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My name is Sara Braun and I am the new Drug Free Communities Specialist and Addiction Counselor at the Human Service Agency in Sisseton.  I am originally from Sisseton, SD and have recently moved back to the area. I graduated from the University of West Georgia with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. I have my certification from the South Dakota Board of Alcohol and Drug Professionals as a licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor Trainee.

Roberts County recently received a Drug Free Communities Support grant which is designed to help mobilize the community in preventing youth alcohol, tobacco, illicit drug and inhalant abuse. As a Drug Free Communities Specialist, I was hired to carry out the programming set forth by the grant in addressing the alcohol, drug and violence related issues within communities in the county. The grant supports a community coalition made up of youth, parents, media, law enforcement, school officials, faith-based organizations, fraternal organizations, state, local, and tribal government agencies, healthcare professionals, and other community representatives. The DFC Program enables the coalition to strengthen their coordination and prevention efforts, encourage citizen participation in substance abuse reduction efforts, and disseminate information about effective interventions. The primary purpose of the Federal funding in a DFC grant is to strengthen the capacity of coalitions to reduce and prevent youth substance use in a community by generating positive population level and lasting environmental change.

My position will also focus on Primary Prevention Planning classes for underage consumption. These classes will be held every other month and will be 8 hours long with a one hour class for parents. I will be conducting the chemical dependency evaluations for the Human Service Agency and offering an adolescent and adult aftercare treatment class.

I want to know what the needs are of youth, parents, businesses, schools, courts, churches, ect, and what type of resources, activities and projects do we have or need to have in the community to start addressing these issues. I can be reached at the Human Service Agency at 698-7688 or by email at sarab@humanserviceagency.org. 

Roberts County Students Surveyed

Nationally, Pride Surveys, the research group that developed the questionnaire used in this survey, found that students report alcohol and drug use primarily at two specific times:"week nights" and "weekends". Very little use was reported at school. The average age of first use in Roberts County was reported as being 13.1 years of age for alcohol, 12.4 years of age for tobacco, and 13.0 years of age for marijuana, but use was also reported in the 4th and 5th grade.

 Resource Directory

Monthly Newspaper Columns

April 2010

Community Partnership for Suicide Prevention

Facts & Resources  

Reaching Everyone is Determined by 

Mentor

 Encouragement and Nurturing

Positive and Respectful Individuals Developing Excellence

Mission
 Statement:

To positively impact the lives of young people by providing adult support
 and learning opportunities that promote character development and 
life-enhancing values.

Philosophy:

By providing youth with consistent, caring mentors, they will learn
 life skills and develop core values through exposure to positive adults. 
Mentors will learn how to use teachable moments to illustrate these values. 

Goals/Purpose:

To help young people build character and life skills through exposure
 to positive adult role models.

Mentors will be part of a team that takes responsibility for a child. 
Mentors spend time being adult friends to the youth mentees. 
Mentors invest their time in listening, building trust, establishing a 
relationship, supporting and guiding the mentees.

Program Guidelines:

The pairs will meet for one hour every week (four hours per month)
 for 9 months (duration of a school year). In addition to the weekly 
meetings, mentors and mentees must attend a training session, a 
program kick-off, several recreational events and supervisory meetings.
The meetings will take place at Sisseton Elementary and 
Middle Schools during school hours.

Mentors and mentees must complete written applications and
 mentors must complete a background check.

Benefits:

Participants will benefit from the following: 

·        Mentees: The program will help young people to develop 
      important life skills, plan for the future, build self-confidence 
      and improve school attitudes and performance. 

·        Mentors: The program will provide mentors with the 
     satisfaction of giving back to their community and youth.

Contact Information:

    TJ Just  698-7613                          Sara McGregor-Okroi  698-7688

tj.just@k12.sd.us                                       saram@humanserviceagency.org

Love And Logic Parenting

                Becoming a Love and Logic Parent^® curriculum is based on the Love and Logic^® philosophy.

This unique approach unlocks the secrets of successful parenting.

Participants will receive practical, easy-to-use techniques that work.

∙ Raise responsible kids

∙ Have more fun in their role

∙Easily and immediately (first use) change their children’s behavior

Contact Sara Mcgregor Okroi at (605) 698-7688 or email at saram@humanserviceagency.org for information about classes in your area.

South Dakota’s Community Partnership for Suicide Prevention (CPSP) will strengthen the capacity in South Dakota communities and schools to plan, implement, and sustain evidence-based suicide prevention programs that reduce suicide attempts and fatalities. Local community Project Sites will also increase their ability to collect, analyze, and present local suicide related data. Additionally, the project will work with colleges or universities and veteran populations.
South Dakota’s suicide rate ranks as 9thi highest in the United States across age groups and 7th highest for youth and young adults age 15 to 24. The suicide rate for this age group (20.2 per 100,000) is almost double the national rate (11.0). In people ages 15-19, the suicide rate in South Dakota (20.3) is more than two-and-a-half times the national rate (7.6). In an effort to reduce suicide attempts and completions in South Dakota, the CPSP will provide continued growth in the referral and service network between schools, community mental health centers, substance abuse providers, juvenile justice, and child protective services. This system of care will be strengthened through training and technical assistance so that communities can create a safety net for identifying, referring and assisting those at risk for suicide.
 
The CPSP is based on the South Dakota Strategy for Suicide Prevention, a state plan created by a public and private organization partnership, and will target youth and young adults aged 14-24. Specifically, the program will 1) create Local Community Groups (LCGs) that are public-private partnerships focused on suicide prevention; 2) provide trainings and technical assistance to members of each LCG and school staff; 3) provide a student curriculum in schools within Project Site communities; 4) organize a gatekeeper training for community members; 5) develop local suicide prevention policies among multiple agencies and groups within the community including methods and procedures for tracking suicide related data; 6) implement suicide prevention campaigns, 7) provide information to parents, 8) deliver information and trainings that provide attention to the culture of military personnel and their families. The CPSP hopes to reach 2000 youth and over 3000 adults with training, information and education throughout the life of the grant.

About/ Contact Us

“There’s Hope,” Coalition promotes drug-free environments for youth by enhancing partnerships to educate, advocate and support locally based, community mobilization. The Coalition serves the Roberts County area.

Contact Us

There’s Hope Coalition

Address 610 2^nd Ave E

Sisseton, SD 57262

Phone # 605-486-4166

Email: saram@humanserviceagency.org