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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDoc 418 - CCF Community Plan UpdatePage 2 of 22 The Plan Update Process Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) Planning and Decision-Making Model In Deschutes County, as well as in many counties across the state, prevention planning efforts are done by using an evidence-based model for planning and decision-making called the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF). Developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the SPF model has five distinct phases designed to facilitate logical planning, decision-making and targeted outcomes. The five phases and how they were applied in the local planning update process are: 1. Assessment: Quantitative Data: Deschutes County Health Services and the local Commission on Children and Families (CCF or “Commission”) regularly compile, analyze and update state, local and community specific quantitative data and statistics to monitor and identify social trends over time. This data is used to monitor any changes related to the critical issues identified in the Community Plan and to identify any new trends, needs or gaps that might be emerging (see Attachment A for an example of one of the CCF data tracking tools and the 2009 Deschutes County Health Report at www.deschutes.org/healthreport ). Qualitative Data was also collected and reviewed as part of the Community Plan. The variety of sources included community partner meetings, 1:1 interviews with community leaders and key stakeholders, and a series of surveys targeting a broad range of audiences (see Attachment B for a summary of all survey results): 1. Five Minutes for Families - Utilizing “Survey Monkey” the 5 Minutes for Families survey targeted all citizens including youth. Radio, newspaper and website advertising resulted in over 830 responses. Synthesizing answers to open ended “comment” questions was difficult because there were over 500 responses; however, there were common themes that emerged (see Attachment B for results). 2. Community Leaders Survey (CLS) – Since the Juvenile Crime Prevention Plan and the Addictions and Mental Health Prevention and Treatment Plan processes were being conducted simultaneously to the Community Plan update, the local Commission worked in partnership with the Health Services and Community Justice departments to coordinate efforts and to develop and implement a single survey targeting providers and professional leadership groups. Invitations to participate in the survey were distributed via email utilizing “Survey Monkey” as the survey tool. There were 245 responses to the Community Leader Survey, an almost 80% return rate (see Attachment B for results). 3. Community Readiness Surveys (in Bend, La Pine, Redmond and Sisters) – A total of 333 people responded to this random survey prepared by the Minnesota Institute of Public Health to indentify the perception of problem behaviors relating to alcohol, drugs and gambling (see Attachment B for results). 4. Weed and Seed community forums in Redmond - A process of prioritizing community risks was conducted during multiple focus group meetings with Redmond residents for the purpose of identifying needs for the submission of a Weed & Seed grant proposal. Crimes committed in the community over the past two years were mapped out by location and type to identify areas of high crime and the types of crimes occurring in different areas of the community. Approximately 40 residents and community partners participated in the process. Page 3 of 22 2. Capacity Building (Participation and Collaboration): The SPF process recommends, and CCF mandates, participation and input from a wide range of community sectors. Deschutes County has many on-going community and professional partnership groups, collaborations, advisory boards, and ad hoc work groups that consistently include many of the SPF recommended sectors of the community. All of the recommended sectors, as well as the appropriate community groups, were targeted and included in the survey and information gathering process (with varying degrees of success). The Commission staff and board plan to work with community partners this next year to strategize on ways to increase on-going participation from the other sectors not consistently represented (e.g. youth, Latino, business and faith sectors of the community). 3. Planning: The Community Plan provides the foundation for on-going, targeted work plan development and implementation while at the same time allowing for flexibility to respond to unforeseen issues, needs or opportunities. In reality, the Community Plan is a network of many inter- connected community “sub-plans” and/or “work plans” based on identified community goals and identified needs in a wide range of targeted focus areas. Within the Community Plan construct, the CCF board prioritize focus areas in which to direct the work of the local Commission and staff utilize the Logic Model for focused planning, strategizing and implementation efforts. The Logic Model is used as a tool for both short and long term planning, internal and external planning, and for individual grant applications. Examples are available upon request and include the Commission’s Strategic Plan, the Runaway and Homeless Youth Initiative, the Community Schools Initiative, the Drug Free Communities grant, and the Think Again ParentS (TAPS) substance abuse prevention teams work plans. 4. Implementation: The local CCF works with community partners to further help coordinate, develop and implement efforts to address the needs and gaps identified in the Community Plan. The Commission developed a strategic plan to focus on targeted focus areas identified in the Community Plan and developed work plans structured around the local Commission’s five statutory functions: 1) community-based planning and implementation (see planning section above); 2) service delivery (gaps, barriers, program performance and accountability); 3) system improvements and resource development (efficiencies and coordination in the continuum of services and resource or capacity development to address identified needs or gaps); 4) policy development and advocacy; and 5) community mobilization (to increase awareness and take action to improve conditions). To further emphasize and support the statutory functions in implementation efforts, the CCF work plans, the annual CCF budget and related performance measures, the annual CCF progress report, and the staff job descriptions and evaluations have all been restructured around the statutory focus areas and functions. 5. Evaluation: Evaluation tools: Commission staff monitor community strategies and efforts in the Community Plan, as well as in the current prioritized focus areas and offer support and evaluation assistance when needed and as able. In addition, CCF staff and board members regularly monitor and assess the success of both their investments and implementation strategies in the CCF strategic plan as well as the progress and outcomes targeted in the overall Community Plan. Data sources used to monitor this include targeted outcomes in the Community Plan and in the CCF strategic plan, outcomes from program, project and initiative work plans (based on the logic model), quarterly reports from funded programs, federal and state funded grant reports, annual analysis of programs completed by NPC research, and other data collected and compiled by CCF staff and/or partner agencies, service providers and the community. Page 4 of 22 The Community Plan Report Card: Every 2-3 years, the Commission works with a steering committee of 8-10 community partners and financial sponsors including United Way, Bend 2030, the Chamber, Partnership to End Poverty, Deschutes County Health Services and the Department of Human Services to develop a Community Plan “report card” (see attached 2007 Report Card). The report card highlights the accomplishments, challenges and needs (or community “ask”) in five broad categories and twenty-three sub-categories of the Community Plan. This report is inserted into all local community newspapers in Bend, La Pine, Redmond, and Sisters. In addition, the report card is posted on the County and local CCF web site and copies are distributed at targeted locations throughout the community. There are several notices sent to the media announcing the release of the report card and community partners and board members help to distribute, represent and/or present the report card to public and private organizations, service groups and elected officials. The next Community Plan Report Card (2010) is planned for release in the fall of 2010 or later. Improving Community Resources and Diversifying Partnerships Increasing Breadth and Depth of Partnerships to Improve Conditions Get Help or Help Out – New Tools for the Community Development and implementation of 2-1-1 – This has been a goal of the 2010 Ten Year Community Plan since 2000. This successful initiative was led by the Partnership to End Poverty and the United Way of Deschutes County and done in partnership with the Family Resource Center and the Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook County Commissions on Children and Families and their associated Boards of County