Bridges in Prevention Coalition Strategic Plan
In 2014, we have implemented a coalition for Seward County titled the Bridges to Prevention
Coalition. We have had four meetings in 2014 to implement this coalition with participation
from the 12 public sectors.
Priority one
Increase community collaboration, and distribute responsibilities among coalition
members by forming committees to lead each planned activity.
Strategy one: Bridges to Prevention will strengthen collaboration by sustaining existing
relationships with the current 12-sector representatives.
Resources:
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Host booths at the Seward County Fair and Memorial Health Care Systems Health Fair to
educate all residents about substance issues within the county and how to become
involved in the coalition.
Schedule four presentations at community organizations’ meetings to educate members
on substance abuse issues in the county, how to become involved in the coalition efforts
and building rapport.
Continue the coalition’s active Facebook and web site presence to reach residents and
particularly the youth demographic with the coalition’s prevention message.
Strengthen partnership with Seward Area Chamber of Commerce in developing its
“community communications hub” to promote the coalition and strengthen relationships
with other organizations that have similar missions.
Develop media campaign to specifically recruit county residents to get involved in the
coalition’s prevention e
Strategy two: Strengthen coalition leadership and implement youth development
strategies.
Resources:
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Build a youth leadership program within each of the local schools that will be driven by
youth. According to the youth membership of the coalition, these should be interactive
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programs with high school students serving as role models to middle school or
elementary age children. Each school’s youth leadership program will be responsible
for driving this effort with younger kids and keep it sustainable once they graduate from
high school.
Train key coalition leadership in the 40 Developmental Assets.
Coalition leadership and youth leadership attend Region V Prevention Coordination bimonthly meetings and trainings.
Strengthen cultural competency by reaching out to under-served demographics faithbased organizations, college-age individuals and poverty-serving organizations.
Hold youth round tables to discuss prevention-related issues.
Increase access to youth during school hours by sustaining and strengthening ongoing
relationships with the three public school districts.
Hold regularly scheduled coalition meetings.
Send youth to state, regional and national trainings including the annual Region V
Prevention Systems “June Jam”.
Strategy two: Build volunteer network.
Resources:
 Market the Bridges to Prevention Coalition through different marketing strategies. There
will be billboards, newspaper advertisements, posters posted in local schools featuring
members of the youth leadership program, parent mailing, presence on Seward County
Bridges website and facebook pages and presentations at other organizations (e.g.
Kiwanis, churches, etc.) marketing the coalition to the community.
 Recruit new voices to the coalition from every aspect of the community so that the
coalition’s message will be received by more citizens.
 Assist with encouraging the local citizens for volunteerism working with the youth
regarding reducing underage drinking, substance abuse and at-risk behaviors.
Priority two
Reduce youth substance abuse
Strategy one:
Develop and implement a youth driven media campaign to address underage alcohol use.
Resources:
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The coalition will market their efforts towards a younger audience (middle school and
elementary age) by utilizing high school students as role models/mentors. The high
school students will emphasize the importance of living a healthy lifestyle for to achieve
success in school, athletics and other aspects of their life.
Youth will create a multi-dimensional media campaign targeting all residents of Seward
County.
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Supply the three school districts and Seward Youth Center with a basic 40
Developmental Assets curriculum to review for possible implementation into the schools.
Strategy two:
Establish school-based youth leadership groups to address prevention and other high-risk
behaviors as prioritized by Seward County youth.
Resources:
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Formalize recruitment efforts in all county school districts utilizing posters, Facebook
presence and other media venues.
Hold multiple informational meetings and allow youth to provide input into the direction
of the youth leadership group.
Youth will establish a schedule of meetings and prioritize efforts based on identified
needs in each school district.
Recruit a county youth representative to serve on the Region V Prevention Systems
Youth Action Board.
Coalition leadership attend Region V Prevention Coordination bi-monthly meetings and
trainings.
Strategy three:
Address the strong social norms that support underage drinking.
Resources:
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The coalition will market their efforts towards a younger audience (middle school and
elementary age) by utilizing high school students as role models/mentors. The high
school students will emphasize the importance of living a healthy lifestyle for to achieve
success in school, athletics and other aspects of their life.
Sustain and strengthen TeamMates mentoring program in three public school district.
Implement prom/graduation letters educating parents about Nebraska’s Social Host
Liability Ordinance.
Strategy four:
Address policy change targeting alcohol consumption specifically its over-use and abuse.
Resources:
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Present twice yearly to the Seward City Council and the Seward County Commissioners
about the coalition’s activities, strategies, purpose and progress.
Encourage law enforcement to enforce all alcohol-related laws on July 4th.
Coalition leadership attend Region V Prevention’s Legislative Day to present Seward
County statistics and information on substance abuse and prevention our local senator.
Strategy five:
To reduce by 2% the “lifetime use” of marijuana by 12th grade students in Seward County as
measured by the Nebraska Risk and Protective Factors Student Survey.
Resources:
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Conduct a community forum on the 40 Developmental Assets.
Coalition leadership will attend Region V Prevention’s Legislative Day to present
Seward County statistics and information on substance abuse and prevention our local
senator.
Youth will create a multi-dimensional media campaign targeting all residents of Seward
County.
Collaborate with law enforcement on targeting marijuana dealers.
Collaborate with Seward County Sheriff’s Office to utilize its “drug fund” (money seized
during marijuana arrests) to utilize funds for prevention strategies.
Strategy six:
Address policy change targeting marijuana use.
Resources:
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Educate community volunteers and youth to effectively educate state and local
lawmakers about the dangers of legalizing marijuana use.
Coalition leadership attend Region V Prevention Coordination bi-monthly meetings and
training (participate in state wide marijuana use prevention coalition policy).
Priority three
Prevent youth from entering the juvenile justice system and reduce the length of stay in the
system by offering community services.
Strategy One:
Implement prompt prevention and intervention strategies for truant students and with an
individualized plan that focuses on collaboration with parents toward reestablishing attendance
in school
Resources:
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The Seward County Pretrial Diversion has a truancy program in which they work with
the local schools and parents to increase school attendance for at-risk youths.
Strategy Two:
Educate youth about the effects of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs on their lives through
prevention and intervention.
Resources:
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Seward County Pretrial Diversion has several classes for youths referred to their
program. Some of the courses are a requirement to complete the Diversion program.
o The list of classes are Parenting, Choices, Money Making, Decision Making and
Communication courses. These courses are to educate the youth and parents to
make better choices moving forward with their lives so they will not make at-risk
decisions.
Strategy Three:
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Program
Resources
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Improve the child abuse, neglect and foster care court system. Improve service delivery
to the family: frontloaded, targeted to the issues and effective. Improve our response to
older youth in care. Expedite quality evaluations and targeting treatment for substanceabusing parents.
With the Child Abuse & Neglect 101 trainings, professionals work with youth to notice
the signs of abuse and neglect, and know how to properly report suspected child abuse or
neglect. Knowledge and expectations of those who are mandated by law to report child
abuse and neglect will be increased. The stigma of calling the child abuse and neglect
hotline will be eliminated.
CASA volunteers are qualified, compassionate adults who fight for and protect children’s
rights to be safe, to be treated with dignity and respect and to learn and grow in the
security of a loving family. All children involved in juvenile cases due to being abused
or neglect will have a CASA Volunteer assigned. Children with a CASA Volunteer are:
more likely to be adopted than to linger in long-term foster care (defined as 3+ years);
half as likely to re-enter the foster care system (fewer than 10% do); more likely to have a
plan for permanency; more likely to do well in school.