cchcc quarterly - volume 1 issue 4
DESCRIPTION
Take a few mintues to catch up on what our Coalition has been up to since the holidays! This issue includes information on upcoming contests, the Youth Network and our visit to Capitol Hill!TRANSCRIPT
Thousands gather for CADCA’s Annual National Leadership Forum
I N S I D E TH I S I S SU E :
CADCA 1
Tuxedo Card
Contest
2
PRIDE results 3
Youth Network 3
411 on marijuana as
medicine
3
Graduation from
National Coalition
Academy
4
You make it possible, Robert Sharp
4
Navigating the PerformCare system
4
C U M B E R L A N D
C O U N T Y
H E A L T H Y
C O M M U N I T I E S
C O A L I T I O N
A N I N I T I A T I V E O F :
T H E S O U T H W E S T C O U N C I L , I N C . M A R C H 2 0 1 2 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 4
Jessica Ortuso
Project Director
P: 856.794.1011 ext. 302
Katharine Cristaudo
Project Coordinator
P: 856.794.1011 ext. 303
Chair
Tracey Huggins
Vice Chair
Melissa Niles
Editor
Brian Kanady
Meetings are held at
The Southwest Council, Inc.
1405 N. Delsea Dr.
Vineland, NJ 08360
Joseph Williams
SWC Executive Director
Reducing substance abuse among youth in Cumberland County
CCHCC volunteer members and staff
headed south for a 4-day conference at
the Gaylord Hotel and Conven�on Center
in Na�onal Harbor, Maryland.
CADCA’s 22nd Annual Na�onal Leader-
ship Forum brought thousands of coali-
�on members and volunteers together to
learn the latest strategies to fight sub-
stance abuse and to hear from na�onally
recognized experts and policymakers.
CADCA, which stands for Community An�
-Drug Coali�ons of America is a member-
ship organiza�on of an�-drug coali�ons.
Each coali�on, like the CCHCC, is working
to make their community safe, healthy
and drug-free. Today, CADCA is the na-
�on’s leading drug abuse preven�on or-
ganiza�on, represen�ng the interests of
more than 5,000 community an�-drug
coali�ons in the country.
At this year’s forum, par�cipants bene-
fi0ed from the unique opportunity to
meet and network with people from all
over the United States.
“The fact that the en�re na�on is engag-
ing in coali�on work is amazing,” said Coa-
li�on Vice Chair, Melissa Niles.
Furthermore, since preven�ng drug and
alcohol abuse is addressed based on par-
�cular needs in each community, CADCA
organized state mee�ngs for the first �me
in 22 years. The state of New Jersey
mee�ng brought together several dozen
coali�on staff members and volunteers
from around the Garden State.
On the third day of the conference almost
two dozen NJ coali�on leaders and volun-
teers met with the aides of Senator Frank
Lautenberg and Senator Robert Menen-
dez. We capped the day off with a brief
mee�ng with Congressman Frank Lo-
Biondo.
“My experience at CADCA re-energized
my enthusiasm for drug and alcohol
preven�on,” said Niles. “We’re
looking forward to bringing
youth with us to the
conference next year!”
P A G E 2
HURRY! $100 in gift cards available to high school-aged youth for designing an artistic & positive prom message
Most youth who were surveyed in Cumberland County
choose NOT to use drugs or alcohol
Alcohol 6.60% 22.10% 27.60% 18.77%
Tobacco 2.30% 6.70% 6.90% 5.30%
Marijuana 0.30% 2.60% 5.50% 2.80%
Alcohol 0.50% 5.50% 6.90% 4.30%
Tobacco 1.00% 2.20% 2.80% 2.00%
Marijuana 0.30% 1.00% 2.50% 1.27%
Combined GradesGrade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8
Monthly Use or More
Use in the Past Year
Outcomes Substance
Alcohol 5.30% 9.10% 25.40% 13.27%
Tobacco 0.60% 3.70% 6.60% 3.63%
Marijuana 0.00% 1.00% 7.30% 2.77%
Alcohol 0.30% 1.00% 8.00% 3.10%
Tobacco 0.00% 0.30% 3.50% 1.27%
Marijuana not available 0.30% 3.80% 2.05%
Combined GradesGrade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8
Monthly Use or More
Use in the Past Year
Outcomes Substance
Alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use in the past year decreased from 2008-2011. Monthly use of alcohol and tobacco also decreased from 2008. Monthly marijuana use could have risen due to the fact that student’s perception of risk has changed since the passing of the medical marijuana law. The coalition has begun working on strategies to address that.
