December 2021 

A (super-short, super-quick) Jeffco CTC to-do list:

• Order posters or fliers to display: We are able to provide printed materials for you to display at your school, rec center, library, business or other facility. Please order printed materials using this form no later than December 13th.

• Twelve Talks Promotion Partners: See below or here.

A Jeffco CTC wish list—please help, if you can

• A wall is needed: We have a really cool partnership opportunity to work with Rise Above Colorado to have youth create a positive, community building mural. But, we need a wall to put it on. If you have an idea for a wall, please reach out to whoever the decision maker would be to see if they have interest and ability to have a mural on their wall. If they express interest, please ask them to reach out to Pamela.

• Volunteers are needed:

  • Grant writing/editing: This spring, the coalition will be applying for 5 more years of funding for Drug Free Communities. Would you be willing to serve on our grant writing group? This would be a 10 hour commitment in February and March. Please let me know if you are interested.

  • Meeting minutes: We are looking for people willing to take meeting minutes at our CTC workgroup meetings. Would you be willing to help us? This could be for a meeting you already attend—or one you don’t normally attend. If someone is willing to take on a regular schedule of supporting our coalition in this way—we could arrange to pay them! This could be a fun side-hustle for someone.

• More youth opportunities: Remember, keep sending us your youth opportunities so we can post them on www.Jeffcoteens.org! These should be emailed to Emily Merewether emerewether@jeffco.us .

• Help with Twelve Talks to Have With Teens

  • Attention new or returning promotion Partners, please fill out this short form for our records—and so we can acknowledge you: Twelve Talks Promotion Partners 2022!

  • Please share our Twelve Talks to Have With Teens December Post-- Talk with Teens about Sex & Consent Jefferson County teens report that while adults discuss the physical aspects of sex with them, adults aren’t providing needed guidance to teens about creating healthy relationships, sexual consent, use of alcohol as a “date rape” drug, sending nude photos and making sexual comments about others. It’s not always an easy conversation, but it’s important. Try asking open ended questions, like: What exactly does consent mean? What kinds of sex-related stuff do people talk about at school? www.twelvetalks.com/sex-consent  

And last, a few celebrations:

• Staff transitions: As most of you know, Emily will be transitioning from 50% contact tracing and 50% CTC work to 100% CTC. This is fantastic news. Meanwhile, Debby is moving within JCPH to a new role in community engagement, but will still be involved with our coalition. Please direct all communications for Jeffco CTC to Emily or me going forward.

• State CDPHE reports featuring Jeffco CTC have been released. This report features the work of our SEL/Health Education workgroup and this report includes our work with Jeffco Libraries promoting Positive Youth Development.

• Grant submitted: Our Trustable Adults workgroup submitted a grant application for the Health Disparities and Community Grant Program RFA# 35913, a 15 month grant which, if received, would fund our Building Allyship in Jeffco/ Out for Safe Spaces Program. If we don’t get this funding… we will keep on trying.

• Save the date because you will not want to miss it. April 28th from 4-6 PM will be our 5th annual spring Youth Voices event. You will hear from our 30+ youth interns about the projects they are engaged in with community partners.

November 2021 

The holiday season is upon us, which is a great time to reflect and give thanks, which is the theme of our updates for this month. 

Thanks to each of you for supporting our teens:

• Jeffco Teens internships: A special shout out to the amazing community partners working with our teens this year: Taryn Fuchs & Kylee Wellons from The Conflict Center; Maggi Crabb from District 1 (Jeffco & Gilpin) DA’s Office; Stephen Clyde & Beth June from the City of Wheat Ridge; Kristi Marosy & Becky Richmond from the City of Golden; Diana Solenberger from Jeffco 4H; Nicolette Schoenfeldt & Billy Coo from City of Lakewood; Tori Sandoval, Arra Katona, Nick Taylor & Padma Polepeddi from Jefferson County Public Library; Mandi Leigh from the Golden Anti-Racism Collective; Jamie Grimm & Jamie Brenner from Jeffco Schools; Joel Newton from Edgewater Collective and Margie Grimsley from the Colorado Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health. Thank you for your work with our teens!

• Twelve Talks to Have With Teens—thanks for providing this information to parents in our community!

  • Please share our Twelve Talks to Have With Teens November Post-- Talk with Teens about Vaping. Vaping is a problem across the country and continues to be prevalent here in Colorado. The good news is that the 2019 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey (HKCS) shows that the majority of Jeffco youth realize that vaping is harmful, and over half of youth who vape report wanting to quit. Even if you don’t think your teen is vaping, the conversation is important. Try asking: Why do you think people your age vape? www.twelvetalks.com/vape-tobacco .

    • Share the Instagram post here! Not sure how to share? Watch this short video.

  • In December, please share our Twelve Talks to Have With Teens December Post-- Talk with Teens about Sex & Consent Jefferson County teens report that while adults discuss the physical aspects of sex with them, adults aren’t providing needed guidance to teens about creating healthy relationships, sexual consent, use of alcohol as a “date rape” drug, sending nude photos and making sexual comments about others. It’s not always an easy conversation, but it’s important. Try asking open ended questions, like: What exactly does consent mean? What kinds of sex-related stuff do people talk about at school? www.twelvetalks.com/sex-consent  

  • In January, we will resume our workshops for parents, taught by Jeffco Schools staff each month, in both English and Spanish. Find our more here: www.twelvetalks.com/workshops

• Thanks for helping with our grant application: Our Trustable Adults workgroup is nearing completion of our grant application for the Health Disparities and Community Grant Program RFA# 35913, a 15 month grant which, if received, would fund our Building Allyship and Diversity in Jeffco/ Out for Safe Spaces Program. Special thanks to Sam Taylor, Beth Yohe and Arra Katona for your great editing work on the grant.

