Here is the link to a blog writing about how the “mommy wine culture” is promoting alcoholism in women.

https://www.narconon-colorado.org/blog/mommy-wine-culture-is-encouraging-alcoholism-in-women.html

 

With the added stresses families are experiencing now, its a great time to write a letter to the editor or post on your coalition’s social media sites.  This is an important issue and we have an opportunity not only to promote dialogue but also to help adults examine their own behavior and make healthier choices.

 

Here are some questions that we have used in the past – to develop dinner table conversation cards for parents and pass out.

 

• Why do you think it’s illegal for kids under the age of 21 to drink alcohol? After all, many parents do it.
• Why are marijuana and other drugs illegall?
• What would you do if you were in a car and the driver had been drinking or smoking marijuana?
• What if the driver was a grown-up, like your friend’s parent?
• What do you think happens in the brain when people smoke marijuana? Why shouldn’t kids smoke it?
• Have you ever thought that I drank too much? Acted differently when I drank alcohol?
• When do you think kids are ready to try alcohol?
• Do you know any kids who have tried alcohol or drugs? What do you think of them?
• Do you know any kids or adults who you think have alcohol or drug problems?
• What do the kids at your school do at parties?
• Have you been to a party like that? Have you ever been offered a drink? A marijuana cigarette or other drugs?
• How did you handle it?
• What would you do if you were at a party and someone passed out from drinking alcohol?
• Would you be worried about becoming addicted to alcohol or drugs?
• Do you think coffee is a drug? When do you think it’s ok for kids to start drinking coffee?

 

Source: https://www.ahaparenting.com/parenting-tools/communication/family-discussions

 

Day #6 CADCA Trainer Takeover –

Trainer Takeover: Engaging Youth During Social Distancing (CADCA Youth Challenge)

Moderators: Alexander Cook and Curtis Mark (Youth Trainers)

Description: Ways that youth can stay engaged during social distancing. We also will be addressing the #CADCAYouthChallenge which is a way to collectively bring coalitions together through uncertain times. 

Notes:

A virtual HOPE Festival. It is an art contest that challenges the kids in our community to show how they are finding hope right now and expressing it through art. Once quarantine is over we plan to hold our actual festival at a local park like we normally do and this year showcase all the great art that came from our virtual launch! All pieces that are submitted will be put on our facebook and instagram (with the persons permission of course) and then we will ask them if we can display it day of if it is a physical piece. If it is performative we will see if they are willing to perform! In the past the event has drawn a few hundred people so hopefully this year it will be even bigger with the art contest piece.(Community Action for Safe Teens; Milford NH)

 

We are painting positive message rocks and hiding them in areas where people enjoy the outdoors while following safe distancing and safe handling practices. The rocks have positive messages to address the mental health stress of our current situation. This provides the youth with a project that is creative but also gives them a sense of helping boost resilience in others. Community members who find the rocks often post them on Facebook. This is a wonderful activity for all ages. A bonus to this is that it encourages us to get outside to enjoy the sunshine and move about.(Kim Martinell)

 

We have posted through GroupMe, things such as links to resources for students/parents, links to activities, prevention online games, and even the social media “BINGO” pictures. We got the most response from the BINGO, where we put a challenge to tag or “@” friends. (Southwest Prevention Center-University of Oklahoma; Norman OK)

 

We have been doing some social media connections, started our first Instagram account, which is youth run!  WE did a National Drug Fact Week Challenge and had youth post with the “most don’t” materials with selfies! Recently, we are working on putting signs up at local schools (where there is lunch pick up) so families know we are still out there and we are thinking of them!!  (KEY Connection; Kennewick WA)

 

We did a social media campaign for National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week. We gave our youth members facts and myths and they created a video for each one.  They really had a great time participating. (Levittown Community Action Coalition; Levittown NY)

 

Our Sources of Strength peer leaders and adult advisors have been working on social media campaigns to share their message of hope, help and strength.  We have been meeting to work on them through Zoom. This is the campaign that they are rolling out on Saturday to get things started.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/higherlogicdownload/CADCA/UploadedImages/PpJC2kbRzCmn5Vq4vaRA_Final%20Sources%20of%20Strength%20Social%20Media%20Challenge.png. (21 Alliance Prevention Coalition; Newcastle WY)

We are putting the composite of our Trading Card Kids on a full-page color ad in the local newspaper like we normally do, but we also usually give them pins at graduation which won’t be happening now. What are some other ways we could recognize their involvement and their Drug and Alcohol Free pledge. (Smithville Community in Action; Kansas City MO)