The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team is the recipient of a $40,000 Substance Use Prevention Planning Grant, according to a press release from HBCAT Executive Director Rachel Carpenter.
As a requirement for this grant HBCAT was part of the introductory grant in 2023 to build the capacity of the Local Healthy Equity Action Team (LHEAT) coalition. The LHEAT went through various trainings and exercises to strengthen membership and partners throughout the year. The LHEAT conducted 10 Community Readiness Interviews to develop an action plan on addressing substance abuse among youth specifically tobacco and alcohol misuse.
HBCAT is excited to participate in the planning phase of this grant which will include developing a strategic plan to implement. We will rely on our strong partnerships through the LHEAT coalition to implement policy, system, and environmental changes related to drug prevention.
One of the first steps will be to increase the Kansas Communities That Care (KCTC) participation rate.
Currently, Bourbon County’s participation rate is at 31%, the State of Kansas would like to see the rate increase to 60%. This is important because the survey captures the data from students’ perspective on drug use, mental health, and other key components to health. The survey is anonymous and gives the students the chance to express their needs.
The survey is for 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th grades in the public school system. The school administers the survey yearly with signed consent of the parents.
The State is using the data collected in this survey to allocate funds and resources to areas of need.
Also, as part of this grant, we will be going through a weeklong training on Strategic Prevention Framework Application Skills Training that stems from a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) training. This will help in developing a strategic plan that will be able to apply for additional implementation grants in the coming years.