Alamosa County Prevention Coalition will meet Friday

ALAMOSA — The Alamosa County Prevention Coalition will have its next meeting Friday at the Alamosa High School cafeteria. The coalition will provide lunch.

The coalition’s work encompasses decreasing substance abuse, improving mental health and decreasing violence among the youth of our community. 

It completed the following using the Communities That Care process: Assessed data to determine our priority risk and protective factors: 1) Availability of substances 2) Extreme economic deprivation 3) Family management problems and 4) Family history of problem behavior, i.e. substance abuse, child abuse/neglect, domestic violence, etc.

The coalition performed a resource assessment and determined the programs that the coalition will support:  1) Early childhood mental health consultants 2)  Family Leadership Training Institute 3) Sources of Strength program in Ortega Middle School and at the Boys and Girls Club of the SLV and 4) Working Together program for families who participate in home visiting programs for early childhood.

It determined priority strategies:  1)  Build public support to alter the physical environment and 2) Build public support and coordinate family friendly events.

The coalition began the process of writing outcome statements related to decreasing substance abuse and youth violence and improving youth mental health. It will also be writing outcome statements related to our priority risk and protective factors and selected strategies.  This process is known as outcome focused planning. 

After the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the coalition’s grantor, approves its outcomes, the organization will begin to focus on writing how it will implement its strategies, support programs and will document the collective impact of its work to date. 

Some of the coalition’s past work includes, Family Fun Skate Nights at the Alamosa Ice Rink, which are free events that include ice skates rental, ice pass, food, drinks and off-ice family centered activities.

In August, it sponsored “Dinner with a Great Sand Dunes National Park Ranger” and arranged for free admission for everyone on August 3.

The coalition’s next event will be a Family Fun Skate Day on Saturday, Dec. 7, 1-5 p.m.

Report courtesy of Ann-Marie DeHerrera, MSN, RN, Public Health Nurse, Alamosa County Prevention Coalition Facilitator, Alamosa County Public Health Dept.