Thanks for being a part of our amazing coalition:

• Our November/ December Jeffco CTC Community Board meeting is on Thursday, November 2 from 8   9:30 AM to discuss items listed below:

  • Appointing Sector Reps from among active coalition members

  • Updates regarding our Building Allyship & Diversity in Jeffco project (formerly called Out for Safe Spaces)

  • Twelve Talks promotion partners

  • If we would like to pursue a murals project in our community in 2022

• Posters (see below)! We are able to provide printed materials for you to display at your school, rec center, library or other facility. Please order printed materials using this form no later than December 2nd.

• Send us your youth opportunities! Remember, keep sending us your youth opportunities so we can post them on www.Jeffcoteens.org!

CADCA conference: Interested in attending a great conference on substance misuse issues? We are hoping to take a Jeffco CTC group to the CADCA leadership forum. If you want to find out more about attending, and have not done so already, please let us know by completing the form here by next Monday, Nov. 22, 2022 at noon.

October 2021 

October 2021 is National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month and we are very proud of the work we are doing here in Jefferson County with our youth, but this presidential proclamation is also a good reminder that we can always do more!

Supporting our teens

• Please share our Twelve Talks to Have With Teens October Post-- Talk with Teens about Marijuana. Use of marijuana during the teen years results in damage to the teen’s rapidly developing brain, and can result in impaired cognitive function. Plus, the younger a person starts using marijuana, the more likely they are to use harmful substances later in life. Start the conversation with an open ended question, such as: Does anything worry you about marijuana use for teens your age? What about in terms of addiction or messing with brain development? https://www.twelvetalks.com/marijuana

• JeffcoTeens.org is getting hundreds of visitors a week right now, and @jeffco_teens on Instagram has over 400 followers. Please continue to send us your free or paid youth opportunities so we can help get the word out to local teenagers about your opportunities!

• We have over 30 Jeffco Teens interns this year with six Community Partners, including Jefferson County Public Libraries, City of Wheat Ridge, City of Lakewood, City of Golden, Jeffco Schools, and the Edgewater Collective. Stay tuned for more information about upcoming events being hosted by our teens!

Upcoming

• October 19, at both 10 AM & 5:30 PM, Pamela will be presenting a seminar on Marijuana, Alcohol & the Teenage Brain for Jeffco Families through the Jeffco Schools Mental health and Wellness Hub. Please register to attend here and please also promote this through your networks.

• Our October Jeffco CTC Community Board meeting is on Thursday, October 28 from 8   9:30 AM to discuss items listed below.

  • Community Action With Teens Proclamations in Edgewater & Wheat Ridge

  • Jeffco Schools policy changes related to Health Education

  • Workgroup updates and information

• The Suicide Prevention Summit 2021 will be virtual this year and takes place immediately following our October board meeting. Please register for the summit here.

• The November/December Jeffco CTC Community Board meeting will be on Dec 2nd, from 8-9:30 AM (Note: this is a schedule change; this meeting takes the place of the previously scheduled November & December board meetings).

Gratitude

• Thank you to all the amazing individuals who have agreed to serve on the Jeffco CTC Executive Committee this year. This job represents both a huge time investment—and being willing to be part of often challenging discussions. Please take a moment to read about our leadership team here. Also, thanks very much to those who served last year on the Jeffco CTC Executive Committee: Evie Hudak, Amy Dillon, Amy Hanson, Charmaine Brittain, Joel Newton, Lorrie Odom, Padma Polepeddi, Dave Kollar, Jacki Paone, and Sam Taylor!

Thanks to the teens photographers AND our Jeffco Connections Key Leaders for helping us create yet another social norming poster letting our youth know that MOST teens aren’t using alcohol or marijuana. See their work at JeffcoTeens.org/contest.

September 2021 

• Want to find out more—or review—the work that Jeffco CTC is engaged in? Jeffco CTC held an Information & Orientation session on Monday, September 13 from 3:30 to 5 PM. Note that an orientation is required to become a voting Jeffco CTC Community Board member.

• Our last Jeffco CTC Community Board meeting was on Thursday, Sept. 23 from 8-9:30 AM. At that meeting, we voted to elect workgroup chairs and Executive Committee at large members. Additionally, voted regarding increasing the number of executive committee members (currently 10) and the potential provision of stipends for those serving on the Exec Committee who aren’t paid through their employer. The agenda is here.

• Jeffco CTC hosted a virtual Youth Internship Info Session in English & Spanish on Thursday, Sept. 16 from 4 to 5:30 PM. 

• Several CTC Board members attended the Practical Guidance for Embodying Equity in Implementation Workshop. Missed the training? View the event guide here. 

• The Suicide Prevention Summit 2021 will be virtual this year and takes place immediately following our October board meeting, which will be shortened to accommodate the summit. Please register for the summit here.

• Congratulations to our Jeffco CTC winners!