Commissioners. Deliverable: Single point of access for community members and providers to use for locating available services to meet basic needs and a multitude of other human service needs Development and implementation of Volunteer Connect – Effort led by Volunteer Insights and the Partnership to End Poverty to establish Volunteer Connect,“matchmaking” and training service designed to connect Central Oregon volunteers with non-profit and public agencies in need of their time and talents. Deliverable: Single point of access for volunteers to seek volunteer opportunities and for agencies to seek and recruit needed volunteers A Communication Plan The local Commission recently developed and adopted a Communication Plan with seven goals including the development of tools to improve both internal and external communications, educating and mobilizing the community around matters impacting children and families, and developing and leveraging monetary and non-monetary resources to address identified needs in the Community Plan. One of the goals of the Communications Plan is to expand outreach to “non- traditional” partners and to target increased participation among sectors of the community that have historically been underrepresented: youth, Latino, business leaders and members of the faith community. New Initiatives and the Ebb and Flow of Planning and Partnerships Planning: Some sections of the Community Plan remain constant, while other areas are addressed and removed and/or added as needed. In the process, each new opportunity to develop and implement a work plan creates an opportunity for identifying and engaging new partners and/or interest groups. In the past two years, several planning processes have provided the community an opportunity to engage new sectors of the community in planning and implementation efforts: ¾ Juvenile Crime Prevention Plan process ¾ Community Schools Initiatives in La Pine, Redmond and Sisters ¾ School Based Health Center (SBHC) expansion efforts in the communities of Bend and Redmond, the addition of a new SBHC in Sisters Page 5 of 22 ¾ Faith Based Initiative to coordinate efforts and increase efficiencies ¾ Collaborative Tri-County Child Care Project ¾ Runaway and Homeless Youth Initiative ¾ Coordinated School Health initiative with Redmond School District ¾ Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative implemented in Bend, La Pine, Redmond, Sisters ¾ Community-wide Week of the Young Child awareness campaign ¾ Weed and Seed grant preparation for truancy and crime prevention efforts in Redmond ¾ Children’s Investment Fund initiative ¾ The new Regional Health Authority initiative is looking for ways to expand the role of public health from a patient/clinic care focus to community wellness and a health impact framework New Community Partners In the past two years, a wide range of new community partners have been brought to the table and include both public and private entities. The networking involved also has resulted in the discovery of organizations not previously well known to others (e.g. the Hispanic Coalition of Sisters). It has also resulted in the creation of several innovative resource development partnerships coming together to address a specific issue or need. Some of the new partners who have become involved in local initiatives fall within sectors specifically targeted for increased participation: foundation and resource partners, youth, business leaders, members of the Latino and faith communities. Innovative Resource Development Partnerships ¾ Project Connect: In its third year of operation, this annual one-day event was designed to mobilize the public toward community solutions to effectively serve those who are experiencing homelessness or struggling to make ends meet. The 2008 and 2009 events served a combined total of 4,095 people and raised over $100,000 in cash and in-kind contributions given to families in need. 662 volunteers and over 181 agencies, businesses, and non-profits gathered in 2009 to provide food and other needs such as housing, prescriptions, medical/dental, and financial assistance. (See Attachment C for ‘09 Summary). ¾ Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children’s Health (project LAUNCH): This federal grant will be administered through the Health Services department (DCHS) and will bring in $651,054 a year for the next five years. DCHS is working with community and agency partners to expand, enhance and improve early childhood (0-8 years) health, wellness and developmental screenings, early intervention and child abuse prevention efforts throughout Deschutes County. ¾ Tri-County Parenting Education “HUB” Grant: This multi-year Oregon Community Foundation grant, starting at $82,000 in year one, will be administered through the Family Resource Center and will help local communities in the region to build a stronger, more coordinated continuum of parenting education services. ¾ Community-Defined Solutions to Violence Against Women grant: In 2009 the numbers of assault, strangulation, attempted homicide and homicide arrests were 48% higher than in 2004. In an effort to address the increasing potential for lethality in domestic violence cases, the local CCF partnered with Saving Grace, the Redmond Police Department and the Adult Parole and Probation department to write a federal grant (pending notification). ¾ Federal Appropriation for Family Access Network (FAN): FAN is a unique, innovative and critical safety net program that places advocates in local schools to help children and families with basic needs. The Commission advocated for and worked in partnership with FAN, the local Board of County Commissioners and Congressional delegation on a federal appropriations request resulting in $238,000 for the program. A second federal appropriation request has been submitted for FAN in FY 2011. Page 6 of 22 ¾ Federal Grant Application and Appropriation Request for Early Head Start: This appropriation would provide early, intensive and comprehensive educational, social and family support services for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged infants, toddlers and pregnant women in Deschutes County. The project design was based on a grant written by NeighborImpact- Head Start and was developed in partnership with the local early childhood community in order to develop a program that would be fully integrated within the community, take full advantage of the existing local prenatal-to-three services and prevent duplication of services. This proposal is strongly supported by the community and is currently the number one priority of the Deschutes County Commissioners and CCF’s early childhood team. ¾ High Desert Funding and Grant Seeking Conference: Coordinated by the Partnership to End Poverty in an effort to increase awareness about available public and private funding opportunities, how to access and effectively apply for these funds, and to bring additional resources to Central Oregon (CCF provided financial sponsorship and outreach support). New Foundation and Resource Partnerships In addition to expanding community partnerships to address identified needs in the community, several new partnerships have been formed resulting in additional resources and new collaborative partnerships to address identified community needs and gaps. A few of these new partners include: ¾ Maybelle Clark Macdonald Foundation to help support basic needs, services and activities for Sisters Community School initiative and the License Plates for Kids initiative ¾ Foundations that Make a Difference helping with the new Sisters School Based Health Center efforts and implementation of youth Challenge Days throughout Central Oregon ¾ Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) Regional Action Initiatives grants serving as a catalyst to expand the Community Schools initiative into the region ¾ OCF and Meyer Memorial Trust funding the new tri-county parenting education HUB and working to establish common statewide outcome benchmarks for parent education ¾ Rotary currently working with a local rotary member on possible resource collaboration efforts to coordinate, supplement and enhance substance abuse prevention efforts ¾ Licensed Social Worker who has volunteered to fill a gap in needed service will provide services to under- and uninsured children and families one day a week ¾ Retired dentist who has offered to donate his expertise and equipment for the new School Based Health Center in Sisters ¾ Citizen land and development partners who have offered to donate land and subsidize building costs for the new School Based Health Center in Sisters Youth – Targeted efforts to increase participation There has been a concerted effort to identify meaningful ways in which to actively engage and empower youth in not only planning and implementation efforts and activities but in the decision- making processes that affect them and their peers. While there have historically been efforts to include youth in some planning efforts, the local CCF recently developed and adopted a Youth Engagement Plan to specifically target increasing youth involvement. Since 2008, some examples of the activities in which youth have been involved, both before and after the adoption of the Youth Engagement Plan, include: ¾ helping to design