August Anti-Drug Coalition Meeting Minutes

Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition Meeting
August 8, 2008

Members Present: Kimberli Scott (Other), Latrisha Whitelatch (Other), Kristen Carter (Other), Dara Pond (Youth Serving Organization), Carol Helfer (Domestic Violence Prevention), Mark Witzberger (School), Stacie Dei (Other), Vickey Battista (Other), George Bamberger (Business Community)

Members Absent: Rich Milbert (Fraternal Organization), Brooke Johnson (Youth), Marian Walton (Media), Cheryl Kaczor (Civic Group), Alicia Menendez (Youth Serving Organization), Kari Maury (Youth Serving Organization), Betsy Frohnapfel (Other), Jennifer Pickett (School), John Gruzinskas (Law Enforcement), Connie Veronis (Healthcare Professional), Eric Fecat (Business Community)

Others in Attendance: Josh Carter (Youth Pastor), Dave Haynes (Concerned Citizen), Phyllis Haynes (Concerned Citizen)

I. Introductions

II. Safe and Drug Free Communities (SDFC) and Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF SIG)

- Kimberli Scott gave a brief overview of the Too Good programs. She also asked coalition members for some ideas for the labels for giveaways that will be provided to Marshall County youth at the Back to School Fun Fair on August 11.

- Latrisha Whitelatch gave an overview of the components of the SPF SIG project. She reported that the SPF SIG plan was updated and that the renewal application was submitted in July. She also indicated that the CLI is completed for this reporting period.

III. CADCA Mid-Year Institute Update

- Kristen Carter provided coalition members with an update about the CADCA Mid-
Year Institute. She discussed a variety of topics, including the world café sessions that
she and Stacie Dei attended.

IV. Coalition Elections: Chair and Vice Chair

- Stacie Dei informed the coalition that she was stepping down as coalition chair. She asked for any nominations for a new chair. Carol Helfer nominated Dara Pond as the new chair. George Bamberger seconded. No other nominations were made.

- Dara Pond nominated Carol Helfer as the vice-chair. Carol declined the nomination. Stacie Dei nominated George Bamberger as the vice-chair. George declined due to other work-related commitments that may interfere with his ability to attend meetings on a regular basis. Kristen Carter indicated that several members were missing, and George Bamberger suggested that the election of a vice-chair be tabled until the next meeting.

V. Coalition Committees

- Latrisha Whitelatch listed the existing coalition committees which include
Community Input and Involvement Workgroup, Youth Input and Involvement
Workgroup, Recruitment Team, Legislative Action Team, and Comprehensive Plan
Workgroup. In an effort to increase ownership of the coalition, she asked coalition
members if they thought these workgroups should continue to exist or if new
workgroups should be created. George Bamberger indicated that he felt that the
coalition’s focus was spread too thin. Dara Pond asked Dave and Phyllis Haynes what
they would have liked to have seen when they walked through the door to attend the
meeting? Dave and Phyllis indicated that they would have liked to have seen more
community people. Dave indicated that he felt that the coalition was Marshall
County’s best kept secret. He has a family member who has struggled with addiction,
and he has asked multiple people, including local law enforcement and Moundsville
City Council, for their assistance in reducing drug availability/abuse. No one had ever
referred him to the coalition. It was only once he had seen an article about the coalition
in the Intelligencer that he knew it even existed. Phyllis Haynes indicated that she and
Dave were willing to do anything that coalition members suggested, including going
door to door to tell other citizens about the coalition, in order to help. Dave suggested
that citizens be provided with statistics about the extent of substance abuse problems in
Marshall County.

- Carol Helfer indicated that, in addition to statistics, testimonials from local families
whose lives have been affected by substance abuse would help increase citizen interest in the coalition.

- Mark Witzberger asked if the coalition had ever asked city council members to
become coalition members. Latrisha Whitelatch indicated that all city county members in all five cities in Marshall County have been sent personal invitations to become involved in the coalition’s work. Mark then asked if anyone from the coalition had ever gone to city council meetings to extend the invitation, and Latrisha said no. Mark suggested that a coalition member attend council meetings to invite city officials to either become involved themselves or select a citizen representative to attend on the council’s behalf.

- Latrisha indicated that coalition members need to take this kind of action themselves
and not just rely on grant-funded coalition members to do it. She gave the example of how a Marshall County school counselor had gotten she and Stacie involved in updating school policies and how they had subsequently rewritten these policies with the permission and encouragement of the administration. However, now that the policy work is done, the school administration has not yet returned Latrisha and Stacie’s calls to meet and discuss the changes. Latrisha indicated that if more coalition members were urging school administration to actually make the changes, it would be much more effective than anything she or Stacie could do alone.

- Josh Carter indicated that concerned community members and coalition members need to turn up the heat on elected officials and local law enforcement regarding substance abuse issues.

- Dara Pond made the point that the act of turning up the heat would best be done by community members serving on the coalition not grant-funded program coordinators who must partner with these individuals.

**A discussion also occurred during this portion of the meeting regarding the possibility of moving the coalition’s meeting location, changing meeting times, and holding meetings at different sites throughout the county. The notetaker did not record who made these comments.**

VI. Agenda Suggestions for Next Meeting

-Dara restated many of the recurring themes that she had heard from coalition
members. She noted that she was hearing that the coalition needs to focus on raising
awareness of the coalition’s existence and on coalition recruitment, and everyone
agreed that awareness and recruitment would be the focus of the next meeting.

VII. Adjournment

- Next meeting: September 5 at noon