  • The Florence Sabin Award was established in 1947, and the award is given for achievement in the public health field, in recognition of the outstanding leadership of Dr. Florence Sabin in the promotion of better public health in Colorado. The Sabin Award is given to an individual who does not work directly in Public Health. This year, the winner was Mel Maendel, our very own Communities That Care Youth Leader.

  • Our first social norming photo contest is completed. See the winning photos, here! If you want to display the poster in a spot visible to youth—it’s attached and shown in this email. Print full color on 17 by 11 inch paper. Look on www.jeffcoteens.org for our photo contest—we are going to be looking for creative photos from our teens of the number “70%.”

• Please share our Twelve Talks to Have With Teens September Post-- Talk to your teen about Hopefulness & Coping: The teen years are a time of rapid social, emotional and physical change. You can support the teen you love by talking to them about strategies for dealing with the ups and downs, as well as talking to them about their hopes for next week, next year and even years from now. An open-ended question to try: What are you most looking forward to this school year? Find out more, and download a healthy coping worksheet, at www.twelvetalks.com/hopefulness-coping.

August 2021

JeffcoTeens.org: A website, Instagram (@jeffco_teens) and email list that lets teens know about opportunities for involvement and promotes positive social norming messages. Updates:

• We now have an email newsletter for teens, letting them know about internships, contests, volunteer opportunities and more.  Encourage them to sign up here or follow our Instagram.

• We are advertising directly to teens on Tik Tok, Instagram and Snapchat to let our teens know about these resources.

• Also, Jeffco CTC is giving out 7,000+ bottles of hand sanitizers that each say www.jeffcoteens.org on them!

• And, there is so much more in the works! We are planning to have an internship fair on September 17th, work with community partners to host teen spaces (as recommended by our interns)-- and we have several fun photography contests coming up.

What you can do: please send your free or paid youth opportunities to Emily and/or f you would like a Jeffcoteens.org poster to hang up in a public setting, please email Debby and she will get you as many as you need or just print your own JeffcoTeens.org posters here.

JeffcoCTC.com: Your source for finding out about CTC meetings, initiatives and activities.

• Looking for PYD training (hint, it’s happening on August 26th at our board meeting from 8 to 10:30) and/or a CTC orientation? Please email Debby for calendar invitations.

• We have a great leadership team! Please remember to send in your nominations for our Executive board in advance of our September 23rd meeting, when we will hold our annual board elections.

  • Are you interested in chairing our Out for Safe Spaces/ Trustable Adults project workgroup? This is a wonderful way to make an impact on the community! Please me (Pamela) know if you are interested or want to find out more!

• New to CTC or feel a little out of the loop with everything going on? Click below to watch six fun, fast video summaries we made for our recent (successful) site visit from the CDC. These videos are also posted on www.jeffcoctc.com under the Key Leaders tab, along with handouts.

What you can do: please consider joining one of our workgroups!

TwelveTalks.com: Twelve Talks to Have With Teens is our coalition’s outreach program for parents and guardians in our community and includes a great website, printable materials, Instagram (@twelve_talks) and live (currently virtual) workshops in both English and Spanish (more info below).

• Jeffco Schools’ nurses and translators are hosting Navigating Substance Experimentation in Teens in English & Spanish each month. They are also holding monthly Start the Conversation classes in English and Spanish! Find out more here and please help us spread the word to parents or guardians who may benefit from these programs.

What you can do: Please post to social media about our talk of the month:

August: Talk with Teens about Friends Teen social relationships take place both in person and -- now more than ever-- online, often using social media. Adults can’t control youth friendships, but you can be a role model for positive, respectful relationships and talk with youth about healthy friendships. You can also open the door for them to talk to you about it with questions like: “What’s the hardest thing about juggling friendships & other stuff?” Or, “What makes somebody a good friend?”

July 2021 

Collaborate for the community

Working together and collaborating is how we are changing our community for the better. Here are a few ways we suggest you help do just that!

• Visit our new website to connect youth to prosocial opportunities & positive social norms! Check out www.jeffcoteens.org.

• • This site will be used to support a social media social norming campaign that is being rolled out in partnership with Jeffco Schools and the Tobacco Prevention Initiative.

  • Additionally, the site has lots of great opportunities for teens to engage in prosocial activities. Does your organization have an activity for teens that you would like to promote? Please send free or paid youth opportunities you’d like to have promoted to local youth to Emily. We will get the word out to youth via Instagram @jeffco_ctc and on www.jeffcoyouth.org!

• Understand community needs. Please send the two surveys, below, out to your network. And be sure to take them yourself, if you’ve not already!

• • Survey #1) Community Health and Wellbeing Survey - English: https://polco.us/smxadq  

• • • Encuesta Comunitaria Sobre Salud y Bienestar - Español: https://polco.us/spc6pp  

    • This survey is also being distributed by mail to a random sampling of Jeffco households.

• • Survey #2) Community Needs Survey – English and Spanish - www.jeffcocovidsurvey.com  

• • • This survey will help the county prioritize use of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to help recover from the pandemic, specifically for community members who’ve been hit the hardest.

• Support our parents and guardians.

• • Please post to social media about our talk of the month: July: Talk with Teens about alcohol. Adults in Jeffco often feel that a little alcohol is harmless for teens. Teens report that a little alcohol usually leads to a LOT of alcohol. The reality is that underage alcohol use — particularly binge drinking — leads to risky sexual behavior, use of other drugs, alcohol poisoning and violence. Make sure you are talking to your teen about alcohol. Open ended questions are a good place to start: Does anything worry you about people your age drinking? Why do you think violence is more common when people drink?

