Crawford: 20/20 Vision Public Safety/Drug Abuse Updates

Crawford: 20/20 Vision Action Team sets Vision for goal area

The following are the minutes from the Crawford: 20/20 Vision Public Safety/Drug Abuse Action meeting held on September 8, 2011. The next action team meeting is Thursday, September 15 at 3pm in the Galion Library.

Present: Dr. Steve Novack; Cathy George; Lynn Sterling; Jim Cox; Bob Liapply; Jody Demo-Hodgins; Capt. J.D. Greathouse; Cliff Murphy

1. Steve Novack welcomed members and noted that Capt. J.D. (Joe) Greathouse and Assistant Prosecutor Cliff Murphy will be joining us on the committee. He also noted that Jim Cox will be arriving a bit late today. 
2. Steve reviewed the agenda and provided some background for Joe and Cliff with regard to our purpose and activities to date. In addition, Jody read the minutes from the last meeting and asked if there were additions or corrections. 
3. Vision Statement: Steve noted that the statement we came up with at the last meeting is more of a mission statement and less of a vision statement. It was pointed out that it could be a vision statement with minor changes, such as: We envision a healthy, happy, prosperous and safe community for Crawford County citizens. 
4. Steve further noted that we are working to gather statistics for a variety of metrics – including crime – to help paint a picture of where we are and track our progress. He asked who makes referrals to treatment services. Jody noted that many are self referral and others include: the judicial community, physicians, family friends, schools, etc. He has asked Bob to fill the role of historian to catalogue the drug abuse prevention efforts to date in the county. In addition, Steve will work to create a map to identify current efforts, their scope/sphere and assess – from a quality assurance perspective – what is taking place and how much overlap their might be. 
5. Steve and Jody noted that there are two events on 9/9 that set forth one of our efforts to increase education to physicians. The first is at Galion Hospital at 7:30 am and the second at Bucyrus Hospital at noon. The training features Dr. Chris Adelman from Rosary Hall / St. Vincent Hospital in Cleveland. He works with opiate addicts in treatment programs. One of the topics he will address is prescribing practices that impact use. Steve noted that he uses the OARS on a regular basis. This is the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS), established in 2006 as a tool to assist healthcare professionals in providing better treatment for patients with medical needs while quickly identifying drug seeking behaviors. An OARRS Prescription History Report can assist in assuring that a patient is getting the appropriate drug therapy and is taking their medication as prescribed. This is one tool health care professionals can use to prevent scams. He further noted that prescribers, pharmacists and officers of law enforcement agencies whose primary mission involves enforcing prescription drug laws can register for an OARRS account. 
6. Steve reported that Together We Hurt Together We Heal is holding its First Annual Fundraising Banquet on 9/13 at 6 pm at the Ontario Event Center. The goal is to raise funds for a sober living house in Crawford County. He has information on tickets for those interested. 
7. Cathy shared the fact that Tyrone White – a speaker at Dream Child – was on the local station in Mansfield with her. Bob advised that he will be presenting at Dream Child again this year. She would like to have him at all the Crawford Schools as a prevention presenter. 
8. Jim advised members that the homework will be mailed to all members. His goal as the project manager for the 2020 project is to align resources and not duplicate efforts. Steve noted that one of the strategies we may adopt is to get all local physicians to sign up through the OARS system. Jim advised that there may be short term, medium term and long term strategies. Jim directed members back to the triangle and asked that we focus on the service categories that Jody shared with members – which include: Awareness; Education; Alternative activities and Community Based Process. There is also information dissemination and problem identification and referral. This includes the following definition:
   Information Dissemination is an AOD (alcohol and other drug) prevention strategy that focuses on building awareness and knowledge of the nature and extent of alcohol and other drug use, abuse and addiction and the effects on individuals, families and communities, as well as the dissemination of information about prevention, treatment and recovery support services, programs and resources. This strategy is characterized by one-way communication from source to audience, with limited contact between the two. Alternatives are AOD prevention strategies that focus on providing opportunities for positive behavior support as a means of reducing risk taking behavior, and reinforcing protective factors. Alternative programs include a wide range of social, recreational, cultural and community service/volunteer activities that appeal to youth and adults. Education is an AOD prevention strategy that focuses on the delivery of services to target audiences with the intent of affecting knowledge, attitude and/or behavior. Education involves two-way communication and is distinguished from information dissemination by the fact that interaction between educator/facilitator and participants is the basis of the activities. Activities affect critical life and social skills including decision making, refusal skills, critical analysis and systematic judgment abilities. Community-Based Process is an AOD prevention strategy that focuses on enhancing the ability of the community to provide prevention services through organizing, training, planning, interagency collaboration, coalition building and/or networking. Environmental prevention is an AOD prevention strategy that represents a broad range of activities geared toward modifying systems in order to mainstream prevention through policy and law. The environmental strategy establishes or changes written and unwritten community standards, codes and attitudes, thereby influencing incidence and prevalence of alcohol and other drug use/abuse in the general population. Problem Identification and Referral is an AOD prevention strategy that refers to intervention oriented prevention services that primarily targets indicated populations to address the earliest indications of an AOD problem. Services by this strategy focus on preventing the progression of the problem. This strategy does not include clinical assessment and/or treatment for substance abuse and dependence. 
9. Cliff noted that the County Prosecutor is looking for resources. Capt. Greathouse noted that we cannot arrest our way out of this problem. They are looking at a variety of law enforcement strategies to stop the supply. Cliff further talked about the local impact of drug abuse related crime that involves theft and other criminal activity. The prosecutor has worked with a variety of individuals to help address this. 
10. Next meeting. September 15 at 3; the Galion Library. 

With no further business, we adjourned.