and plan the new youth activity center in La Pine ¾ making a commitment to help with the construction of the La Pine youth activity center in FY 2011 through the Youth Build Program ¾ participation in the four month Juvenile Crime Prevention Plan process ¾ participating in the planning and implementation of the tenth (not quite annual) Youth INSPIRE conference targeting reduction of at-risk behaviors among middle school youth Page 7 of 22 Latino Community – Targeted efforts to increase participation Outreach to the Latino population continues to be an on-going challenge (and priority) and there has been some improvement. Partners from the Latino community have been involved in the foster care initiative and with both the Sisters and Redmond Community Schools initiatives. The LAUNCH Grant (p. 12) targeting wellness and child abuse prevention for 0-8 year olds includes emphasis on expanding services to the Latino population. Members of the Latino community are being actively recruited for the parenting HUB initiative (p. 12) and the Latino Community Association (LCA) will provide local providers with cultural responsiveness training by end of 2011. CCF continues to work with the Latino Community Association and the Hispanic Coalition of Sisters to identify other strategies for engaging this population into community planning and implementation efforts. Business Leaders – Targeted efforts to increase participation Several new business partners not previously involved with the targeted local efforts to address identified community needs have now joined forces to help with planning and implementation efforts on some of the new initiatives. A sample of some new business partners include: Bank of the Cascades; the Central Oregon Builders Exchange; Joyful Noise Learning Center; Kids@Heart; Sisters Sports Mentoring Alliance; La Pine Families And Communities Together (FACT); the McKenzie Meadow Village development; the Reed, Willitts and Kallberg Family Partnership; the Sisters Athletic Club; the La Pine Action Team; and the Community Action Team of Sisters. The Board of County Commissioners have also challenged the local Commission to address child care as it relates to the business community and economic development. Local Commission board members and staff have been communicating with leaders in the local business community to identify needs and will work with community partners to develop a plan on how to meet the challenge. There are also efforts to work with the business and community leaders on a Children’s Investment Fund initiative over the next few years (similar to one in Multnomah County that subsidizes child care, parenting classes and after school programs). Faith Community – Targeted efforts to increase participation The Partnership to End Poverty has asked the Commission to partner with them on a faith based initiative modeled after successful efforts in other counties. The goals are to create a forum for understanding, coordinating and sharing local resource distribution and referral efforts and for identifying areas for improved efficiencies and effectiveness. In addition, there has been outreach and participation among the faith communities in South County to help with the Community School Initiative and the La Pine Teen Center efforts. Integration with other local service plans In Deschutes County, we are very fortunate to have service providers and agencies that have a long history of working well and in partnership with the community and one another. Many of the goals, strategies and activities in the local Community Plan are taken directly from and/or coordinated with the plans of various community partnership teams and required advisory groups. It should be noted however, that each of the required planning bodies has differing time lines in which to prepare and submit their plans and while every effort is made to coordinate planning, sometimes the differing time lines create a barrier for coordinated planning efforts. It would be helpful for all involved if the time lines, formats, and deadlines for each of the required planning bodies were coordinated and/or if the Community Plan could replace duplicate work for these planning bodies (with the requirement that these planning bodies work with their Commission to develop the plan and not merely relinquish the duty to the Commission). In Deschutes County, the local Commission is working with the Health Services department and other agencies in the region in and effort to coordinate and align planning efforts with the new Oregon and Regional Health Authority by FY 2014. Page 8 of 22 Status of Community Issues (Resources: Attachment A and the 2009 Deschutes County Health Report at www.deschutes.org/healthreport) Strengths and/or Improving Trends 1. Continue to rank among the highest in Oregon for first trimester prenatal care. 2. Infant mortality rates continue to be lower than state and national average. 3. Dramatic improvement in the percent of two-year-olds up-to-date on immunizations (from 51% in 2007 to 78% in 2009), in part due to an improvement in the number of health care providers inputting information into the state immunization data tracking system. 4. Exceptional breastfeeding initiation rates among participants in the Women, Infants and Children program (93% initiation rate in Des. County, 89% statewide, OR ranks 3rd in Nation) 5. 78% of women in need of publically funded contraceptive services were served compared to the state average of 58.5 %. 6. By action of the 2009 legislature, there will be a major expansion of Oregon Health Plan eligibility and with that there will be a significant increase in the number of clients who will be able to access much needed OHP mental health benefits. 7. 61% of adults in Deschutes County meet the CDC recommendations for physical activity, compared with 58% statewide and 50% nationwide. 8. Percentage of students graduating from high school is higher than the state average. 9. The percent of students reporting alcohol use has shown declines (from 33.9% in 2006 to 26.8% in 2009 for 8th graders). 10. The percent of female students reporting alcohol use has shown declines (from 47.4% in 2006 to 29.1% in 2009 for 8th graders). 11. Teen pregnancy rates are declining, with the most significant drop between 2008 and 2009; however, there has been an increasing trend in the percentage of 8th grade students reporting they have had sex. 12. Child abuse rates continue to improve and be better than the state average, but continue to be higher than targeted benchmark. 13. County has more stable foster care placements than statewide average (meaning they were not moved more than 1-2 times in the previous 12 month). 14. The number of children placed in foster care has declined (from 225 in 2007 to 170 in 2009); while placement with relatives has been prioritized locally, some of the reduction may be attributed to implementation of the Oregon Safety Net Model in Deschutes County. 15. 90% of youth served in local runaway and homeless youth shelter are successfully re-united with family and/or returned to a safe living situation. 16. Declining referral rates to juvenile justice department, county is typically below state average. 17. Declining recidivism rates (in 2008, 70.2% of youth referred to the Juvenile department did not receive a new referral within one year). 18. A very small percentage of youth are involved in gang activity. 19. Ranked at the highest level of the Air Quality Index 96% of the time in 2008. 20. Establishment of successful harm reduction programs for people who use injection drugs. Continuing Challenges 1. High rates of Central Oregonians without health care coverage continues to be a concern 2. Cases of sexually transmitted infections have risen dramatically in past ten years. 3. Cancer rates that are significantly higher than state average (malignant melanoma, prostate, thyroid, and the “all cancer” rate). 4. Dental decay remains a serious public health problem and remains the most common chronic disease of children aged 5 to 17 years and also for many adults. 5. Youth suicide death and attempt rates, as well as suicide ideation continue to be a concern. 6. Number of shelter nights continues to rise, up 15% from 2008 to 2009. Page 9 of 22 7. Number of homeless adults and children identified by local school districts and in the one- day homeless count continues to rise at an alarming rate (of the 1,840 homeless persons identified in the January 2010 one-day homeless count, 782 or 43% were children under 18 years of age). 8. Deschutes County continues to be approximately 30% above National Average for numbers of homeless youth. Outreach workers are concerned by the growing number of homeless youth and the growing number they are not able serve due to inadequate capacity. 9. While the percent of students reporting alcohol use has shown declines, alcohol use among both 8th and 11th graders is still high and in some cases significantly exceeds state average. 10. While the percent of female students reporting alcohol use has shown declines, alcohol use amongst females is still high and exceeds the state average. 