Sherburne County Substance Use Prevention Coalition

Meeting Minutes

September 17, 2014

9:00 a.m.

Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Operations Center

 

Coalition Members Present:

Mark Kolbinger, Becker High School

Roxanne Schreder, Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office

Amanda Larson, Sherburne County Health & Human Services

Joel Brott, Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office

Mark Lees, Sherburne County Health & Human Services

Darrell Skoog, Spectrum High School

Dan Bradley, Sherburne County Probation

Angie Folch, Big Lake High School

Maureen Wilkins, Health and Human Services

Nathan Sindt, Regional Prevention Coordinator

Bjorn Dixon, The Why Church

Gloria Sorem, HHS – Guest Speaker

Jamie Kollar, HHS – Guest Speaker

Willie Krueger, Probation Intern

Jennifer Pim, Asst. County Attorney

Tom Sternemen, Sheriff’s Office Chaplain

 

 

Mark Kolbinger called the meeting to order at approximately 9:04 a.m.

 

Mark Kolbinger asked for members to review the meeting minutes from August 20th, 2014.  Meeting minutes accepted as printed.

 

Meeting agenda approval:  Motioned by Sheriff Brott, Jennifer Pim seconded.  Approved.

 

Drug Free Community Grant

Roxanne provided an update that she understood approximately 417 Coalitions applied for funding and approximately 48% will be funded per information provided at CADCA training.  Awardees will be advised this week if they will be receiving the funding.  Roxanne will advise the coalition once known.

 

Social Host Ordinances (SHO) in County

Sheriff Brott informed the members that he presented at the Zimmerman Ministerial Association on August 20th regarding the SHO and its benefits. About dozen people attended the meeting, including one council member and one City staff member.  The information appeared to be well received and the association would like to be involved in the process to show support for the ordinance should it come in front of City Council.

 

Through discussion, it was found the best way to approach the city council is to have a workshop session first so the SHO can be explained further to them and then put the item on the formal agenda.  The workshop is an open meeting (to the public), but not televised.  Coalition members can attend along with other supporters in the community of the potential ordinance to discuss further with the council at that time.

 

Timing to complete this action was discussed.  We should try to do this after the first of the year when any new or repeat council members are on the council to discuss this ordinance.  Therefore, it is projected that we will meet with Council in Zimmerman in January or February. The ordinance would then hopefully be put on the regular agenda come March or April with the same members (Coalition members, Zimmerman Community, SCSO, Faith Community, etc.) that attended the workshop to attend the meeting then for support.

 

To prepare for questions that Council may have as well as provide better understanding of what a SHO is and what it is not, Sheriff Brott agreed to present the topic at our regular November coalition meeting with any further research for the ordinance occurring between November and December’s regular coalition meetings. 

 

Youth Leadership Council

 

Sarah met with group in Becker and Big Lake during her internship.  Students appeared interested in the council and Mark and Darrel have both had students ask when the group will be beginning.

 

A discussion regarding what will be needed from the students and potentially their parents/guardians were discussed in addition to the Coalition.  Procedural concerns involving permission slips, meeting frequency, background checks of adults not employed by the schools prior to the meetings to be completed by schools, pulling kids during lunch were all shared.  Additionally, what the best meeting schedule would be with the schools to organize the effort.  This will undoubtedly look different if our coalition is granted the DFC funds, however, we do have United Way funding to support this effort in the county as a foundation for support.  

 

Meeting times will be provided by Angie, Mark, and Darrell at their respective schools by November 1st, with Elk River and Zimmerman schools hopefully participating in the future as well.  Roxanne will provide the flyer that Sarah completed to the above contacts to drum up interest in the Council yet this week.  Mark Kolbinger will complete a promotional packet (including a permission slip, info for parents and teen, what is expected of them, etc.) for the students with a target date of October 1st explaining how the Council will give them a voice to promote healthy choices in their own lives and their peers’ lives and to promote consistent messaging among the schools.  Two student co-chairs for their respective schools will eventually be named as leaders for the Council.

 

Coalition members in the schools will target those students that attended last year’s youth meeting as leaders to help promote the Council.  Additionally, other leaders in the schools will be sought, possibly through other organizations that are already established, such as YDYS, Service Learning Groups, etc. and then continue to invite other members as the year continues.  It may be possible to include the School Liaison Officers in the meetings to help with activities in the future too.  It is our hope to have a pool of students from the flyer and packets available to Roxanne at our October meeting to be ready to meet in November to begin a quarterly meeting schedule with the students.

 

Health Improvement Plan

 

Two guest speakers came to the meeting today from Health and Human Services to discuss the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) focused on substance use and abuse.  Gloria Sorem (Gloria.sorem@co.sherburne.mn.us) and Jamie Kollar (jamie.kollar@co.sherburne.mn.us) have spearheaded a strategic plan for Health and Human Services to focus on this issue, one of many documented in the Community Health Assessment for Sherburne County as a concern by our residents.  They provided handouts and a draft plan to address this issue in our area.  (It is not a grant, but a comprehensive way to work and partner with others.  It is also a request of the legislature that a strategic plan be completed by each health department.)  They also asked that we support their mission, and if willing to do so, if we could be listed as a stakeholder in the effort to prevent or decrease substance use in our community. We would provide them with any activities, goals, or other objectives we are working on as a coalition that they can also support in promotion, etc. through Public Health.

 

A motion to include our coalition as a stakeholder in this CHIP process that is occurring was made by Jennifer Pim.  Angie Folch seconded.  No discussion. All in favor – passed.

 

Suggestions made additionally to Gloria and Jamie included:

• Have businesses involved in the stakeholder program.

• Need for chemical dependency counselors in the schools.

• Faith based programs – may get stakeholders there too.  Use ministerial associations to gain support.  Use of youth pastors in this process. 

 

Program Sharing Conference

 

Per Nathan Sindt, the ATOD conference for the state of MN is Oct. 23rd and 24th in St. Cloud and individuals can attend one or both days.  There are also scholarships available for the program and the application is due today.  Primary criteria is to provide to unfounded community members for the conference.  Awardees will know by October 1st if they were selected.  Roxanne had already put in a request for the scholarship earlier this summer.

 

Testing

 

If we do receive the DFC grant, we will need to complete core measure testing/surveying in the schools.  Regardless, it will be a good measure of where our students are regarding substance use.  Those members that work in the schools suggested anything before April, due to other testing requirements, to complete the surveys would be appreciated.  January most likely will be a good month to target its use.  The test still needs to be updated, however, that will be discussed at our next meeting.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 am.

 

 

The next meeting will be on Wednesday, October 15th, at 9:00 a.m. at the Sheriff’s Office Emergency Operation Center.