Jeffco Communities That Care Coalition involvement

• CTC board meetings take place on the 4th Thursday of the month from 8-9:30 AM; upcoming topics include:

• • July 22: Strategic Reflection on Jeffco CTC initiatives (agenda)

  • August 26: At this special meeting, Jefferson County Libraries will host a Positive Youth Development Training specifically for the Jeffco CTC board, including discussions about how we can apply the principles to our CTC work, as well as our work at individual agencies or groups. (Note: training will last until 11 AM for those desiring certification).

  • September 23rd: In-depth discussions about our Community Action with Teens approach-- and our Out for Safe Spaces initiative.

• At the July and August Jeffco CTC Board meetings, we will be asking for nominations to our Executive Committee for two co-chairs, all workgroup chairs, and two members at large. Elections will take place in September. Please see our board bylaws for details or contact Pamela.

• The Centers for Disease Control are coming for a (virtual) site visit on August 2nd to understand how our grant dollars are impacting the community. We are looking forward to visiting with them—and all coalition members are welcome to join us. Please reach out to Pamela.

• Key Leaders meeting on Friday, August 13 from 9:00-9:30 AM Immediately following Jeffco Connections meeting (Note: the link is the same as for the Jeffco Connections meeting.)

June 2021

Could you please?

We have a few to-dos that we hope you will help us with:

• Take the new 12-minute community survey CTC helped create and is helping promote—and please send it out to your network. This survey is also being distributed by mail to a random sampling of Jeffco households.

  • English: https://polco.us/smxadq  

  • Spanish: https://polco.us/spc6pp  

• Please continue to send free or paid youth opportunities you’d like to have promoted to local youth through our Instagram @jeffco_ctc to Emily. (See picture at right.)

Updates & News

· Jeffco CTC was honored by being featured by the Centers For Disease Control as a “coalition spotlight” for our youth engagement efforts:

• • “Jefferson County Communities That Care Coalition: Impressed with their work, Jeffco CTC hired four youth interns who are responsible for recruiting and engaging the new group of virtual youth interns. The accessibility of the virtual format appealed to so many teens that almost 40 youth applied. Reluctant to turn away passionate youth, the coalition accepted all the applicants and now have 36 enthusiastic youth interns. JeffCo CTC has enabled their youth to rise to the challenge of fighting substance use in their community. Their youths’ passion and proactive partnership with the school system have set them up for success in changing the policy in their school district. Read the full story here.”

• Jeffco CTC is holding weekly virtual Youth Input Events to collect qualitative data from youth on a variety of topics from encouraging COVID 19 Vaccinations to how to support LQBTQIA+ youth. Youth ages 14-21 who live or go to school in Jeffco can register for upcoming input events via Instagram @jeffco_ctc or here.

• Pamela and several Jeffco CTC youth leaders, along with Arra Katona from Jeffco Libraries, hosted a skill building workshop on youth engagement at the Colorado Shared Risk & Protective Factors conference on Wednesday. The online youth internship toolkit I put together is here.

• You are welcome to stop by JCPH (645 Parfet Street, Lakewood) during business hours M-Th to get a hard copy Jeffco CTC’s Youth Risk and Protective Factor’s data report or access it online here. Please reach out to Pamela with questions or if you would like multiple copies for your organization or agency.

Jeffco Communities That Care Coalition Upcoming meetings

• CTC board meetings take place on the 4th Thursday of the month from 8-9:30 AM; upcoming topics include:

  • June 24: Youth summer projects presentations, including data from our youth input events held so far. Please see the draft agenda here.

  • July 22: Community Action with Teens (CAT) initiative updates

  • August 26: At this special meeting, Jefferson County Libraries will host a Positive Youth Development Training specifically for the Jeffco CTC board, including discussions about how we can apply the principles to our CTC work, as well as our work at individual agencies or groups. (Note: training will last until 11 AM for those desiring certification)

• Key Leaders meeting on Friday, August 13 from 9:00-9:30 AM Immediately following Jeffco Connections meeting (Note: the link is the same as for the Jeffco Connections meeting.)

• Workgroup meetings are were the magic happens. Let Debby know if you would like to join a workgroup.

  • Twelve Talks to Have With Teens: Completing the site revisions & starting a Facebook page-- 3rd Thursdays from 2-3:30 PM

  • Social Emotional Learning & Health Education Policy: Working with Jeffco Schools to update policy and exploring ways to fill identified public health curriculum gaps-- 3rd Thursday from 10-11:30 AM

  • Risk & Protective Factor Data: Administration of surveys and analysis of data (more fun than it sounds)--  4th Tuesday from 1-2 PM

  • Youth Engagement & Trustable Adults: Working towards an Out for Safe Spaces program & supporting/volunteering with our youth leadership program -- 2nd Tuesday from 1-2 PM

  • Policy & Substance Availability: Partnering with youth for policy change & CAT program implementation-- 4th Tuesday from 8:30-10 AM

  • LGBTQIA+ support: TBD

  • Executive: Board meeting agendas & administration-- 3rd Tuesday from 9:30-10:30 AM

Twelve Talks to Have With Teens

Thanks to all the community partners who promote the coalition’s Twelve Talks on their social media accounts! Remember to follow us on Instagram @twelve_talks!