11. Using an old survey instrument that has since been found statistically unreliable, Deschutes County ranked second to last among Oregon counties in the percentage of children entering kindergarten ready for school. However, because of the inconsistencies and changes in implementation of the ready-for-school assessment practices and loss of the OPB data collection, current data is not available to determine if there has been any change in this trend since last measured in 2006 (A new survey instrument is being developed by the Oregon Department of Education and should be implemented in 2011 when more accurate and reliable data should become available). 12. Access to quality, affordable child care and pre-school programs has been an identified need for over five years and has become an even greater need in the current economy. Not just an issue for Deschutes County, thirty-two local Commissions identified access to quality child care as an issue of concern. 13. Lack of after school activities accessible and affordable for all families. 14. Population growth and need – Continue to have significant annual population increases, continuing to make it increasingly difficult to meet needs in the community. This concern affects most if not all human service programs in Deschutes County, resulting in continuing budget challenges and a lack of a stable funding base for needed services. New Emerging Community Needs and Concerns 1. Areas of our county and region have been recently designated as "economically distressed". 2. Indicators of decreasing economic vitality (soaring unemployment rates, housing foreclosures, and bankruptcy rates). 3. While improved, there is still a lack of affordable housing for low-to-middle income families. 4. Significant increase in the number of families seeking emergency and transitional housing (from 598 in 2007 to 1,103 in 2009; 475 in first quarter of 2010). 5. Some experts believe there is a correlation between the current economic conditions and the increase in domestic violence (DV). Emerging trends of concern related to DV include: a. 17% increase in number of calls to the DV hotline from 2008 to 2009 b. Significant increase in the incidents of domestic violence c. Restraining orders are up 23% from 2008 to 2009 d. 48% increase in numbers of assault, strangulation, attempted homicide, and homicide arrests from 2004 to 2009 e. 20% increase in child physical abuse rates from September 2008 6. The percent of child abuse reports that are followed-up on are below the state rate (in FY 2009, State rate was 42% and Deschutes County rate was 38%). 7. Increased demand for safety net prevention and intervention services – A few examples: a. Number of Mary’s Place supervised visits and exchanges increased 21% from 2008 b. In the past two years there has been a 35% increase in the number of children served by Saving Grace, the local battering and rape shelter c. 60 families eligible for services are not being served by Healthy Families (April 2010) Page 10 of 22 d. 150 families are eligible to receive MtStar Family Relief Nursery services but are currently being wait listed (15-25 families per month who are eligible for these safety net services are not being served) e. 55% increase in number of children seen at KIDS Center in the past 2 ½ years due to Karly’s Law; 53% increase in the number of medical exams done in last two years 8. More children living in poverty and a significant increase in the percent of children qualifying for free and reduced lunch (increased from 32% in 2007 to 40% in 2009). 9. Reading and math scores on standardized state tests for both 3rd and 8th graders continue to be lower than the state targeted benchmark. 10. Poverty seems to be clustered into certain areas of the community. For example, while the percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch is lower than the state average (48%) in most of the county’s schools, there are significant exceptions: Marshall Alternative High School (71%), Pilot Butte Middle School (63%), La Pine Middle School (65%), and La Pine High School (67%). 11. There is also a growing divide among both students and schools meeting or exceeding state benchmarks for reading and math, with students and schools in the lower socio-economic areas performing lower and/or falling behind state benchmarks (e.g. La Pine, an area of relatively high concentrations of children and families falling into the low socio-economic category, is below the state average in reading scores at all three grade levels tested; students falling in the lower socio-economic category in Sisters tend to score below state averages as well). 12. Access to quality, affordable child care (pre-school programs, before and after school care, infant/toddler care) has been an identified need in the region for over five years and has become an even greater need in the current economy. This factor, along with current brain research on the importance of early childhood development, add to the growing urgency to establish a comprehensive early childhood pre-school program for vulnerable low-income children. 13. An increase in concern regarding unsupervised youth. Lack of supervision and economic stressors associated with many single parent or two parent working households increases the risk of delinquent behavior. 14. Data from the initial JCP Risk Assessment conducted with 397 youth in 2009 revealed that 60% were not involved in extra curricular activities. 15. More teens report having had sex (from 12% in 2006 to 19% in 2009 among 8th grade students and from 51% in 2008 to 55% in 2009 among 11th grade students). 16. Lack of resources and a decline of resources continues to plague most youth serving agencies, especially non-profit organizations. Historically these agencies have had a strong base of support from the business community. Deep cuts to the construction, real estate and tourism industries have resulted in a significant decline in financial support and donations, cancelations or poor participation in fund raising events, and increased competition for fewer resources. The net result is a decline in family support, programs and services at a time when needs are increasing. 17. Lack of knowledge regarding available services continues to be an issue for schools, social service agencies, and families especially for those with adolescent children who are exhibiting negative behaviors at home and at school. School personnel and service providers tend to make referrals without a clear understanding of eligibility or the services. 18. Reported use rates among 8th graders indicate a steady increase in prescription and illicit drug use from 2006 to 2009. Page 11 of 22 Accomplishments, Outcomes and Progress Made Focus Issue: Early Childhood What community is doing to address needs of children and families Service Delivery 1. Targeted Services To Address Gaps and Barriers in Health Care Access (see System and Resource Development section for additional efforts) a. Healthy Beginnings – An innovative, cost-effective safety net program that effectively screens and connects families with needed services and serves as a critical adjunct and entry point to other health care services. Deliverable: Provided 492 children throughout the county last year with free screenings (health, dental, vision, hearing, behavior, nutrition, motor, concepts, speech, infant development, car seat safety and Red Cross). 100% of participating families received health education and appropriate referrals at time of screening b. Redmond 2011 – Deschutes County Health Services (DCHS) exploring feasibility of creating a Redmond Service Center including range of community based DCHS programs and services. Deliverable: A plan of services to be offered in Redmond by 2011 or later 2. Increasing Service Capacity and Investing in Prevention Programs That Get Results a. Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) – Local and state health officials are preparing for the newly enacted Health Care Reform Legislation that allocates federal funds (most likely through a competitive process) to implement and/or expand Nurse-Family Partnership programs, an evidence-based home visitation program that improves maternal child health, development, education, economic self-sufficiency, and other outcomes. The program is funded over the next five years with mandatory funding that will not be subject to the annual appropriation process and will begin as of October 2010. Deliverable: Implementation of the NFP program in Oregon to begin fall 2010 or later b. Healthy Families of the High Desert (HFHD) – Deliverable: 94% of parents participating in HFHD report reading to their children at least three times per week (National Survey of Children’s Health found that only 67% of low-income families read this often to their children – 80% of Healthy Families are at or below the FPL) c. First Step to Success – A home and school early intervention program for young grade school children demonstrating aggressive and/or other maladaptive behaviors and who are at high risk for academic failure. Deliverable: 100% of Kindergarten and first grade children participating in the program increased academic engagement, 82% decreased maladaptive and aggressive behaviors and 86% increased adaptive classroom behavior 3. Investing in Training and Support to Improve Quality and Outcomes a. Mental Health Consultant Services – Added in response to a survey of local child care