The RACC is working to sustain prevention education and outreach to prevent and reduce youth and adult substance misuse, impaired driving, and promote mental health & wellness. - Since 2016, CLEAR Alliance has been serving as the fiscal agent for the Redmond Area Community Coalition (RACC). RACC’s mission is to raise awareness and educate youth and adults to prevent substance misuse, impaired driving, and to promote mental health and wellness. RACC is represented by a diverse group of stakeholders who strive to increase access and reduce barriers to prevention education for middle and high school youth, parents, and public service providers. With the support of the 5-year DFC grant awarded to RACC for 2018-2023, the coalition focused first on developing in-person prevention education and media support materials and has been pilot-testing them with middle and high school students, parents, and staff. The RACC was able to learn many critical insights through its focus group sessions, particularly about perception of harm and the social normalization of tobacco, marijuana, vaping, and prescription drugs. In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown reduced access and availability of education, RACC adjusted its strategy to develop Take or Teach e-learning courses. The courses are animated with audio from real youth, parents, and health and safety experts to make prevention education available whether learning or teaching in-person or online. There are currently two education courses available: the Tobacco Marijuana & E-Cigarettes Course (TMEC) and the Impaired Driving Education Course (IDEC). In 2020, the local coalition won a national award from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program for “Outstanding Public Safety/Public Health Collaborative Effort” for its statewide expansion in Oregon. The Drug Free Community grant project for years 6-10 will be a comprehensive approach to build upon the lessons learned in years 1-5. RACC will remove barriers and health disparities and put the RACC on a path of sustainability for continued prevention education delivery. The RACC will continue to address marijuana use with TMEC and an upcoming vaping course (VAPEC). The RACC is also addressing an imminent need to educate on prescription pill misuse, fentanyl, and counterfeit pills. According to the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon opioid deaths have seen a massive rise in the last few years. The Counterfeit Pill Education Course (CPEC) is in the final stages. CPEC has been pilot-tested several times in schools and in the community to be available for the public in the summer of 2023. In the next year, the RACC will enhance youth and parent access and reduce barriers to the curriculums by removing the fee to the Take Course and replacing with a survey so RACC can collect data on its use. The RACC will also complete closed-captioning services in English and Spanish for all education courses. The website will be revamped to include these services for free to the public, and financial donations to support and sustain the coalition’s work will be welcome, but optional. Finally, the RACC will continue to provide support and collaborate with the diverse, community-based sectors where the heart of all the work begins.