• • June: Talk with Teens about Identity: Identity development is a central task of adolescent development. Who am I? How do I fit in? What is my role? What do I believe in? These are all key questions adolescents are asking themselves. Important dimensions of identity formation include race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. Talking to an adult they trust can help youth form a positive sense of personal identity, so try asking open ended questions like: What do you think has the biggest influence on how you see yourself? What about how other people perceive you?

May 2021

Several of you expressed interest the materials from the event, so those are linked below.

• • 2021 Jeffco CTC Youth Risk & Protective Factor Report is available for download. If you would like printed copies, please contact Pamela for details.

  • Youth Policy Proposal on Social Hosting Liability Laws (video, infographics & messaging campaign)

  • Youth Policy Proposal on Teen Spaces (video, infographics & posters)

• We have an exciting summer planned! As always, all are welcome to attend any meeting or event, whether you are a voting member or not. If you need the calendar invitation & Zoom link to any of the meetings listed, please email Emily.

  • • Please send any summer youth opportunities you’d like to have promoted to local youth through our Instagram @jeffco_ctc to Emily.

    • Attend the Colorado Shared Risk & Protective Factor Virtual Conference June 7-11

      • We have funds to pay for your registration. Email Pamela if you would like us to purchase your registration.

      • Our coalition is PRESENTING at the conference and we are excited! Pamela, Arra, Mel, Vivian & Lola will offer a 2-hour workshop on Youth Engagement.

    • Apply for one of 10 spots to become a Certified QPR trainer August 4 from 8:30 AM to 3:30PM and receive QPR booklets to host trainings for the community. Thanks to Jefferson Center for this opportunity.

    • Come to our Jeffco CTC Coalition orientation, June 3 from 3-5 PM to become a voting member of the board. Please email Emily to register.

• Thanks to all the community partners who promote the coalition’s Twelve Talks on their social media accounts! Remember to follow us on Instagram @twelve_talks!

• April: Talk with Teens about Sources of Strength: Everyone has ups and downs, and leaning on strengths can help people get through tough times. Talking to the youth in your life about their own sources of strength can help them know what to do and where to turn when they need help or support. This can be a really upbeat and fun conversation, perhaps starting out with: What are some of your natural strengths?

• May: Talk with Teens about Mental Health: Mental health is a reflection of the state of well-being in our thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Teens, like all people, have good days and bad days. Help them recognize their positive coping techniques by asking: What do you do to cope when you are dealing with anxiety or feeling down?

• June: Talk with Teens about Identity: Identity development is a central task of adolescent development. Who am I? How do I fit in? What is my role? What do I believe in? These are all key questions adolescents are asking themselves. Important dimensions of identity formation include race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. Talking to an adult they trust can help youth form a positive sense of personal identity, so try asking open ended questions like: What do you think has the biggest influence on how you see yourself? What about how other people perceive you?

• A quick note if you’ve made it all the way to the end of this lengthy email—CTC staff plans to reach out to coalition members who haven’t communicated with us in the past several months. You are very welcome to remain on our email list, so please be sure to respond if you would like to remain connected. On the other hand, if you would like to unsubscribe, please let Debby know.

April 2021

• Several of you expressed interest the materials from the event, so those are linked below.

  • 2021 Jeffco CTC Youth Risk & Protective Factor Report is available for download. If you would like printed copies, please contact Pamela for details.

  • Youth Policy Proposal on Social Hosting Liability Laws (video, infographics & messaging campaign)

  • Youth Policy Proposal on Teen Spaces (video, infographics & posters)

• We have an exciting summer planned! As always, all are welcome to attend any meeting or event, whether you are a voting member or not. If you need the calendar invitation & Zoom link to any of the meetings listed, please email Emily.

  • • Please send any summer youth opportunities you’d like to have promoted to local youth through our Instagram @jeffco_ctc to Emily.

    • Attend the Colorado Shared Risk & Protective Factor Virtual Conference June 7-11

      • We have funds to pay for your registration. Email Pamela if you would like us to purchase your registration.

      • Our coalition is PRESENTING at the conference and we are excited! Pamela, Arra, Mel, Vivian & Lola will offer a 2-hour workshop on Youth Engagement.

    • Apply for one of 10 spots to become a Certified QPR trainer August 4 from 8:30 AM to 3:30PM and receive QPR booklets to host trainings for the community. Thanks to Jefferson Center for this opportunity.

    • Come to our Jeffco CTC Coalition orientation, June 3 from 3-5 PM to become a voting member of the board. Please email Emily to register.

  • CTC board meetings take place on the 4th Thursday of the month from 8-9:30 AM; upcoming topics include:

• • • May 27: Discussion of next steps for youth policy proposals. Please see the draft agenda here.

    • June 24: Youth summer projects presentations. Please see the draft agenda here.

    • July 22: Community Action with Teens (CAT) initiative updates

    • August 26: At this special meeting, Jefferson County Libraries will host a Youth Positive Youth Development Training specifically for the Jeffco CTC board, including discussions about how we can apply the principles to our CTC work, as well as our work at individual agencies or groups. (Note: training will last until 11 AM for those desiring certification)

• Key Leaders meeting on Friday, August 13 from 9:00-9:30 AM Immediately following Jeffco Connections meeting (Note: the link is the same as for the Jeffco Connections meeting.)

