Prevention Works! Minutes 

Clallam County Prevention Works!  Community Coalition
January 14, 2002
Telelinked Between West End Outreach and Olympic Medical Center

Jane Shefler called the meeting to order

Those attending were Jane Shefler (jshefler@olympus.net), Patty Hannah (unitedway@tenforward.com),  Joanne Dille (jdille@co.clallam.wa.us), Debra Sharp (dsharp@co.clallam.wa.us), Fiona Hert (fiona@olypen.com), Jennifer Charles (jcharles@co.clallam.wa.us) , Nita Quan (fstep@olypen.com), Bill Jevne (fiveacre@olympus.net), Patra Boots (pboots@orca.esd114.wednet.edu), Ellen Fetchiet (Ellen_Fetchiet@pasd.wednet.edu), Florence Bucierka (fbucierka@co.clallam.wa.us), Cynthia Martin (pmf@olypen.com), Mel Melmed (mmelmed@jamestowntribe.org), Diana Assumpcao (assumpcao@tenforward.com), Jody Jacobsen (jjacobsen@co.clallam.wa.us), Judy Middleton (sunshine@olypen.com),  and Mike Doherty (mdoherty@co.clallam.wa.us).

Florence Bucierka said that we now have an additional $500 for the presentation members of Prevention Works! did at the Yakima meeting in October.

Change in Meeting Time
The meeting time change was discussed.  It was moved and seconded that we go the first Tuesday of the month at Juvenile Services.  Florence verified the availability of the facility.

Annual Meeting
The annual meeting will be at St. Andrews Episcopal Church Fellowship Hall on March 11 at 4:00 p.m. and will cost us $40 but that includes coffee.  The facilitator will be Don Corson and the focus will be on ideas on implementing the goals we already have.  This will allow us to be a bit visionary since we have done a lot of work on goals this year. 

Election of Officers
            Chris Borchers has said she will not reapply for the board.  We need to have some new people to run for office.  The board members elect officers.  It needs to be clear that you are running for one of five positions. 

            By next meeting we need to have a slate of candidates.  Jane brought up the fact that we have frequently had a non-agency person as president but that isn’t a requirement.

Legislature Update

Cuts to children’s programs are of great concern.  Lobby day is at the end of the month.  We will have a link to Children’s Alliance on the website for the convenience of members who want to keep up to date on legislative action.

Reinstatement of Committee of Child Abuse

            The board discussed reinstating the Child Abuse Prevention Month.  This committee did some outstanding work last year.  April is also the month of Kids Fest.  Anyone interested in helping with this committee should contact Diana Assumpcao, Jody Jacobsen, or Mel Melmed.  They will be meeting the first part of February on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.   

Prevention Specialist

            Debra Sharp joined the group the last part of December.  She has experience in grant writing, AIDS education, drug prevention, getting volunteers, etc.  Her position is funded through the county with funds that were made available from the Becca money.  She will work at how we might find was to look for funding sources to keep things going in the county on a sustained basis.  The idea is to look at what we are doing in the county on a long-range basis.

Committee Reports

            Big Event Committee: Parenting With Love and Laughter will be the title for the Big Event with Judy Ford.  This year they will be selling tickets to make this more of a public event.  The committee already has a draft of the brochure.  Need everyone from Prevention Works! to sell tickets.  Judy Ford is the author of multiple books on children and families.  Contacting businesses to sell tickets is a good way to have businesses give them to their employees. Groups can have their boards buy tickets and give them to clients.  The Senior Parent Committee from Port Angeles High School will do the refreshments and we will give them $.50 a person.  Jim Borte is getting in touch with the newspaper and he has a plan on approaching all the newspapers.  We have stacks of tickets of ten to distribute to people for $5.00 per ticket.  There will be a small place for exhibitors and Judy will do a book signing.  The exhibits will be by category of Home Visiting, Parent Education, Rock and Roll, and KEYS.  The event is Friday, March 1.  We will be in the facility from 3 p.m. and on.  Consider businesses that might be interested.    Judy Ford is supposed to be a very dynamic speaker.  Mike Doherty will also be a speaker as will Jean Anderson from The Early Learning Foundation.  (March 1, 2…Prevention Works! will be on Friday, March 1, and she will be on OPAEYC on March 2.)