Last year, every school with students in grades 6-8 in the county was invited to participate in the 2011 PRIDE survey. PRIDE surveys assess students attitudes, behaviors and beliefs regarding alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. We’re happy to say that while we still have work to do to address drug and alcohol challenges in the county, most students surveyed choose not to use drugs or alcohol.
This spring, all schools with students in grades 9-12 in the county will be asked to participate. The coalition funds the surveys and staff and volunteers are available to help facilitate and guide the school contact through the process. If your school is interested in participating this fall, please contact us.
Below please see a snapshot of our results since last conducting the surveys in 2008. It is important to understand that the sample size of students surveyed decreased from 2008-2011 and because of the need for active consent we can not guarantee the same students will participate each year.
2008
2011
WHO: Cumberland County high school-aged youth
WHAT: The CCHCC wants to encourage youth to design a positive message about staying safe during prom season. The winning artistic design could encourage student’s peers to stay
drug and alcohol free during prom, discourage parents from serving alcohol to those underage or depict a positive post prom activity. The winning design will be mass produced and placed in various businesses and organizations in Cumberland County. The winner will
also be awarded a $50.00 gift card and will have their design and inspiration for it featured in our newsletter! Second and third place winners will also be awarded a $25 gift card.
WHY: Because our youth have strong messages to share and they need to be heard!
WHEN & WHERE: All designs are due no later than Friday, March 30th. Contact Jessica at 856-794-1011 ext. 302 or [email protected]
for an entry form! Also feel free to stop in the office for a form at 1405 North Delsea Drive in Vineland, NJ.
P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 4
The CCHCC aims to bring youth together countyThe CCHCC aims to bring youth together countyThe CCHCC aims to bring youth together countyThe CCHCC aims to bring youth together county----widewidewidewide
The 411 on marijuana as medicine
Katharine Cristaudo
The CCHCC is launching the
Cumberland County Youth
Network. Previously known
as the Youth Division, this
youth network aims to bring
youth representa�ves from
various exis�ng groups,
teams and schools through-
out Cumberland County
together to discuss issues
that affect the community.
The CCHCC’s main goal is to
reduce substance abuse
among youth and, without
the input of the youth in
Cumberland County, we
cannot fully achieve this
goal. We are asking adult
leaders to nominate middle
school or high school-aged
youth they work with that
show leadership quali�es to
join the Youth Network.
The Cumberland County
Youth Network will hold its
first mee�ng on March 21st
.
Mee�ngs will be held every
other month and open to
nominated representa�ves.
During these mee�ngs we
will hold trainings, infor-
ma�on sessions and discuss
issues that concern youth in
Cumberland County. We will
also plan fun ac�vi�es for
months that the Youth
Network does not meet,
which will be open to the
public. This is a great way to
empower our youth to be
leaders in their
community.
If you would like more
informa�on on joining the
Cumberland County Youth
Network, or nomina�ng a
representa�ve, please
contact the CCHCC Project
Coordinator at (856) 794-1011
ext. 303 or
Nomina�ons are accepted on a
rolling basis.
Approximately one-fourth of the states have passed legislation or ballot issues allowing marijuana to be prescribed within that state, New Jersey being one of them. Marijuana remains a Schedule I substance under federal law – a classification indicating it has no currently accepted medical use in the United States.
It is the coalition’s belief that marijuana should be subject to the same research, consideration and study as any other potential medicine. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the sole federal agency that approves drug products as safe and effective for intended indications. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act requires that new drugs be shown to be safe and effective for their intended use before being marketed in this country. FDA's drug approval process requires well-controlled clinical trials that provide the necessary scientific data upon which the FDA makes its approval and labeling decisions.