• Workgroup meetings this summer will include youth input & youth projects. Let Emily know if you would like to join a workgroup.

  • Twelve Talks to Have With Teens: Completing the site revisions & starting a Facebook page-- 3rd Thursdays from 2-3:30 PM

  • Social Emotional Learning & Health Education Policy: Working with Jeffco Schools to update policy and exploring ways to fill identified public health curriculum gaps-- 3rd Thursday from 10-11:30 AM

  • Risk & Protective Factor Data: Administration of surveys and analysis of data (more fun than it sounds)--  4th Tuesday from 1-2 PM

  • Youth Engagement & Trustable Adults: Working towards an Out for Safe Spaces program & supporting/volunteering with our youth leadership program -- 2nd Tuesday from 1-2 PM

  • Policy & Substance Availability: Partnering with youth for policy change & CAT program implementation-- 4th Tuesday from 8:30-10 AM

  • Executive: Board meeting agendas & administration-- 3rd Tuesday from 9:30-10:30 AM

• Thanks to all the community partners who promote the coalition’s Twelve Talks on their social media accounts! Remember to follow us on Instagram @twelve_talks!

• April: Talk with Teens about Sources of Strength: Everyone has ups and downs, and leaning on strengths can help people get through tough times. Talking to the youth in your life about their own sources of strength can help them know what to do and where to turn when they need help or support. This can be a really upbeat and fun conversation, perhaps starting out with: What are some of your natural strengths?

• May: Talk with Teens about Mental Health: Mental health is a reflection of the state of well-being in our thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Teens, like all people, have good days and bad days. Help them recognize their positive coping techniques by asking: What do you do to cope when you are dealing with anxiety or feeling down?

• June: Talk with Teens about Identity: Identity development is a central task of adolescent development. Who am I? How do I fit in? What is my role? What do I believe in? These are all key questions adolescents are asking themselves. Important dimensions of identity formation include race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. Talking to an adult they trust can help youth form a positive sense of personal identity, so try asking open ended questions like: What do you think has the biggest influence on how you see yourself? What about how other people perceive you?

• A quick note if you’ve made it all the way to the end of this lengthy email—CTC staff plans to reach out to coalition members who haven’t communicated with us in the past several months. You are very welcome to remain on our email list, so please be sure to respond if you would like to remain connected. On the other hand, if you would like to unsubscribe, please let Debby know.

March 2021

• Please register to attend the 2021 Jeffco CTC Annual Youth Voices Event on Thursday, April 22, 2021, 4:00 – 6:00 pm. The 2021 event will include a presentation of your 2021 Jefferson County Youth Risk & Protective Factors Data Report and presentations by our 35 youth interns and 4 youth leaders about changes they would like to see in our community. Please register here.

• Our next board meeting is tomorrow, Thursday February 25 - 8-9:30 am?  At the meeting, we will provide input to our youth regarding their policy proposals. We will also be inviting board members to several upcoming conferences. Please see the agenda here. If you need the Zoom link, please email Emily.

• Check out our Instagram!

  • @twelve_talks includes conversation starters and great tips for talking with teens.

  • @jeffco_ctc is your place to let teens in our community know about opportunities. Let Emily know if you would like a youth opportunity posted (paid or no cost opportunities only, please).

• And last, please post the March talk for Twelve Talks to Have With Teens about Medicine Misuse on Facebook or other social media. Here is a suggested post: Youth from Jefferson County report that sharing prescriptions happens, but is less common than other forms of substance misuse. Adults can protect teens by restricting teen access to both the teen’s own medications and others’ medications — and then safely disposing of unneeded medication. They can also protect them by having open conversations about this topic. One way to start could be a question such as: What would make someone take someone else’s prescription drugs? 

February 2021

• Have you taken the CTC Orientation?

  1. One reason our coalition remains strong is because we invite all new participants to get “caught up” so they can fully contribute sooner.

  2. If you haven’t already attended an orientation/Intro to Jeffco CTC, please attend on March 11 from 4-5:30 PM.

• Do you have Youth Opportunities we can help promote to our hundreds of youth followers?  We’re using our @jeffco_ctc Instagram account to promote great paid and unpaid youth opportunities in the community.  See current opportunities here and tell us about your organization’s youth opportunities by simply emailing them to any CTC team member (or replying to this email).

• Is the 2021 Jeffco CTC Annual Youth Voices Event on Thursday, April 22, 2021, 4:00 – 6:00 pm on your calendar? The 2021 (virtual) youth town hall is on Thursday, February 25th and we have over 150 youth registered. Please plan to attend the Jeffco CTC Annual Youth Voices Event on Thursday, April 22, 2021, 4:00 – 6:00 pm to learn about findings from the town hall— and what youth recommend we do to improve protective factors and reduce risk factors in our community.

• Will you be at our next board meeting on Thursday February 25 - 8-9:30 am?  At the meeting, our youth leaders will provide updates on several projects, then the Executive Committee will be seeking your input regarding improving diversity, equity and inclusion in our coalition and in our CTC work. Please see the agenda here. If you need the Zoom link, please email Emily.

• And last, have you posted the February talk for Twelve Talks to Have With Teens about Dating on Facebook or other social media? Here is a suggested post: Do teens even use the word “dating”? You would need to ask each teen! Regardless of what it might be called, make sure you talk to your teen about creating healthy and safe relationships, whether or not they are involved with a significant other. Here is a sample question you might ask: What kinds of things would you consider to be crossing the line for a boyfriend or girlfriend?

