Publication Made Possible by the Collaborative And
Toolkit Publication made possible by the collaborative and committed efforts of the TalkSooner Team: Heidi Denton, Allegan County Community Mental Health Nikki Barth, Allegan County Community Mental Health Leigh Moerdyke, Pathways, MI Vicki Kavanough, Pathways, MI Kate Donaldson, District Health Department #10 Missy Gallegos, Public Health Muskegon County Rachel McCoy, Mercy Health Denise Herbert, network180 Stephanie VanDerKooi, Lakeshore Regional Entity 01/2017 Welcome Thank you for your interest in TalkSooner! Our intention with this toolkit is to explain more about TalkSooner and guide you on how to incorporate TalkSooner in your community. Data shows that substance use among adults and youth continues to be a major public health problem. In 2008, prevention coalitions in Allegan, Berrien, Kent, Ottawa, and Muskegon counties set out to examine the issue of substance use in their local communities. Using federal grant funding to address underage alcohol use, the five coalitions surveyed parents and youth regarding their communication on drug issues. Survey results showed that most parents did not feel adequately prepared to have meaningful conversations with their children about alcohol, tobacco, and other substances. Based on these findings, the mission of TalkSooner developed - help parents prevent youth substance use. Focus groups were conducted to gather input and determine the wants and needs of local parents and youth. It was decided that a website that offered parents tools and strategies to navigate “difficult conversations” was the first step in helping parents address substance use. Parents were looking for information on conversation starters, statistics, health consequences, local resources, and new drugs and drug trends. There was a strong positive reaction to the idea of a website as well as firm recommendations as to what tools and resources parents would find beneficial.
[Show full text]