As the recognized substance abuse local coordinating coalition (LCC) in Scott County, CEASe administers the community drug fund created by state statute. It is a system by which fines, assessed and collected through the court system from specific drug and alcohol offenses, are released back into the community as awarded grants to support agencies and providers. This allows these recipients to identify and expand services to those individuals being adversely affected by substances in the area of prevention/education, treatment/intervention and justice/law enforcement. This year CEASe distributed over $23,000 of Drug-Free Community funds in the form of community grants in the following three areas.

Criminal Justice Services/Law Enforcement

Scottsburg Police Department received funding for 150 hours of overtime to allow for more drug investigations, increased substance abuse patrols and narcotics enforcement, and extended monitoring in problem areas of the city, in addition to continued proactive patrols and overtime to try and to keep the alcohol related cases lower. As one of the lead agencies in dealing with substance abuse awareness and reduction in Scott County, they have been able to do this through various programs in the schools and other organizations. They believe with increased substance abuse patrols, educational programs and increased narcotics enforcement, they can make Scott County a happier safer community for all the citizens. 

Scott County Sheriff’s Department received funding for their proactive policing approach through increased patrols, surveillance and intelligence. The department will identify and arrest persons involved in illegal activities, including Operating While Intoxicated (O.W.I.), Operating While Under the Influence of Prescription Drugs and Possession of Illegal Drugs. The Department will saturate problem areas (hot spots) with patrols within those time frames, as well as have a quarterly “blitz” to saturate the county with teams of deputies assigned to known areas identified by current investigations and tip line information. These teams will concentrate on high-volume interdiction type traffic stops on the local roadways and Interstate 65, as well as conduct “Stop and Talks” at reported residences alleged to be dealing in controlled substances.

Treatment/Intervention

Centerstone Intensive Outpatient Treatment—Centerstone currently provides an Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program (IOP) to Community Referral Sources, such as DCS, Probation, Community Corrections, and various Physicians. This program is firmly established, and its focus is recovery from substance abuse and addiction, including sobriety, repairing and rebuilding relationships, learning new ways of cognitive thinking that are more positive/healthy, and relapse prevention. Funds will go toward additional curriculum to better address the key aspects of developing a life of recovery.

Centerstone Substance Abuse Screening/Treatment—This funding will help purchase the materials for the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI) and the curriculum for Matrix Model for Teens and Young Adults. The SASSI is an instrument to measure SA behaviors, in both adolescents and adults. It is backed by scientific evidence and currently administered in a variety of settings to determine need and intensity for SA Tx. The Matrix Model for Teens & Young Adults is an evidence-based 16 week intensive outpatient program focusing on SA Tx for adolescents by improving healthy coping skills, decreasing substance use, and increasing pro-social behaviors. 

LifeSpring Health Systems Jail Substance Abuse Program—The intent of the group counseling services conducted in the Scott County Jail is to target moderate to high-risk substance users identified through assessment. The goal will be to support initial education to introduce the inmate to substance use treatment and encourage continued substance use treatment when released from jail into the community. The group that will be conducted in the Scott County Jail will be “Integrating Dialectical Behavior Therapy and the 12 Steps.” Individuals that complete the full 21 session curriculum while incarcerated will be presented with a Certificate of Completion and given the opportunity to continue with the group treatment in the community once released. 

Prevention/Education

Scott County School District 2 Just Say No Clubs are offered to any fourth and fifth grade public school students of SCSD 2. The goals are: to learn about and support each other in living drug free, to learn and to practice ways to resist negative peer pressure, to perform community service, and to have fun. Each year the clubs plan both individual and collective activities for the four elementary school students. Members from all four clubs enjoy a Swim to Be Drug Free Outing at the YMCA (where students learn about healthy choices). The grant allows them to have a few community after-school events, with one of the events being a community service project helping with local community needs and teaching the importance of community service to our youth.

Community Action of Southern Indiana Life Literacy Academy (LLA), a cohort-based model that teaches, engages, and encourages students in 8-12 grades to develop strong character, intentionally acquire external/internal assets and transition with a positive plan post high school whether attending post high school training. Students are monitored in the areas of character education, leadership, critical thinking, the 30 Developmental Assets, and college and job readiness. Both school districts will benefit from this.

Scottsburg High School After Prom Committee in order to provide fun ways to get prevention and education materials into the hands of young people who attend the Scottsburg High School After Prom. They plan to buy items with drug free prevention messages that will go in gift bags to all who attend the After Prom. 

National Youth Advocate Program YMCA Positive Coping Skills Program to give AOD individuals the opportunity to be involved in ongoing activities at the YMCA, a clear positive community resource offering positive connections and recreational opportunities. Many health insurance companies support this model and cost effective approach to treatment. It helps in building coping skills and not dependency. 

New Creation Addiction Ministries received funding for treatment transportation at $.40 per mile to cover cost of transporting Scott County residents in need of treatment to the Salvation Army Rehabilitation Centers or other Treatment Centers in Indiana.

CRADLE Healthy Coping Skills will use the grant toward their Healthy Choices Academy in which participants will learn how to implement healthy coping skills into their daily lives. Classes will specifically focus on such skills as creative expression, use of mindfulness, meditation, and yoga, nutrition, and healthy relationships/social connections, etc.  All sessions will be free and open to any community member and will encourage individuals who already have incorporated the skills to come as mentors and encouragers. All skills will be presented in a way that parents can then teach and model for their kids helping our next generation develop healthy coping skills as a lifelong practice.

Scott County School District 2 Red Ribbon Week/Substance Abuse Prevention: During Red Ribbon Week, Scottsburg Middle School will be promoting the message of substance abuse prevention through daily messages, school newsletters, hallway posters, and spirit days. Messaging will be reinforced through guidance lessons in homeroom and advisory, assembly speakers, and connections within curriculum. The funds will be used to pay for an assembly speaker and purchase keepsakes to give students something they will use to remind  them of the message and reinforce it. 

CEASe meets the first Thursday of every month from 11:45 am to 1 pm in the Scott Memorial Hospital Conference Room. Everyone is welcome to attend.