We are hoping to have each Prevention Works! member sell 10 tickets. Contact Jennifer Charles for information on how to obtain your 10 tickets to sell for $5 each. This will help us fund Prevention Works! activities for the year as well as a chance to hear an excellent speaker talk with workers, parents, grandparents, and community member. We need everyone to help! 

Home Visiting Summit
Diana Assumpcao and Jennifer Charles said there are about 81 people signed up for the conference.  If people still want to come, contact Jennifer Charles.  The Department of Health in Olympia wants to see how we are doing it so they are coming up for the conference.  There are some good things to give out during the day.  There is obviously lots of interest in this summit.    

Collaboration Works! Home Visiting Project

DCSF and Steve Tharinger approached Diana Assumpcao and Nita Quan.  Issues related to depression and child abuse in these families were discussed.  The group wanted to figure out ways to bring people together at the end of the month to plan a training and get ideas from managers of home visiting services in central and eastern Clallam County.  Stipends will also be available through this DCSF project grant.  Concerns about not including the west end were brought up.  It was explained that the project is just with the one office and the west end has a separate office.  West end people said they would talk with their people about the project. 

Parent Education Report

The next meeting of the Parent Education Committee is Friday, January 25 at 8:00 a.m. at Bonnie’s Bakery.

Family Friendly Business Committee
Patty said they had picked three businesses.  We have arbitrarily chosen the three groups but now they are working on having specific criteria for the future businesses.  The board of Prevention Works! okayed the money for the first letter to be mailed to other businesses.  Florence suggested we might want to have this first award in April

KEYS
Forks School District gives children a book on their birthday.  The Elks clubs pays for this.  We are checking into the other districts.  First Book is meeting tomorrow.  Larry is meeting with First Book but we need to remember that there are specific criteria for using books from this group.  April 20 is the scholastic drive with $500 minimum order. Nita Quan said that we should look into the Children’s Trust Foundation as a possible project.   

Rock n Roll
Jody Jacobsen brought the agenda for their next meeting and a flyer on the Mentoring program.  Legislative cutbacks in programs for this age were also discussed.  The mentor training will occur at the end of this month and Jody is particularly looking for men.  The time commitment is from 2-4 hours per week for a year.  Anyone interested in classes for parents of teens should contact Jody Jacobsen.

Publicity
       Jim Borte is working on publicity as previously mentioned.

Membership
Mel Melmed talked about having membership recruitment at that event and at other coming events. 

Miscellaneous Reports
     Patty Hannah reported on the Foundation for Early Learning that we have met the first round.  They are now asking for mission statements and whether or not the proposal has been submitted to other sources for funding.
     Patty also reported that United Way would be handling the county and the city of Sequim LGIF funds this year.  It looks like it will be the same amount as last year.
     Patty also reported on the Health Clinic progress.  After the survey of physicians was conducted, we were at first ranked as a health professional shortage area, but now, the state has decided we may qualify for a higher rate of service.  Jamestown Tribe is also looking at a medical/dental clinic.  All of this is really positive.  Patty felt that within 6 months we might have a Health Clinic.  
     Mel Melmed said she is coordinating help for Rene Martinez for meals, calls, and help since Rene is rather isolated without a husband here and no family close by.  Call Mel if you can help.
     Mel also reported that the Juan De Fuca Festival is coming up in May.  Contact her for more information. 
     Cynthia Martin mentioned that Parenting Matters Foundation is having its annual benefit luncheon at Sunland Golf Course on February 2.  Scott Beers from Talaris Research Institute will be the featured speaker and Mike Doherty will be talking about local family support.
     Diana Assumpcao brought up the Nurturing Parent Classes she is doing in PA.  They will also be doing one in Sequim later.  
     Mike Doherty said that Norm Dicks would be at the Port Angeles High School Library 1-2:30 p.m. It is an open forum with a chance for comments to be shared with Norm Dicks along with his staff people on Saturday, January 19. 

The meeting was adjourned. 

Check the calendar of events coming up on the website.

(After the meeting, Mel suggested we get the fax number for the west end so we can give them the material right away and also a change in seating for greater visibility for those telelinking with Olympic Medical Center.)

Respectfully submitted,

Cynthia Martin, Secretary