providers indicating a high need for training and support in handling behavioral health issues. Deliverable: Over 100 pre-school teachers, day care providers, and parents received 1:1 training and on-site consultation from the contracted Mental Health Consultant on how to work with children exhibiting severe behavioral issues (96% reported successfully applying skills learned) Discontinued: Due to loss of Child Care Development Funds FY 2010 b. Accreditation to Meet High Standards for Quality Care – Children from accredited programs are more likely to meet indicators of school readiness and have fewer behavior problems than children in lower quality programs. In Central Oregon, other than the Head Start Page 12 of 22 Program already required to meet higher standards, there is not an accredited child care/pre-school center available for families. Deliverable: In May 2010, MtStar Family Relief Nursery met standards to become accredited by the National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Having been selected, they are the only early childhood program east of the Cascades with this designation. MtStar staff are already sharing information and helping to mentor other centers interested in accreditation c. Central Oregon Literacy Conference – Over 300 early childhood educators and child care providers attended full day training on effective strategies to improve early literacy. Deliverable: An increase in number of providers utilizing effective strategies to improve literacy among young children; improved literacy rates in children served Significantly reduced access to affordable advanced training for early childhood providers and educators: Due to loss of Child Care Development Funds FY 2010 System and Resource Development 1. Collaborating to Address Gaps, Barriers and Unmet Needs of Children and Families a. School Based Health Centers (SBHC) – Adding two new School based health centers to existing three sites (current sites in Bend, Redmond and La Pine). Deliverable: Open second site in Redmond and the first center in Sisters by fall of 2010. WIC services will be offered in the Sisters community for the first time b. LAUNCH Development – In 2009, Deschutes County received a five year Federal grant called Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children’s Health Care. LAUNCH is a child wellness and child abuse prevention initiative for children 0-8 years. Deliverable: Expand integrated services for young children 0-8 years in at-least three SBHCs c. Healthy Kids Connect – Healthy Beginnings and MtStar Family Relief Nursery partnered with Mosaic Medical, NeighborImpact, Partnership to End Poverty, Health Matters, and Clear One to do community outreach and to enroll eligible children for the Oregon Health Plan. Deliverable: Increase number of local children 0-18 with low to no-cost major medical insurance coverage d. Project Connect – Designed to meet the short term needs of the homeless, this effort will be tied to the outcomes of the 10 Year Strategy to End Homelessness, which includes systems changes and public policy solutions shown to be effective in the reducing and preventing homelessness in the long term. Deliverable: The 2008 and 2009 events served a combined total of 4,095 people and raised well over $100,000 in cash and in-kind contributions given to local families in need e. Sisters Community Schools Initiative – Deliverable: Maybelle Clark Macdonald Foundation providing $35,000/year to help pay for mental health services for pre-school and kindergarten children who do not otherwise have access to such services. Funds will also be used to cover essential basic needs not otherwise covered by FAN resources and afterschool enrichment opportunities 2. Collaborating to Integrate Services, Improve Quality, and Maximize Resources a. Child Care Quality Indicators Improvement Project – A state-wide effort to evaluate and improve the level of quality child care. Research has shown for years that high quality preschool and child care makes a significant long-term impact on children in their school readiness and success in school later in life. This is the rationale for developing a rating system for early care and education settings that goes beyond the basic requirements of health and safety to also measure the seven indicators of child care quality that research has shown to improve child outcomes. Deliverable: Statewide implementation of the Child Page 13 of 22 Care Quality Indicators Project being implemented in a partnership between the Oregon Child Care Resource and Referral Network and the State of Oregon Child Care Division b. Tri-County Child Care Collaborative – Deliverable: 121 employers adopted child care assistance programs in the work place; 90% of the 138 child care providers who received higher level training reported an increase in skills and knowledge (program discontinued due to funding cuts) c. Child Care Network Strategy – Addressing need for access to quality child care ¾ Bend Child Care Network – A replication of the Child Care Improvement Project Model. The goals are to improve the quality of family child care, strengthen family child care businesses, and enhance stability of child care/retention of child care providers. Deliverable: Participating providers have all improved their ratings dramatically on all six Family Day Care Rating Scale categories with scores ranging from 2.13 - 5.31 in 2008 to 5.02 - 5.70 in 2009 ¾ Redmond Child Care Provider Network – Developed to provide improved access to quality child care and education for young children in Redmond. Child Care Resource and Referral is currently applying for grants and working with the business community in Redmond to obtain funds in order to start the project. Deliverable: Successful leveraging of resources and alliances and the establishment of an organized network of quality providers by fall 2010 d. Community Schools Initiative: MA Lynch Pilot Project – Deliverable: 96% of 3rd graders met State benchmark on OAKS reading test – this same group as Kindergartners were tested in DIBBLES (Dynamic Indicator of Early Literacy Skills) and 77% were determined “at-risk” and in need of intervention; 25% increase in overall reading scores and 42% increase in math scores; 5% improvement in attendance rate; 79% improved classroom performance; 78% had more positive attitude toward school; and at the winter check point this year, 74% of the 4 year old children at MA Lynch Head Start site had already met all 19 school readiness outcomes e. PAC Early Childhood Mini-Forum – In an effort to identify current needs in early childhood and/or common goals or work plan initiatives that providers were already working on that they could collaborate to unite efforts and resources to increase efficiencies. Community awareness was the top common theme identified. Deliverable: Community-wide implementation of the National Week of the Young Child awareness campaign (with many fun activities and educational opportunities for parents and their children) started in 2009 and expanded in 2010 3. Collaborating to Leverage and Increase Capacity in Specific Areas of Need a. Parenting Education HUB grant – This multi-year foundation grant, starting at $82,000 in year one, will be administered through the Family Resource Center and will help local communities in the region to build a stronger, more coordinated continuum of parenting education services. Deliverable: The development of a parent education framework to enhance and build on what is already in the community and to identify and fill in gaps; increased availability of quality parent education classes for underserved populations; and an increased menu of parenting education opportunities for parents based on needs b. Head Start Capacity (had only been serving ~60% of potentially eligible population) ¾ Community School Initiative: MA Lynch pilot project in Redmond – High quality early childhood development and learning opportunities is a critical component of the Community School model. Emphasizing this in the implementation of the MA Lynch Community Schools pilot project resulted in the leveraging of classroom space for a Head Start classroom at a school identified as having a high number of at risk Page 14 of 22 students. Deliverable: 25 additional head start slots added to MA Lynch and the community and in a school identified as having a high number of students at risk for or demonstrating academic failure. Model being expanded to additional sites in Redmond school district. The new Community Schools initiative being implemented in Sisters includes the early childhood component in it’s model ¾ Early Head Start Federal Grant and Appropriation Request – Areas of our county and region have been recently designated as "economically distressed". Access to quality, affordable child care and pre-school programs has been an identified need in the region for over five years and has become an even greater need in the current economy. Deschutes County Commissioners have identified the early head start request as their #1 federal appropriation request priority for Deschutes County. Deliverable: Successful resource development efforts and establishment of an early head start program by 2014 c. Community Schools Initiative (OCF Grants) – Deliverable: Establish