Still unsure? We’d like to encourage you to visit the Office of National Drug Control’s Policy’s new website which serves as a marijuana resource center. On the website you can find federal and state laws regarding marijuana, including a frequently asked questions section and more. Please visit the site at http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/marijuanainfo.
Thank you to PerformCare program
providers who presented to over 40
interested attendees on February 29, 2012!
Nancy Gillespie: CIACC
Delshawn Santiago: CGS Family Partnership - CMO
Charles Goldstein: CGS Family Partnership - CEO
Clare Malchiodi: Family Service Association - YCM
Teresa Dimitri: CGS Family Support Organization
Nicole Stemberger: Robin’s Nest - Children’s Crisis Mobile Response
Contact us for more information on the CCHCC, our Youth Division or to sign up for our mailing list!
CCHCC
c/o The Southwest Council, Inc.
1405 N. Delsea Dr.
Vineland, NJ 08360
Phone: 856-794-1011 ext. 302
Fax: 856-794-1239
E-mail: [email protected]
facebook.com/CCHealthyCommunitiesCoalition
You make it possible, Robert Sharp
The Coali�on would like to
recognize Robert Sharp for his
contribu�ons to the CCHCC and
the community. Sharp became a
member of the CCHCC over one
year ago when he met a staff
member at a health fair. Since,
Sharp has regularly a0ended
mee�ngs and provided valuable
input on community resources. He
has also taken informa�on gained
from bi-monthly mee�ngs back to
The Na�onal Exchange Club of
Bridgeton.
Sharp became a member of the
Bridgeton Exchange Club in 1990.
His wife, Agnes, is also a member.
Sharp served as the Regional Vice
President for four years on the
Na�onal Board of Directors. The
Na�onal Exchange Club Founda-
�on (NECF) was established in
1979, when the Na�onal Exchange
Club – an all-volunteer service
organiza�on – adopted the
The Cumberland County Healthy Communities Coalition was formed to build healthy communities by
reducing substance abuse among youth.
The Coalition is a group of concerned community members of all ages and from all walks of life, including
educators, law enforcement, parents, youth, faith leaders, health professionals, media, local government
and businesses.
We need a Healthy Communities Coalition because a group with a common goal can achieve so much more than an individual alone. Our Coalition promotes coordination and partnership between
organizations to create environments that are alcohol, tobacco and drug free. We build links between local
organizations and individuals who are working to accomplish common goals.
The Coalition meets at the Southwest Council’s Cumberland County Resource Center Office in
Vineland. We welcome any interested community members to attend our next general meeting on
Monday, May 14, 2012 at 1:30.
The Coalition is a community initiative of The Southwest Council, Inc. Funds are provided by the Office of National Drug Control Policy and managed by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Preven�on of Child Abuse as its
Na�onal Project. The club also
focuses on youth, patrio�sm and
community service.
Sharp has lived in Cumberland
County his en�re life and worked
for Bridgeton High School for 34
years. He was employed as a U.S.
History teacher, Department Su-
pervisor and Principal. When
Sharp re�red in 1995 the school
named the auditorium aKer him.
His passion to serve the communi-
ty has also linked him to United
Way, American Heart Associa�on,
American
Cancer
Society
and the
Juvenile
Jus�ce
Commi0ee.
Congratulation’s Graduates!
Katharine Cristaudo
The CCHCC and the rest of Cohort 15 graduated from
CADCA’s Na�onal Coali�on Academy during CADCA’s
22nd
Na�onal Leadership Forum this past February.
150 Coali�ons from around the Na�on a0ended the
comprehensive, year-long training and graduated at
the 2012 Leadership Forum. Speakers included
General Arthur T. Dean, Chairman and CEO of CADCA
and Mr. David K. Mineta, Deputy Director of Demand
Reduc�on, White House Office of Na�onal Drug
Control Policy (ONDCP). It was an exci�ng night for
the Coali�on and Cumberland County.
From leK to right Mr. David K. Mineta, CCHCC Vice Chair
Melissa Niles, CCHCC Project Director Jessica Ortuso,
CCHCC Chair Tracey Huggins, CCHCC Project Coordinator
Katharine Cristaudo and General Arthur T. Dean.