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Prevention Works! Minutes |
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Clallam
County Prevention Works! Community Coalition The meeting was called to order by Jane Shefler. Those attending were Jane Shefler, Carol Flinn, Connie Hyatt, Debra Sharp, Fiona Hert, Florence Bucierka, Ida Carroll, Jennifer Charles, Martha Hall, Maurenn Martin, Nancy Martin, Nita Quan, Patty Hannah, Rachel Anderson, Susan Kirsch, Sue Renes, Gwen Cole, Ann Bell, Debra Knutson, Cynthia Martin. Everyone introduced themselves. Maureen Martin from Children and Family Services and Florence Bucierka from the Meth Action Team were here to talk about the problems in the community about Methamphetamine. This is an area that Prevention Works! needs to be involved with because this area is desperately in need of prevention. Florence had a folder for each person with material on explaining Methamphetamine. (Anyone who wants this packet should contact her or Jennifer Charles at the Health Department.) Florence asked which systems have been involved with this problem? Answers: law enforcement, child abuse and neglect, law enforcement, medical system, welfare system, real estate (house trashed, destruction, toxic chemicals, it goes on the records that this was a meth cite, banking, houses not usuable, bank forclosures), families, fire departments, hotels, camp grounds, pharmacies, dental (loose teeth), tax payers, and just about every system you can think about. The problems of people who have the problems from being on meth is evident really early on. This drug is a little different from other drugs. This can be manufactured in your bathtub. People call this the poor mans cocaine. It is cheaper, lows are lower and highs higher. It can be delivered in many ways such as pills, injections, snorting, etc. It has been around along time. It was originally used to keep truck drivers awake and also for weight issues. Paranoia, depression, and violence are major problems of the drug. The problems in our county have been progressively higher. Statistics have dramatically risen from 13 cases in 1994 to 115 by 1999 for people in treatment. 1% of 6th graders and it goes up to 5% in high school admit to it. In month of July at Juvenile Services 80% had drugs in system and 6% had meth in their system. Maureen said she has the child protective services part and if court involvement it goes to another office. Typically this unit has only 4 kids at a time and now have 20 with 19 of the families involved with meth in the most recent months. That is a lot for a community our size. Fortunately most of these children are now in relative care. Most of these kids will never go home. Long term success is not very good for these families because it is very difficult to get off this drug. Some of the kids taken out of homes are in homes without electricity and food with the entire house being almost uninhabitable. It is a terrible environment for children. Some times the parents even forget they have children. Children frequently are not getting to school. They are living in incredible unsafe environments. Even when the children are removed from these homes, it is difficult to correct the children’s behavior because children are not used to any limits. There is regular violence in the families. The kids are acting out in school with violence and hitting because that is a part of their lives. Not sure of the effect on kids from the strictly chemical side. With the use of this drug there are brain cells that are permanently destroyed. Most people who use meth are discovered within 6 months because of the physical condition they are in. Use is evident and the damage is done. This is especially true with daily use. Supposedly the drug really feels good so people with low self-esteem really are drawn to this drug. This drug has had the biggest impact of any drug on Maureen’s agency in the last 19 years. The impact on children is incredibly dramatic. Many times the parents know they cannot take care of their children. Death threats from these addicts has created more death threats for her agency than ever before. Patty Hannah asked about the ages of the children. Maureen said that even though things happen fast on meth most families have been using drugs of other sorts for an extended period of time. Their agency tries for relative placements because this is an easier way. Some families continue to have problem. She emphasized that this needs to be a community effort. Nancy Martin discussed the lack of parenting skills of these people trying to keep off the drug. They are extremely self-centered. Carol Flynn said the neurological damage causing psychotic disorders such as hallucinations, self-mutilation, and severe behaviors. There are not enough mental health services for the children coming from these families. This is a very difficult disorder to work with and it creates problems for those working with these families. It is very battering emotionally for those working with these families. Headstart talked about 8 families they worked with last year who were low income families had meth involvement. This doesn’t mean it is a low income issue but those families get in contact with law enforcement earlier. In our county we have a lot of low income families to begin with. Martha Hall said we need to get the message out in a stronger way; we need to tell people this is a death sentence. The message needs to be out in the community. In drug court, 75% are on meth. What can we each do as an individual? This is the first public gathering to focus the attention on this problem. Keep your eyes out for possible labs in the community. Don’t put meth by itself. It is part of the drug problem in Clallam County. We can’t just focus on meth. Each Prevention Works! member will or have received notice about a meeting tomorrow night at the court house with possible telelinking to west end from 6-8 o’clock . ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The business meeting then convened.
We were joined by Ida Carroll who joined us late because of technological
problems. Jane thanked Ida
for her persistence in calling in. Minutes of the last meeting were approved as
presented. Treasurer’s report said we had not lost anything on
the principal which is exciting in this time in the market.
These reports are available from Jane. We received a nice thank you letter from the Lower
Elwha for our support of a recent grant they wrote. Policy Manual The Policy Manual is now
available thanks to Connie Hyatt. There
are sections on standing committees, task force committees,
reimbursements, endorsements, etc. Prevention
Works! Becoming a 501 (c)(3)
Jane reported that the executive board was sending this issue to
the general group to see if we want to pursue it.
The recommendation from the board is that this be done only if the
general group wanted to become a non-profit but would not compete with our
member agencies. We would
need to get the by-laws in place before we go ahead.
We do not want Prevention Works! to get into competition with the
agencies who are a part of the group.
Patty brought up that this could be in the articles of
incorporation rather than just as part of the by-laws.
Florence brought up the emphasis of what Prevention Works! will
continue to focus on a specific age.
These are still decision needing to be made.
The place of KEYS and Rock and Roll was brought up.
Cynthia moved that PW pursue becoming a 501(c)(3) with the
understanding that the issue of the competition with member agencies first
be resolved and the age focus of the PW be considered.
The motion was seconded by Florence.
Patty suggested we form a committee instead.
Connie suggested we separate the issues of the motion.
Jane said with the concerns of the executive board, she really
wanted it to be included with the caveat.
Florence suggested we change the motion to charge the strategic
planning committee to bring back the specific language. The question was
called for. The vote was 10
to 2 with one abstention. No
proxies contacted the board. Announcements:
Nita Quan brought up that the home visiting committee wants to
bring Marty Erickson on January 9 from University of Minnesota to talk on
Attachment Theory and on using video tapping.
This is very expensive. But
they are hoping for help from the Early Learning Foundation, First Step,
and the hospital. Florence talked about a
coming meeting of WCPCAN and the Family Policy Council. Shaine will be sending out a notice on this meeting on Monday
November 18, 2-5 with legislators, policy makers, in Burien. National Prevention and Substance Abuse Conference in
San Diego contact Florence. Big Event Committee did meet and Florence, Susan, and
Cynthia will share the chairing of this committee. Cynthia discussed the possibility of revisiting our
grant with the Early Learning Foundation.
She will contact them and see what can be done.
Some new issues have been discussed about expanding geography of
the recipients and people trying to correct issues that were not addressed
in the grant. The meeting was adjourned. Respectfully submitted, Cynthia Martin, Substitute Secretary If there are corrections, please e-mail Shaine Schramling (shaines@nwinet.com) |
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