community school initiatives in La Pine and Sisters and expand effort in Redmond by fall 2010 Focus Issue: Child Abuse Prevention and Family Functioning What community is doing to address identified needs and gaps Service Delivery 1. Targeted Services to Address Gaps and Needs to Protect Children and Families a. KIDS Center – intervention and treatment for child victims of sexual abuse. Deliverable: Hired a half time mental health consultant to serve children and families who do not have insurance/OHP; Increased number of cases reviewed by Multi-Disciplinary Team from 20 in 2008 to 310 in 2009 to ensure children not falling through the safety net b. Mary’s Place – a safe place for visits and exchanges for families and children who are victims of domestic violence. Deliverable: Provided over 1,100 court ordered safe visits and exchanges for children last year. Successful continuation grant applications 2. Investing in Early Intervention Programs That Get Results a. MtStar Family Relief Nursery – Deliverable: Safely reduced the number of children in foster care, keeping and reconnecting 95% of at-risk families with their children b. CASA – Deliverable: 100% of children served by CASA did not experience new abuse c. Healthy Families of the High Desert (HFHD) – Deliverable: Child abuse rates in families served by HFHD are 2 ½ times less than similar families not served d. Deliverable: 100% of the programs and projects funded by the CCF to protect children and reduce child abuse met or exceeded performance measures in the past two years e. Deliverable: 100% of programs funded by the CCF to protect children and reduce child abuse met evidence based or best practices standards 3. Investing in Integrated Services to Support Families, Improve Family Functioning During the Community Plan process in 2008 and, more recently, feedback during the Juvenile Crime Prevention Plan process and from the community survey, family functioning and the lack of positive parenting skills continually comes up as a top priority. Some examples of investing in services to fill the gap and improve parent support and skills: a. FAN – A partnership of local government, hospitals, school districts, and social service organizations that work together to help ensure school success. Located in all K-12 local public schools and two early childhood centers, FAN connects children and families with vital support services such as Oregon Health Plan, housing, translation, heating, clothing, food and more. Page 15 of 22 Deliverable: In 2008-09, FAN assisted 7,860 children and family members, a 15% increase from 2 years prior b. Court Mandated Parenting Classes – Implementation of parent and family skills classes using evidence based curriculums (Make Parenting a Pleasure) for parents with elevated and high risks. Deliverable: Since July 2008, 80 parents have participated in these classes, 80% of participating parents reported improved family problem solving skills and improved stress coping skills c. Family Management Skills Training – Parent and family skills classes using evidence based curriculums are being offered in various agencies and locations throughout the County. Deliverable: With Commission investments (Make Parenting a Pleasure, Guiding Good Choices, Staying Connected to Your Teen, Strengthening Families Program), nearly 200 parents have participated in the parent skills training since July 2008 and 80% of participants completing the program report an increase in family management processes and skills d. Community Schools Grants in Redmond and Sisters – Parent and family skills classes using evidence based curriculums are also identified as a key component in both the Redmond and Sisters Community School models e. LAUNCH Grant – See Early Childhood Focus Issue section on page 12 f. Parenting Education HUB Grant – See Early Childhood Focus Issue section page 13 4. Investing in Training and Support to Protect Children and Improve Outcomes Based on needs identified during the Community Planning process in 2007-08, targeted trainings began to be implemented in the fall of 2008 for providers who do child abuse and family violence prevention and intervention. Trainings offered to date include: a. Child Abuse Prevention Summit – Over 100 community partners participated in a Child Abuse Summit convened by the local CCF in partnership with KIDS Center, MtStar Family Relief Nursery, CASA, and other child abuse prevention and early intervention organizations. Deliverable: System gaps and needs identified based on promising and best practices; Several trainings implemented in response to identified needs during the summit b. Oregon Safety Model Training – As requested by attendees of the Child Abuse Prevention Summit, this training was coordinated and implemented by the department of human services in March of 2009. Deliverable: 50 public and private providers serving children and families attended the Oregon Safety Model Training c. Motivational Interviewing Training – As requested by attendees of the Child Abuse Prevention Summit, this training was coordinated and implemented Summer 2009. Deliverable: Coordinated two-part training for 40 providers. 100% of participants surveyed increased their ability to develop behavior change plans d. “Family Finding” – Training for local professionals with Kevin Campbell, a national expert on innovative strategies to improve outcomes and to identify meaningful, life-long connections for foster care children. Deliverable: Over 60 attendees, including DHS child welfare, law enforcement, judges, health and mental health care providers. 100% of participants surveyed increased their knowledge of the six-step “Family Finding” model e. Accounting for Domestic Violence in Child Custody Cases – Leveraged training provided by the National Council of Juvenile Court Judges to improve coordination and the response of community, law enforcement, and the courts to domestic violence in child custody cases. Deliverable: Over 60 attendees. 94% of participants surveyed increased their Page 16 of 22 knowledge of evaluating the impact of violence on adult and child victims, including their protection and restoration requirements f. Trauma Informed Practices Strategies (T.I.P.S.) – Training to minimize the traumatic impact to children of removal and replacement of children during child abuse investigations. Deliverable: Training for 50 providers on ways to reduce trauma to children during child abuse investigations and out-of-home placements. 100% of participants surveyed increased their understanding about the nature of trauma and how it impacts children g. Human Trafficking Training – Sponsored by Saving Grace and other community partners with a grant. Deliverable: Over 400 people attended community presentation to increase awareness about Human Trafficking in Central Oregon and Oregon h. Stalking Training – Deliverable: Training for 40 law enforcement officers and 40 community partners on effective victim intervention strategies and the use of technology (text messages, GPS monitoring and email) in stalking, June 2010 i. Cultural Responsiveness Training – Contracting with Latino Community Association to provide local children and family service providers with cultural responsiveness training. Deliverable: Increase knowledge and understanding into the lives and service needs of the Latino population. Implement by end of FY 2011 Policy Development Successfully advocating for policy and procedure changes to protect children and families 1. Successfully advocated for local policy and procedure changes to ensure supervision of strangulation cases by Parole and Probation. Implementation July 2010 2. Successfully advocated for policy requirements and procedure changes to ensure youth transitioning out of foster care have documents required by the Federal Patriot Act to obtain social security number, drivers license, seek employment, etc. and that they can obtain replacement documents in the event they are lost 3. Successfully advocated for safe school assessment process streamlined to help kids and local school districts 4 . 100% of CCF funded programs have child abuse reporting policy 5. 