Initial Networking and Community Assessment

During this initial stage of the strategic planning process a county planning group was organized consisting of the Community Mobilization coordinator, DASA Treatment coordinator, DASA Prevention provider, and Drug Free Communities coordinator.  This planning group identified necessary people and organizations in the county to bring to the table and developed a plan for completion of the strategic plan that would meet DASA and Community Mobilization requirements, as well as serve as a county-wide guiding plan for substance abuse prevention, intervention treatment, and after care for program, agencies, and coalitions in our county.

 

During step one in the planning process community participants were identified, community assessment was compiled, needs and resources data was analyzed; problem statements were developed, community readiness and support was assessed; and service gaps were analyzed.

 

The following intervention, treatment, and aftercare strategic plan requirements for DASA and Community Mobilization were met.  The following narrative will demonstrate how these requirements were met.

 

DASA Requirements

Overall Requirements

A narrative that indicates an assessment of the service needs across the prevention, intervention, treatment and aftercare (P-I-T-A) continuum for the following populations:

Persons with disabilities

Youth

Pregnant/postpartum women

Parents with young children

Elderly

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender persons

Intravenous drug users

Requirements Specific to the Treatment Expansion Section

A narrative of the assessment of expanded services for the following populations:

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

General Assistance – Unemployable (GAU – Adults)

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)

Youth

Requirements Specific to the Criminal Justice Section

A narrative of the assessment service needs for persons involved in the criminal justice system that will include:

A county specific assessment –OR-

A regional assessment

 

If a regional assessment is conducted, it will include:

A list of the other counties that are participating in the assessment

 

 

Community Mobilization

Overall Requirements

A narrative that indicates an assessment of the service needs across the prevention, intervention, treatment and aftercare (P-I-T-A) continuum, and including violence prevention, for the following populations: 

Students and youth; both in and out of school

Parents

Community members

Youth in juvenile detention facilities

Runaway and homeless youth

Pregnant and parenting youth

School dropouts

Those needing mental health services related to drug and violence prevention

Children and youth not normally served by state or local education agencies

Populations that need special services or additional resources

 

Recruitment

Individual partners and organization interested in the substance abuse continuum of care were identified through a planning meeting with the county planning group (Community Mobilization coordinator, DASA Treatment coordinator, DASA Prevention provider, and Drug Free Communities coordinator), networking at community meetings and through local coalitions and groups (including Kittitas County Community Network and Drug Free Communities Coalition, DUI Task Force, Upper County Juvenile Resource Team, Community Campus Coalition, Meth Action Team, Student Advocates for Safe Situations, Active Community Teens).  Special emphasis was placed on recruiting diverse individuals and organizations for participation in the strategic planning process.  A contact list of community members invited to participate and participants was compiled with over 100 contact names of interested individuals and organizations.  Please see ATTACHMENT 1. 

 

Individuals and organizations were representative of all geographic areas of the county and were also representative of the following the following populations:

·         Aging and adult services

·         Mental health

·         Client/Consumer

·         Parent of a school-aged youth

·         College student

·         Parent with young children

·         Community members

·         Person with a disability

·         Concerned citizen

·         Pregnant/Postpartum women

·         Concerned family member

·         Public health

·         Education

·         Recovery community member

·         Elderly

·         School dropouts

·         Employment and training

·         Social service provider

·         Faith-based organization or member

·         Healthcare/Medical

·         Students and youth both in and out of school

·         Intravenous drug user

·         Law enforcement

·         Substance abuse prevention and/or treatment provider

·         Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered/ Questioning (LGBTQ)

·         Youth in juvenile detention facilities

·         Youth: Pregnant and parenting

·         Local government

·         Youth: runaway and homeless

 

Community members were invited to provide input on intervention, treatment, and aftercare strategic planning through following venues:

  • Resource Assessment
  • Community Voice Survey
  • ITA Strategic Planning Workshop

 

Profile of Population Needs

A comprehensive Community Assessment was completed in February. The community assessment utilized data from the following sources:

1.      Kittitas County Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey 2004, Washington State Department of Health, http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us/about/fs-2006-behavioral-risk-factors.pdf

2.      Kittitas County Health Profile, 2003 Edition, Washington Health Foundation, http://www.whf.org/Documents/CountyProfiles/kittitas.pdf

3.      Kittitas County Healthy Youth Survey 2004, Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Department of Health, the Department of Social and Health Service's Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse, and Community Trade and Economic Development, http://www3.doh.wa.gov/HYS/

4.      Kittitas County Strategic Plan TARGET (The Treatment and Report Generation Tool) Data, 2006, Washington State Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse

5.      Risk and Protective Profile for Substance Abuse Prevention in Kittitas County, July 2006, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/rda/research/4/47/updated/kittitas.shtm

6.      2005 Data Book Kittitas County Profile, State of Washington Office of Financial Management, http://www.ofm.wa.gov/localdata/kitt.asp

7.      2002 Projections developed for Growth Management Act, State of Washington Office of Financial Management, http://www.ofm.wa.gov/pop/gma/gmhsingle.pdf

8.      U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/53/53037.html

9.      Washington State Courts of Limited Jurisdiction 2005 Annual Caseload Report, Washington State Courts of Limited Jurisdiction 2006 Year-to-Date Report. http://www.courts.wa.gov

 

The Data revealed the following information:

  • Poverty in Kittitas County:  Nearly 1 out of every 5 people in Kittitas County live below the Federal Poverty Level.  About 2 out of 5 single parent households headed by women live below the Federal Poverty Level.8  Our Median Household Income of $33,795 is over 30% less than the state average (ranking us 35th out of the 39 counties in our state.)  Nearly 30% of our children live in high poverty neighborhoods, 2.5 times higher than children living in the state.
  • Low Neighborhood Attachment and Community Disorganization:  Thirty percent of adult residents in Kittitas County are not registered to vote.  In the November 2005 election nearly 50% of registered voters in Kittitas County did not vote.5
  • Growth in Kittitas County:  Between 1990 and 2000 our county population grew nearly 25%.6  In the next 5 years the county population is estimated to increase 15%.7  Over twice the amount of new residence construction is happening in Kittitas County than in the rest of the state.  We have 60% higher rate of people moving in and out of our county than the State.5
  • Age Distribution:  We have a significantly higher rate of 20-24 year olds living in our county compared to other counties in the state and other ages in our county.2
  • Alcohol and Drug Related Deaths:  Nearly 1 out of every 10 deaths in our county is attributed to alcohol or drugs.5
  • Availability of Drugs:  There is 1 alcohol retail license for every 265 Kittitas County residents, that is nearly twice as high as the state average.  There is 1 tobacco retail or vending machine license for every 435 Kittitas County residents, that is 75% more tobacco retail licenses in Kittitas County than the state average.5
  • Alcohol and Drug Treatment:  Annually about 3 out of every 200 adults in Kittitas County are a client of State-Funded Alcohol and Drug Services.5  Compared to the state average, our county has over 2.5 times as many outpatient treatment admissions.  There has been a 55% increase in Kittitas County outpatient admissions to treatment since 2000. 4  Since 2005 youth admissions in Kittitas County for outpatient treatment have gone up 22% versus 2.5% increase in youth admissions in the state.4   One out of nearly every 50 youth (age 10-17) in Kittitas County were clients of State- Funded Alcohol or Drug Services in 2004.5
  • Driving Under the Influence:  In Kittitas County nearly one-third of all traffic fatalities are alcohol-related.5  DUI Charges have decreased by 15% in the last year, (626 DUI charges in 2005. 529 DUI Charges in 2006).9
  • Kittitas County Arrests:  Kittitas County remains at or below the state rate for violent crime arrests.  Kittitas County remains at or below the state rate for property crime arrests.  Adult arrests for alcohol related crimes are higher than the state rate, the national rate and the rate of other Washington counties like us. Juvenile (age 10-17) arrests for alcohol related crimes are higher than the national rate, and the state rate.  Adult and Juvenile arrests for drug related violations are below the national rate.  Juvenile arrests for drug related violations are higher than the state rate and the rate of other Washington counties like us.5
  • Early criminal justice involvement: Youth (age 10-14) arrests for Vandalism are higher in Kittitas County than the state average.  Youth (age 10-14) arrests related to alcohol or drugs are lower than the state average.5
  • Family Problems:  351 children in Kittitas County were victims of child abuse and neglect in 2004, which is a 25% higher rate of child abuse and neglect referrals accepted in Kittitas County than the State.  178 domestic violence arrests in Kittitas County in 2005.5 
  • Teen Sexual Activity   The number of births to mothers age 10-17 in Kittitas County is lower than the national rate, state rate, and in Washington counties like us.  The number of Sexually Transmitted Disease cases (birth-19) in Kittitas County is higher than the state rate, and in Washington counties like us.5
  • School Performance:  In Kittitas County about a 30% attrition rate for seniors versus about a 20% rate in the state.  In Grades 4th, 7th, and 10th, Kittitas County students performed better on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) test than the state average.5
  • Alcohol Use and Youth:  Four percent of 6th graders, 21% of 8th graders, 41% of 10th graders and 43% of 12th graders report having a drink in the past month.  Recent alcohol use for Kittitas 10th graders is higher than other students in the state.  One percent of 6th graders, 7% of 8th graders, 20% of 10th graders and 29% of 12th graders report drinking on 3 or more days in the past month.  Nine percent of 8th graders, 24% of 10th graders and 32% of 12th graders report drinking heavily (5 or more drinks in a row) at least once in the past two weeks.3
  • Students in Kittitas County who reported drinking in the past month got their alcohol in the following ways:

-        5% Bought it from a store

-        33% Got it from friends

-        25% Gave money to someone to get it

-        7% Took it from home without permission

-        10 Got it at home with permission

-        11% Got it at a party

-        9% Got it some other way

  • Two percent of 6th graders, 15% of 8th graders, 19% of 10th graders and 27% of 12th graders feel that their parents think it is only “a little bit wrong” or “not wrong at all” for their teen to drink alcohol regularly.  Fifty-six percent of 6th graders, 31% of 8th graders, 12% of 10th graders and 8% of 12th graders report thinking they would get caught by police if they drink alcohol.  Sixty-nine percent of 8th graders, 48% of 10th graders and 33% of 12th graders report thinking they would get caught by parents if they drink alcohol. 
  • Alcohol Use and Adults:  In 2004, the prevalence of binge drinking (Adult Binge Drinking: 5 or more drinks on an occasion) in Kittitas County had risen to 32.9% from 28.7% the prior year.  Binge drinking is a greater problem in Kittitas County than Washington State as a whole, especially as the state rate has decreased through the last couple years to 13.8%.1
  • Tobacco Use and Youth:  In Kittitas County 2% of 6th graders, 11% of 8th graders, 16% of 10th graders and 24% of 12th graders report smoking cigarettes in the past 30 days.3  Twelve percent of Kittitas County adults report being current smokers either smoking daily or some days. This represents an improvement since 2001.  Compared to Washington State, a lower proportion of Kittitas County residents are current smokers.1