January 2021

• Let’s celebrate! We got the CDPHE 2021-26 Grant! We were recommended for funding for the five-year “Shared Risk & Protective Factor Approach to Substance Misuse Prevention in Colorado” grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (aka “The CTC grant”).  Exact funding details, including the level of funding, will be known later this spring. Thanks again to the many partners who invested long hours to ensure this funding for our growing coalition!

• Help encourage youth involvement:

  • Please invite Jeffco Youth (high school age) to register for our 2021 Virtual Youth Town Hall, Thursday, February 25 by sending them this link: https://forms.gle/XYAmmAvZH2qw1vwZ6 Each participant will receive a $20 Amazon.com gift card. Topics this year include discussions about teen gathering spots and how to prevent adults from providing alcohol to teens.

  • Do you have Youth Opportunities we can help promote?  We’re using our @jeffco_ctc Instagram campaign to promote great paid and unpaid youth opportunities in the community.  See current opportunities and tell us about your organization’s youth opportunities here.

• Save the dates:

  • Jeffco CTC Annual Discovery & Recognition Event on Thursday, April 22, 2021, 4:00 – 6:00pm This event will showcase the work of our 39 Youth Interns and 4 Youth Leaders, who will share two policy proposals on these youth-selected topics: 1) decreasing alcohol access from adults, 2) safe spaces for youth.

  • Save the Date -- Helping Teens Thrive…Together Virtual Conference on March 6 This free, 2-hour community event for teens and their trusted adult will be held virtually. Registrants will work closely with experts in the fields of psychology, public health, and suicide prevention to connect and learn new skills together!

• Please join us at the board meeting is next Thur. Jan. 28th - 8-9:30am.  At the meeting, we’ll focus on Youth Projects and discuss our updated Logic Models and upcoming youth data report. Please see the agenda, here. If you need the Zoom link, please email Emily.

• And last, please post the January talk for Twelve Talks to Have With Teens about Boundaries on Facebook or other social media! Here is a suggested post:  

  • Youth with clear boundaries are happier and safer. When parents have clear rules and expectations, including knowing where teens are when they aren't home, youth are less likely to experience depression, misuse substances and are more likely to do well in school. Learn more at twelvetalks.com.   https://www.twelvetalks.com/boundaries

December 2019

• Have you taken the coalition survey?: CU Boulder has sent each of you a survey about our coalition functioning. Thanks to the 52% of you who have filled out the survey. If you have not already completed the survey, please do so. You should have received an email from Sophie.Dila@Colorado.EDU with a link to the survey; please email her directly if you did not receive your personalized link.

• PYD training opportunities in 2020: We have great training opportunities for adults who work with youth coming up in 2020. Please visit trustableadults.com for dates and to register.

• Orientation for new members: If you are new to the Jefferson County Communities That Care Coalition—or have a colleague or community member who might want to learn more about our collaborative work, please join us for this interactive session. The next CTC Orientation is on Friday, January 17, 2020 from 8 AM to 10:30 AM. Please register here.

• Please continue to promote Twelve Talks to Have With Teens by posting to social media: This month, we are asking coalition members to post on social media about Sex and Consent. Please visit www.twelvetalks.com/toolkit for specific messaging for this month. 

• Also please continue to spread the work about Navigating Substance Experimentation in Teens (NSET) parenting workshops www.twelvetalks.com/workshops.This workshops are offered monthly to parents and guardians. The workshop includes information about substances and their effects on teen development, strategies including positive coping and harm reduction, and information about how to connect with behavioral health care. 

• Hot off the press!: A new one-pager outlining the work of our coalition is now available here.

• Board meetings: We will not have a December CTC board meeting. The next board meeting will be January 30th from 8 to 9:30 AM at 645 Parfet, Lakewood, CO 80215. 

November 2019

• Our coalition’s first Navigating Substance Experimentation in Teens (NSET) Parenting Workshop (see below) will take place on November 6th and will be repeated on the first Wednesday of each month from 6 PM to 8 PM at JCPH. This interactive workshop is for parents and guardians of teens who are using alcohol, marijuana, vape products or tobacco (or may suspect they are).  

• The topic for November’s Twelve Talks is Vape & Tobacco. Please post the information, below!

• At the October Board meeting, Amy Dillion and Amy Dyett presented their report on Jeffco Public School’s Health Education & Social Emotional Learning (SES) programs. Their presentation, along with a sign up link to participate in an ad hoc group on the topic, is posted on Jefferson County CTC’s website. 

• We will vote on the coalition’s proposed, updated bylaws at the November 21st board meeting. If you are interested in having input into the changes, please take a moment to read them before the meeting.

• 19 students from Wheat Ridge High School, Lakewood High School, Jefferson Jr/Sr High School, and Longview High School have been selected to participate in the 2019-2020 Youth Researcher Internship Program. This year they will be tackling the important topic of interpersonal violence made possible through a Community First Foundation grant.

October 2019

• Our coalition’s first Navigating Substance Experimentation in Teens (NSET) Parenting Workshop (see below) will take place on November 6th and will be repeated on the first Wednesday of each month from 6 PM to 8 PM at JCPH. This interactive workshop is for parents and guardians of teens who are using alcohol, marijuana, vape products or tobacco (or may suspect they are).  