100% of CCF funded programs require criminal background checks System and Resource Development to Address Needs 1. Collaborating to Integrate Services, Increase Efficiencies and Improve Effectiveness a. Collaboration to improve efficiencies in home visiting services – The local Health Services Department (DCHS) and Healthy Families of the High Desert (HFHD) formed a collaborative partnership with the local hospitals to improve efficiencies in service delivery. Deliverable: Rather than both DCHS nurses and HFHD Family Support Workers screening newborns, DCHS now screens using New Baby Questionnaire, eliminating duplication of screening efforts and saving HFHD over $40,000 b. Initiative to reconnect children and youth with kin and kith – One of five counties awarded Casey Planning grant to implement system-change strategies to safely reduce the number of children in foster care. Deliverable: Increase connections with kin and kith and increase relative placements by 50% c. Domestic Violence Council – Deliverable: Identified need in the community for lethality assessment training and applied for federal grant to address need, pending notification d. Child Abuse Task Force – Established to address child abuse issues, improve data collection, and to identify service integration/improvement strategies. Deliverable: Page 17 of 22 Prepared child abuse system map and agreed to use an annual “data portrait’ in an effort to standardize the consistency of data used and how it is reported and used in the community e. Child abuse systems map – Deliverable: Developed child abuse system map to identify system needs, collaborative opportunities, reduce service duplication, educate 2. Collaborating to Develop Resources and Increase Capacity to Protect Children a. Family Drug Court – Created in partnership with the courts and broad spectrum of other agencies to help families with addiction issues. Deliverable: Since July 2008, 35.3% of families participating in the program have retained custody of their children while they are in the program and 26.5% of families have regained custody while in the program. Of the remaining percent, 17% include individuals who had not retained or regained custody at the time of termination from the program and 20.6% are currently active in the program with a dependency matter still pending b. Community-Defined Solutions to Violence Against Women grant – In 2009 the numbers of assault, strangulation, attempted homicide and homicide arrests were 48% higher than in 2004. In an effort to address the increasing potential for lethality in domestic violence cases, the local CCF partnered with Saving Grace, the Redmond Police Department and the Adult Parole and Probation department to write a federal grant. Deliverable: Competitive two-year federal grant application for $287,999 has been submitted, pending notification c. Darkness to Light – Community-wide trainings to increase awareness about sexual child abuse, how to prevent and recognize it and what to do about it. Deliverable: To date, over 4,400 community members have been trained and 711 people have volunteered to become trained facilitators. On-going media campaign has reached thousands of people d. Leveraged Resources to Meet Needs – Deliverable: Resources leveraged as part of the Community Schools initiative in Sisters resulted in a collaborative effort to increase mental health services one day a week for at-risk students, a LCSW offering to volunteer/sliding- fee services one day a week for uninsured children and families, and the leveraging of over $182,283 from the community for after-school enrichment activities, expanded health care services and to meet essential needs of students e. Competitive Financial Resource Development – Efforts to improve the continuum of services and to implement community-based social change strategies to address identified needs. Deliverable: Five additional competitive grants obtained in FY 2009 for prevention and system improvements to keep children safe, totaling $934,354 (includes $651,054 for LAUNCH grant FY 2009) f. LAUNCH Grant – See Early Childhood Focus Issue section page 12 g. HUB Grant – See Early Childhood Focus Issue section page 13 h. Runaway and homeless youth – See reducing high risk behaviors among youth below i. Youth Suicide Prevention – See reducing high risk behaviors among youth below Page 18 of 22 Focus Issue: Reducing High Risk Behaviors Among Youth What community is doing to address identified needs and gaps Service Delivery 1. Investing in Intervention to Reduce Risk, Improve Behavior and Academic Success a. First Step to Success – Deliverable: As of June 2009, 282 children with maladaptive behaviors and at-risk for academic failure receiving First Step intervention services over the past twelve years have been tracked and only 16% of those tracked have been referred to Juvenile Community Justice b. Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) Initiative – Deliverable: 88% of youth served in the homeless shelter for youth demonstrated academic progress and re-engaged in school, 92% demonstrated increase in self-sufficiency skills, 95% reconnected with family and/or in a stable and safe living situation before leaving the homeless shelter c. Functional Family Therapy – Evidence based program designed to prevent and intervene with youth10-17 years of age at risk of violent acting out, becoming involved in substance abuse or diagnosed with conduct disorder. Intervention addresses youth and their families Deliverable:100% of high risk youth participating in program were not arrested for criminal behavior (Exceeded Target of 75%) d. Project Toward No Drug Abuse (PTND) – An effective, interactive classroom-based substance abuse prevention curriculum. PTND focuses on three factors that predict tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use, violence-related behaviors, and other problem behaviors among youth. The three factors are motivational factors (i.e. student attitudes, beliefs, expectations, and desire regarding drug use); skills (social, self-control, and coping); and decision-making (i.e. how to make decision that lead to health promoting behaviors). Deliverable: 96% of youth participating in research based substance abuse prevention programs in the schools demonstrated improved refusal and decision-making skills e. Big Brothers/Big Sisters – Adult/youth mentoring program for at risk youth ages 11-17. Adult volunteers recruited, trained and matched with youth. Deliverable:100% of youth participating in program last year showed improved skills, attitudes and behaviors f. Family Management Skills Training – Parent and family skills classes using evidence based curriculums (see p. 14) g. Friendly PEERsuasion – Evidence-based program that is an interactive school-based program designed to help middle school aged girls acquire the knowledge, skills, and support systems to avoid substance abuse. Deliverable: 100% of students show an increase in overall post-program results (knowledge, skills & confidence, and support) regarding alcohol, tobacco and other drugs; peer/media pressures; communication skills; and stress management techniques h. Girls Circle – Evidence-based program designed to build girl’s resiliency and promote a safe environment in which young females can develop strength, confidence and communication skills. Juvenile Community Justice works with youth referred from law enforcement to change behavior and repair victim harm caused by juvenile crime. Deliverable: 100% of enrolled females were not arrested during their participation in the program. 85% of enrolled females increased pro-social attitudes and/or behaviors Page 19 of 22 i. Passport to Manhood – Evidence-based program designed to serve male youth ages 11- 14 who display risk factors. Youth will participate in peer group sessions that address several key areas of development while stressing and promoting positive values and behaviors. Deliverable: 100% of participants demonstrated an improvement according to the survey assessing “things I do” and “friendships” j. Drug Free Communities – The goals of TAPS coalitions are two-fold: 1) engage community and build capacity to address community problems; and 2) reduce underage substance abuse in the community. Coalition members assess conditions, data and behaviors which impact adolescent substance use and use information to plan and implement effective initiatives and projects to reduce substance use. As best practice initiatives are implemented, TAPS coalition members engage other adult and youth community partners. Deliverable: Three established coalitions in Redmond, Sisters, and South County k. Deliverable: 100% of the juvenile crime prevention programs funded by the CCF and/or highlighted above met or exceeded performance measures in past two years l. Deliverable: 100% of the juvenile crime prevention programs funded by the CCF and/or highlighted above meet evidence based or best practices standards 2. Investing in Training and Support to Improve Quality and Outcomes a. Positive Community Norm – Training to develop and implement media strategies effective at changing behavior and confirming pro-social standards in the community b. “Clickers” – Training and resource for use in classrooms in Sisters, Redmond, and La Pine to assess and stimulate discussions regarding student perceptions vs. reality. c. Communities Mobilizing for Change – Training in effective strategies for reducing underage alcohol use. d. TAPS Summits – County wide meetings providing training to community coalitions on a variety of substance abuse prevention related information. e. Youth Summit – County wide meeting to provide training specifically to youth on a variety of substance abuse prevention related information. f. INSPIRE Youth Conference – Regional meeting between the three counties to provide training, information and resources to middle school students. g. CADCA Academy – National training for coalitions to build substance abuse prevention framework and sustainability plans. h. Law enforcement minor compliance checks – Training to conduct minor compliance checks to enforce proper sale of alcohol and to reduce sale of alcohol to minors. Policy Development Successfully advocating for policy, practice and procedure changes 1. Successfully advocated for City of Sisters to implement a city ordinance to enforce laws against parents providing alcohol to minors 2. Deschutes