Blending Prevention, Intervention and Public Policy Enforcement

1. Blending Prevention, Intervention and Public Policy Enforcement Alcohol Policy Conference 13

2. Presenters:Mark Ames, Program Development, Vermont Department Health, Alcohol and Drug Abuse ProgramsThomas E. Perras Director, Vermont Department Health, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse ProgramsJohn D'Esposito Investigator/Trainer Vermont Department of Liquor ControlPaul Haskell Director of Justice-Works; coordinator of a local START program / parallel court diversion program

3. Vision for changing community norms that support underage drinking.

4. Changing Community Norms using primary prevention

5. Strategy: State Incentive Grant -New Directions • Science-based prevention • 23 coalitions • Local ownership • Prevention skills for parents, kids, communities and schools

7. Using OJJDP to expand the network in the process of change

8. Strategy: Vermont League of Cities and Towns(VLCT) and law enforcement • Pass grant through VLCT • Fund START programs Benefit: Expands sphere of influence by involving cities and towns in grass roots norm change.

9. VLCT subgrants to community START programs to break up underage drinking parties. Involves: • Sheriffs' departments • Local police • State's attorneys • Courts • Connect New Directions, VLCT and START Benefit: Brings juvenile justice system into partnership of culture and norms change process.

10. Public Policy Change

11. Strategy: Possession of Malt Beverage Law • Possession leads to: • Screening • Assessment • Treatment • Failure to comply = Loss of Driver’s License

12. Indicators of Norm Change: • Chittenden County State's Attorney speaking about processing of underage drinking cases, "This issue is too important to not bring it to the court."

13. Community reaction: • Parents saw that the law would be upheld. • Some parents objected. • Parents began to set boundaries for their children.

14. Public policy change: • Implemented through changing laws governing underage possession of malt beverage. • Requires offenders to go through diversion, be screened and enter treatment if necessary, or lose their license.

15. Continuum of prevention, intervention and treatmentIntervene at any opportunity

17. Vermont efforts have been supported and connected at all levels.

18. Statewide: • Vermont Substance Abuse Coalition • New Directions Advisory Council • START Advisory Council • Local: • New Directions coalitions • START coalitions • START enforcement teams

19. START Advisory Council • Attorney General's Office • Department of State's Attorneys • Agency of Human Services Planning Division OJJDP Coordinator • Department of Education • Governor’s Office on Highway Safety • Statewide Diversion Board coordinator • Department of Motor Vehicles • Vermont State Police • Department of Liquor Control, • Burlington and other municipal police departments, • Rutland County Sheriff’s department

20. 12 Regional START Coalitions • Minimum membership required: • Law enforcement agencies • State’s Attorney • Diversion Board Representative • Local Prevention coalition Note: applicants required to involve any local substance abuse prevention coalition, which is a successful New Directions applicant.

21. What’s in a name? START…..  All aspects of Underage Enforcement

22. The New Directions grant process required coalitions to: • use research based prevention approaches as the core of their project • participate in Vermont’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey

23. Training - New Directions What: • Research-based programming Who: • Local coalition coordinators • Local coalition members • State policy makers • Advisory Board Members • Grant Review Team • State agency and field prevention staff • Other prevention practitioners

24. Training - START What: • Team Enforcement Strategies • Strategies for youth enforcement • Ways to involve the community Who: • Vermont law enforcement community

25. Training - Combined New Directions and START • Environmental Prevention • Collaborative approaches

26. Shared Ideas and Approaches • START and New Directions together

27. Changing Norms About Underage Drinking in Vermont Investigator John D’Esposito Vermont Dept. Of Liquor Control

28. Three Legs of the Stool • Demand • Supply • Locale

29. What We Can Do for You? Case studies – Drinking Parties Rutland County START Before After • Large parties • Same location • Convenient • Very young teens • Parties go on all night • Small parties • Different locations • Remote locations • Older teens or adults • Expectation party will be broken up

30. Enforcement Strategies

31. Educational Initiatives

33. Zero, Nada, None Is a joint collaboration between: • Vermont Dept. of Education • Vermont Dept. of Liquor Control • Governor’s Highway Safety Program • Vermont Teen Leadership Safety Program & SADD • Local New Directions Coalitions

34. Zero, Nada, None • On the local level, Z/N/ N is a collaboration between VTSLP & SADD groups and the New Directions Community Coalition in their area. • It will be piloted in areas with both partners.

35. Zero, Nada, None • Teens and New Directions members will contact local stores that are licensed to sell wine, beer & liquor and ask them to sign the Zero, Nada, None Program Pledge

36. Zero, Nada, None • The store pledges not to sell alcohol to anyone under 21- to comply with the law

37. Zero, Nada, None • The store promises not to allow anyone who looks under 30 to purchase alcohol without proper identification.

38. Zero, Nada, None • The store promises to refuse sales to anyone with false identification and to notify local law enforcement or the Dept. of Liquor Control immediately.

39. Zero, Nada, None • The store promises to provide proper training to all employees to ensure the the state laws regarding the sale of alcohol are obeyed.

40. Zero, Nada, None • The local partners will hold a press conference telling about Z/N/N and applauding the local retailers for their civic involvement

41. Zero, Nada, None • The state partners will provide trainings for New Directions Coalitions and SADD & VTLSP on how to run Z/N/N • They will also provide program materials- buttons, pins, stickers, magnets, signs…

42. Partnering the Rutland Way Our County’s Blueprint to Success Through Partnership

43. We Believe We Can Change Things • We have a “can do” attitude

44. We Value Collaboration, Not Competition We do not • Compete against each other for grants • We look for ways to do the task with partners

45. We Are Equal Partners • There are no all stars • We recognize the efforts of all in media

46. We Face Our Problems Head-on • We don’t deny that they are there • We don’t sugar-coat them • We don’t manage the media

47. We Believe in Recognizing Our Work Upcoming RAP awards night includes: • START awards • RBFS awards • Mentoring awards • “Ark” award • Youth group

48. We Layer Our Relationships on Each Other • Each relationship builds on those before it • Partners know what to expect from each other

49. We Value Our Employees • Governance and supervision is inclusive • We value them and treat them as full partners

50. Mentoring Programs • Involve other partners in training & recruitment • Work it out program