Program Update by King County Community Organizing Program Coordinator Laura Edwards
The King County Community Organizing Program works with community groups to help them identify problems and concerns around substance abuse and violence. As a result of our work with local communities in implementing prevention strategies we know that community attachment, drug and violence free activities for youth and support for families all go together to create healthier behaviors in kids and families. The King County Community Organizing Program is in the Department of Community and Human Services, Community Services Division and is State and Federally funded.
Below are three of the ways we are working to promote community involvement.
Meth Action Team
Washington is currently the second-largest methamphetamine-producing state in the nation. The Community Organizing Program continues its work along with Chief Richard Krogh of the King County Sheriff’s Department and other community partners to combat the meth epidemic in King County. An oversight committee, which meets every other month, coordinates the work of three sub-committees focused on these issues: Prevention/Community Education; Law Enforcement, First Responders and Lab Dismantling; and Treatment/Family Recovery.
The meth epidemic is an opportunity for a broad range of partners to work together on a community-based drug prevention strategy. This includes community identification of meth labs and dismantling of labs by public health and law enforcement. For more information on this collaboration, please contact Laura Edwards.
Year Five Drug-Free Communities Grant
The Community Organizing Program is pleased to announce that it has received another year of funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. This is the fifth year of this grant, which is entitled “The Drug-Free Communities Support Program.” The Community Organizing Program has used these funds to provide longer-term interventions in five communities around the County. These communities, Northshore, Shoreline, Greater Seattle, Vashon and Black Diamond, will receive funding again this year to continue their programs which focus on keeping youth out of the juvenile justice system.
Coalition Assessment Survey:
This measurement tool is administered to community coalitions by their Community Organizer. Its purpose is to assist the groups in determining their effectiveness and to identify areas for improvement. The survey measures: Inclusive Membership, Internal Communication, Clear Mission, Effective Group Process, Evaluates Success, External Communication and Achieving Goals.
After analyzing the data we found that coalitions have shown overall improvement in all areas…plus a statistically significant increase in the groups' ability to resolve conflict and solve problems! In addition, the Coalition Assessment Survey has proved to be a helpful internal group management tool. Read more about the tool.