County Health Services and community partners successfully advocated for organizational policy changes to strengthen tobacco free zones through policy and/or enforcement implementation. Changes have been made in the following areas to create tobacco free environments: Central Oregon Community College, Head Start, Sisters Fire House, Bend Parks and Recreation, local hospitals and clinics, Deschutes County Health Services and several other County campus sites Page 20 of 22 3. Increased Participation in Student Behavior Surveys – As a result of considerable coordination and community collaboration, Deschutes County school district participation in student behavior surveys increased in 2009 and continued to be strong participation into 2010 4. Redmond Police Department – Conducted two minor compliance checks to enforce proper sale of alcohol. Typically the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) conducts these checks but local law enforcement agencies can chose to do their own or partner with OLCC. Redmond police department requested assistance from CCF to conduct their own 5. Redmond School District School Board – Adoption of policies that prioritize prevention 6. Youth transitioning out of foster care – Successfully advocated for policy requirements and procedure changes to ensure youth transitioning out of foster care have documents to obtain social security number, driver’s license, etc. 7. Deschutes County Board of Commissioners – For last two years, two of five county-wide goals in the area of Public Safety and Health Services, include prevention as a priority 8. Changes in DHS procedures – Successfully advocated for changes in DHS procedures to ensure adequate family searches for placing children with relatives System and Resource Development to Address Needs 1. Collaborating to Integrate Services, Address Gaps and Unmet Needs of Youth a. Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) Initiative – The number of runaway and homeless youth, as well as the number of unserved RHY in Deschutes County were identified as issues of concern during the 2007-08 planning process. While resources have since been obtained to help address the gap and need for services, the January 2010 one-day homeless count continues to show an increasing number of RHY in the County, many of whom are still not being served due to capacity limitations. Deliverable: RHY grant allowed for increased shelter bed capacity, addressed geographically disparities by expanding services in La Pine and Redmond, and expanded health, A&D, and behavioral health services for youth. State funding for RHY services was reduced in the 2009-11 biennium; however, local CCF off-setting cuts with locally invested funds b. Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative – Deschutes County ranks highest among Oregon counties for suicide attempts among youth 10-17 years of age. Deliverable: Awarded the Garrett Lee Smith Youth Suicide Prevention grant to develop and implement a comprehensive suicide prevention program in partnership with Health Services and four local high schools (La Pine, Mt. View, Redmond and Sisters) c. South County Teen Focus – Deliverable: Partnering with public and private agencies, youth and citizens in the La Pine community to provide after-school enrichment opportunities and to address the unmet needs of La Pine youth. To date, roughly $300,000 cash and in-kind goods and services have been procured from a wide range of community partners for this effort d. Community Schools Initiative – Academic enrichment during non-school hours is a critical component of the Community School model. Deliverable: MA Lynch initiative leveraged $708,411 for after school enrichment programs and services. Goal is to expand Redmond initiative and to establish community schools initiatives in La Pine and Sisters by fall 2010 e. Mental Health Services Leveraged for Sisters Children and Families – Deliverable: As a result of data gathered on community needs in Sisters for the Community Schools grant application, County Health Services is now providing behavioral health services to OHP eligible children in Sisters one day a week, the school district is contracting with a community mental health professional to serve children who don’t qualify for OHP, and an Page 21 of 22 LCSW is volunteering services for children and families on a sliding fee scale one day a week f. School Based Health Centers (SBHC) – To expand health and mental health services. Deliverable: Expansion of SBHC resulting expansion of needed health and behavioral health services for children and families and underserved populations 2. Communities Collaborating to Bring About Change a. Think Again ParentS (TAPS) teams – In partnership with CCF, the TAPS teams utilize Strategic Prevention Framework to reduce adolescent substance abuse, including advocacy for environmental and policy changes, distribution of social norm marketing, distribution of community awareness information, and advocacy for student behavior data collection throughout the county to better assess and prioritize community needs b. Prevention Efforts Seem To Be Improving Some Data Trends – Improving Trends: ¾ % of 8th grade students reporting alcohol use has continued to decline 2006 = 33.9, 2007 = 37.2, 2008 = 30; 2009 = 26.8 (State Benchmark is 30%) ¾ Teen pregnancy rates declining, with most significant drop between 2008 & 2009 3. Working Together to Increase Awareness and Improve Conditions a. 10th INSPIRE Youth Conference (Imagine, Navigate, Share, Practice, Influence, Respect, Engage). The conference goal was to equip young people in Central Oregon to make healthy life choices and to resist alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Deliverable: 184 Middle School Youth (6th–8th grade) and 16 high school volunteer helpers participated in the conference. 84% of the participants reported being inspired to take action and promote healthy behaviors (a 44% improvement in pre- and post-surveys), 93% reported confidence in his or her ability to make good choices (24% improvement) and all teams left conference with an action plan to implement in their schools b. Reducing Underage Drinking Summit in partnership with prevention teams Deliverable: 67 community members from 5 communities attended; 86% reported summit helped their group develop and/or improve upon an existing a work plan to address underage drinking in their community; all three Think Again ParentS substance abuse prevention teams increased their membership to include broader representation from the community in their efforts c. Redmond and South County TAPS Chamber of Commerce presentations – Presentation given to key leaders regarding current substance abuse prevention information and TAPS coalition work. d. TAPS coalition presentation to school boards - Presentation given to key leaders regarding current substance abuse prevention information and TAPS coalition work e. Central Oregon Family News – Monthly publications regarding current substance abuse prevention related information for parents. f. South County School Newsletter – Publications regarding current substance abuse prevention related information for school-aged families. g. Party Safe Homes network – Initiative to engage and inform parents of safety tips regarding alcohol use in the home. h. TAPS coalition social norming – Media messages designed to inform and emphasize the positive conditions in a community. 4. Working Together to Increase Capacity and Resources in Specific Areas of Need a. Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws – grant to provide evidence-based after school substance abuse prevention program targeting middle school girls Page 22 of 22 b. Community Coalitions – for mobilizing a variety of community members around alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention and issues. Deliverable: human and other leveraged resources to continue to address underage drinking and other drug issues c. Runaway and homeless youth (RHY) – Deliverable: Collaborative community process to develop a RHY initiative and grant application. The coordinated system developed resulted in a multi-year $150,000 state grant, improved services and outcomes (as noted in previous sections) and enabled local RHY shelter to leverage $46,295 in additional revenue and $100,000 in additional federal funds in the first year of receiving the grant d. Family Find: Cross-Training and Leveraged Resources – Deliverable: Two staff from The Loft, the local homeless shelter for youth, were sponsored to attend training with Kevin Campbell on the six step Family Find model for locating family members. Commission Board member working to develop a pool of three volunteers trained in the discovery phase of the model to supplement the efforts by doing family searches and to identify a minimum of 40 kin and kith for youth in the shelter who lack durable family connections e. Competitive Financial Resource Development for implementing the Strategic Prevention Framework and community-based social change strategies to reduce adolescent substance abuse. Deliverable: Six additional competitive grants obtained in FY 2009 for substance abuse prevention efforts and for system improvements to address risk and protective behaviors among youth totaling $277,116