The Scott County Partnership continues to implement programs with the two-year Community Based Prevention Grant provided by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Mental Health and Addiction which runs from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2022.
Through this grant the Partnership is providing and coordinating efforts to reach students to prevent alcohol and other drug use through the Strategic-Prevention framework (SPF) model and prevention programs.
“This has been a difficult year for everyone because of the mental, physical, and financial strains caused by COVID-19. We did not know we would be dealing with so much when we applied for the grant in 2019. This can cause a lot of stress on our teens, so this award arrived in Scott County at an ideal time,” says Jene Bridgewater, Executive Director of the Scott County Partnership, “It allows us to support both SCSD1 and SCSD2 by providing in-school education as well as the community at large by sharing quality information.”
In January 2021, the Partnership began using evidence-based curriculum in both high schools to prevent teenage drug, alcohol, vaping and tobacco use by teaching students self-management skills, social skills, and drug awareness and resistance skills. The Partnership is reinforcing the in-school materials with outside of school messages and materials. These programs complement what is already provided through CAPE funding and through the Drug-Free Communities Support Program in the elementary and middle schools of both districts.
“We have had to be flexible in reaching students,” explains Prevention Strategy Analyst, Bobbie Foster, “Some are completing classes at-home, but even those who are attending in-person, have schedule changes because of inclement weather or COVID-19 restrictions. Using multiple media formats outside of the school helps us reinforce the prevention message that ‘Most students don’t use alcohol, tobacco, vapes, marijuana, or other drugs’.”
To learn more about how the Scott County Partnership is meeting its vision of “Working Together for a Greater Scott County!”, visit www.scottcountypartnership.org.