Substance Abuse Connect - Prevention Connection - The Substance Abuse Connect (SAC) coalition in Billings, Montana, is proud to be uniting twelve sectors (including enforcement, treatment, schools, civic clubs, youth, parents, media, and nonprofits) on PREVENTION CONNECTION, an initiative to get ahead of downstream consequences of alcohol and meth addiction such as skyrocketing rates of child abuse and crowded jails. Over the next five years SAC will strengthen coalition infrastructure so members can implement evidence based programs focused on the 24,990 Billings youth under age 18. The aim is to reduce youth alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine initiation. Getting ahead of the local meth crisis means getting ahead of youth alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine initiation. SAC will target the risk and protective factors contributing to youth alcohol and drug initiation and progression.
The objectives of the coalition are: 1) move from no comprehensive coordinated prevention plan to a unified plan rooted in the evidence-based Communities That Care Plus (CTC+) model; 2) increase organizational effectiveness, including youth leadership by 50% as measured by the Coalition Effectiveness Inventory; 3) Increase the number of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders who say YES, they talked with a parent about the dangers of drug use, as measured by the Yellowstone County Prevention Needs Assessment (baseline 35.3%); and increase the number of Billings School District Personnel who have completed two hours of substance abuse education; 4) Increase the number of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders who would say there is great risk in, and their peers would disapprove of: vaping; having five or more drinks of an alcoholic beverage once or twice a week; and smoking marijuana once a week; as measured on the Yellowstone County Prevention Needs Assessment; and 5) Increase supports for 8th, 10th, and 12th graders who say they personally know one or more adults (21 or over) who have: a) used marijuana, crack, cocaine, or other drugs; b) sold or dealt drugs; c) done other things that could get them in trouble with police, like stealing, selling stolen goods, or assaulting others; d) gotten drunk or high.
The coalition will equip parents, teachers, and other adults with knowledge and resilience building skills to help teens. A Youth Council will be engaged for peer to peer strategies. In addition, the coalition will have a focus on helping youth who live in homes with easy access to drugs and family or friends who use. Sadly, one in three high school students in Yellowstone County knows an adult who used marijuana, cocaine, or other drugs in the last year; one in three indicates their family has severe alcohol or drug problems; and one in five knows at least one adult who has dealt or sold drugs in the past year. Along with easy access, it is hard for these teens and families to find prevention resources, something the coalition will tackle through enhancement of Montana 211 online resource directory and 24/7 phone line.
