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Prevention / Treatment
Initiatives : |
April 1999 |
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Perhaps the most innovative project within the
NW HIDTA Community Coalitions Support Initiative is Project SAFE (Safe Areas For
Everyone), the Thurston County component of our regional substance abuse prevention
strategy. Project SAFE was developed and is administered by TOGETHER!, a broad-based
community coalition organized to prevent youth violence, alcohol and drug abuse throughout
the county. Project SAFE was designed with the understanding that a collaborative approach between citizens and law enforcement is necessary to enable effective reduction in drug abuse and drug-related crimes in the community. As the first step in building such collaborations is the establishment of positive relationships, the Project focuses on the direct provision of substance abuse and crime prevention information to the residents of at-risk neighborhoods by law enforcement and human service professionals. The partnerships that accomplish this task involve neighborhood centers throughout Thurston County, community-based service organizations, libraries, school districts, and law enforcement agencies including the Washington State Patrol, the Washington Army National Guard, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Department, the Lacey Police and Fire Departments, the Olympia Police and Fire Departments, the Tenino Police Department and the Tumwater Police Department. A community event held in August, 1998 celebrated the implementation of Project SAFE and introduced one of the most creative elements of the program: a mobile resource unit that delivers the prevention information directly to at-risk neighborhoods throughout the county. Staffed by law enforcement and human service professionals, the customized van travels to a specific neighborhood each day for up to a week, bringing a wide range of informational, service, referral and transportation resources to the community by means of a daily series of events and activities. The van then moves on to other neighborhoods on a weekly basis ensuring, however, to return for follow-up visits later in the year to reinforce the message and evaluate the impacts of the earlier service series. In its short history, Project SAFE has organized and presented a number of community events, has expanded program collaboration, and has begun development of a Parent/Child curriculum designed to increase citizen participation in the life of the community and the impact of substance abuse and crime prevention activities. Examples of the Project’s scope include: sponsorship of a methamphetamine forum in the town of Bucoda; participation in Make A Difference Day ’98, which involved an outreach effort to over 150 low income children in two at-risk neighborhoods; and a neighborhood meeting, organized in cooperation with the Olympia Police Department, to address the concerns of a large apartment community regarding personal safety. The Project SAFE design includes a rigorous program evaluation, which is expected to demonstrate a wide range of positive outcomes addressing youth substance abuse and crime reduction. The NW HIDTA looks forward to an on-going relationship with this Thurston County coalition in order to support the achievement of its goals and its continued growth. For additional information about Project SAFE, please contact Steve Freng at 206.394.3603 and sfreng@nw.hidta.org, or Earlyse Swift, Director of TOGETHER!, at 360.493.2230.
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