Friday, November 22, 2024
11/22/2024
The purpose of the PACT-Partners for Success project is to increase prevention infrastructure to counteract the onset of substance abuse and reduce progression and its related problems at the community level for Kandiyohi, Renville and Yellow Medicine counties, located in west central Minnesota. Specifically, it is to support a reduction in underage drinking, marijuana use, and addiction to nicotine through vaping/e-cigarette use among youth and adults aged 9 and up by increasing the capacity of school districts and organizations in Kandiyohi, Renville and Yellow Medicine counties to implement effective prevention programming. The objectives developed are framed in the five stages of the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF): Assessment, Capacity Development, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation, with an additional eye toward Cultural Competence and Sustainability. Each county will build a leadership team focused on following these steps at the county level, making use of the information and knowledge gained to support the work of one another as a dual-county partnership. It is expected that counties will be able to make use of similar prevention programming and work together on developing positive social norms. The challenges of providing prevention services across a large, rural area are many. As the population declines and needs increase, agency services have been forced to consolidate and focus on more immediate types of services (basic needs, crisis intervention, etc.). All the school districts have faced declining enrollment over the last decade, putting a strain on their budgets and infrastructure. Cuts in staffing or lack of staffing impacts delivery of services. Outreach and prevention programming from county agencies have also been reduced or eliminated as budgets change to meet service needs from within their own organization. With the high demands of time for existing staff, it becomes an extra challenge to network with other agencies and professionals and work across the large geographic area. This project is a shared vision and collective effort across county lines to implement a sustainable comprehensive prevention model.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
