County prevention specialist says hello to community
Last week, the Clark Fork Valley Press incorrectly stated that the Flathead Valley Chemical Dependancy Clinic offers classes on escape plans and stop drop and roll in the story titled ‘Hot Springs School Board discuss dug use and student rewards.’ Jennifer McPherson clarifies their role in her community introduction below. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
Hello, Sanders County Community Members! My name is Jennifer McPherson and I have recently begun working at the Flathead Valley Chemical Dependency Clinic in Thompson Falls as the Prevention Specialist for Sanders County. I come into Prevention from the treatment field and am very excited to be changing gears and focusing on the needs of our beautiful community. I have lived in Sanders County since 2008, with the exception of a two year period spent as a Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor in Alaska.
As I’m sure most of you know, Sanders County is experiencing a rise of drug and alcohol-related crimes, which is impacting many of our community members, families, schools, and businesses. It is the goal of Flathead Valley Chemical Dependency Clinic to plan, coordinate, and facilitate alcohol and other drug prevention activities, projects, and efforts in Sanders County. We begin this task largely by the guidance of the Montana Prevention Needs Assessment Survey (MPNA) that is graciously facilitated by our public school, and provided by the State of Montana’s Chemical Dependency Bureau.
In the completely anonymous, short survey, taken by 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students, the MPNA was designed to assess adolescent substance use, anti-social behavior, and the risk and protective factors of the children in our community. The statistics it provides are specific to Sanders County, which allows for those in the Prevention field to know exactly which type, or types, of substances are the current, biggest threat to our children and community. It also identifies what other risk factors run high in Sanders County, as well as which protective factors are helping our children say No to substance use.
There are additional data sources that those in Prevention utilize in order to better understand the current trends and Prevention needs of the community. Some examples are the Youth Risk Behaviors Survey, Focus Groups, Interviews with Law Enforcement, School Administrators, Hospitals and Providers, the DUI Task Force, and Public Opinion Surveys, to name a few. All this information is then used to formulate prevention plans, now knows as Logic Models, for our County. It allows us to concentrate our efforts onto what is most pressing in this community, at this time.
Benjamin Franklin’s saying, “An ounce of Prevention is worth a Pound of Cure,” is truer now than ever! Yes, this quote was originally fire-fighting advice, but that is what we are dealing with in Sanders County. Alcohol and drug use in our community is causing flare-ups of crime, family disturbances, disruptions in education, personal loss, and it is spreading, well, like wildfire!
We plan escape routes for our homes and go over them with our children. We practice fire drills at school. We teach them to “Stop, Drop, and Roll.” First and foremost, we teach them not to play with fire. Prevention matters….this is the “let’s teach them not to play with fire,” part.
My role as a Prevention Specialist is to work within our community to find out what the problem issues are, why they are here, what is making the situation worse in terms of risk factors, what our strengths are in terms of protective factors, and come up with ways to help increase our strengths, lessen our risks, and reduce our problems by initiating Prevention strategies aimed toward helping Sanders County heal from drug and alcohol misuse, abuse, and addiction.
I am excited to be back and working to strengthen our amazing community. I look forward to meeting you, listening to your concerns, thoughts, and opinions on these matters, and tapping into your wisdom and hope for the future of Sanders County.
Please, do not hesitate to call me, stop by, email, or approach me personally. My office is located at the Flathead Valley Chemical Dependency Clinic in Thompson Falls. Our office number is 406-827-4241. Have a great week!
Jennifer McPherson
jennifermcpherson@fvcdc.net