• The topic for November’s Twelve Talks is Vape & Tobacco. Please post the information, below!

• At the October Board meeting, Amy Dillion and Amy Dyett presented their report on Jeffco Public School’s Health Education & Social Emotional Learning (SES) programs. Their presentation, along with a sign up link to participate in an ad hoc group on the topic, is posted on Jefferson County CTC’s website. 

• We will vote on the coalition’s proposed, updated bylaws at the November 21st board meeting. If you are interested in having input into the changes, please take a moment to read them before the meeting.

• 19 students from Wheat Ridge High School, Lakewood High School, Jefferson Jr/Sr High School, and Longview High School have been selected to participate in the 2019-2020 Youth Researcher Internship Program. This year they will be tackling the important topic of interpersonal violence made possible through a Community First Foundation grant. 

September 2019 

• First, congratulations to everyone who worked collaboratively to create Twelve Talks to Have With Teens. We are already getting positive responses from school personnel, parents and community partners. If you haven’t already, please post September’s talk-of-the-month about Hopefulness and Coping on your Facebook page or newsletter. See below!

• Another big congratulations to the Trustable Adults team! Their website is up and running—and they are continuing to add community partners. Find out more at the September 26th Community Board meeting, 8 AM at JCPH.

• Our coalition’s first Navigating Substance Experimentation in Teens (NSET) Parenting Workshop will take place on November 2nd and will be repeated on the first Wednesday of each month from 6 PM to 8 PM at JCPH. This interactive workshop is for parents and guardians of teens who are using alcohol, marijuana, vape products or tobacco (or may suspect they are).  Would your organization like to help promote these classes to parents? If so, please ask us about our toolkit that will include flyers, business-card-sized handouts, posters and one-pagers (attached and below).

• Our Interpersonal Violence Prevention team has completed a planning retreat and is excited to move forward. We will be hiring Youth Research Interns to help create a social norming campaign around this important topic. If you know a high school age youth from Lakewood, Edgewater or Wheatridge who might want to apply, please have them visit jeffcoctc.com for more information. 

• Finally, if you are interested in Jeffco Public School’s Health Education & Social Emotional Learning (SES) programs, plan to attend the Oct. 24th Community Board meeting, 8 AM at JCPH, to hear a report on the topic from consultants hired by our coalition to study the issue.

August 2019

• Positive Youth Development: August 23rd 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. CTC and Jeffco Public Library have partnered to provide a free Positive Youth Development training at the Edgewater Library (see attached flier). Community members are welcome to attend. Lunch included. Please rsvp at www.jeffcoctc.com.

• Inclusivity & Allyship : July 24th Mike Freeman & Kevin McCloskey, from the Community Action Network Coalition at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, will offer a training on Inclusivity & Allyship (see attached flier) from 12 noon to 2 PM, free lunch included. 

• LGBTQ+ Best Practices- Conversation with Coalitions: July 24th  from 2:30 – 4:00 PM Mike Freeman & Kevin McCloskey, LA LGBT Center, will provide an opportunity for an interactive conversation for community coalition leaders or facilitators who would like in-depth information on programming and development (see attached flier). This is open to any community coalition.  

• Youth Culture 101: During our next community board meeting, youth summer staff will present Youth Culture 101, including photo voice stories and much more. The board meetings is on July 25th  from 8 to 9:30 AM. Guests are welcome, but please RSVP to Bing Walker bewalker@jeffco.us if you or a guest don’t normally attend board meetings. ***Please bring your cell phone to the board meeting so you can use it for a game the youth have planned.***

• *Sorry, this training has been CANCELLED* Policy Change for Community Change: August 5th from 8 AM to 4 PM, CTC plans to host an in-depth policy change training. This will be a hands-on training from the perspective of Drug-Free Communities focusing on how each of us can have a systems impact by strategically shifting policies in our places of employment, our communities and the organizations we are part of. This is open to any community coalition or organization. *CANCELLED* 

July 2019

• Cannabis retailers responsible vending lunch Wednesday, August 7; 12-1:30 pm; Gold Crown Clubhouse; 2501 Chase Street, Edgewater, Lunch is free! RSVP here.

June 2019

• On June 26th, we are collecting Community Input (parents, guardians or care-givers of middle/high school students—and teenagers) for our Twelve Talks to Have With Teens initiative, as well as thoughts on health education. If you know a caregiver or teenager who would like to give input and receive a $20 gift card PLUS free food, please have them register at www.JeffcoCTC.com . NOTE: these sessions are for adults and teenagers not already familiar with the Twelve Talks initiative, as we are seeking feedback on reactions to the potential campaign rollout. 

• Our four summer youth staff will be presenting photo voice stories and “Youth Culture 101” at our next Board meeting on July 25th from 8 AM to 9:30 AM at 645 Parfet Street in Lakewood. Key leaders and community members are welcome to attend! An RSVP would help us plan for the right number of attendees. If you are not a regular Board meeting attendee and would like to attend on July 25th, please email bewalker@jeffco.us. 

• We have several upcoming FREE trainings and meetings we hope you will add to your calendars and invite others:

  • SAVE THE DATE: On July 24th Mike Freeman & Kevin McCloskey, from the Community Action Network Coalition at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, will offer a training on Inclusivity & Allyship. Specific details will be forthcoming. 

  • SAVE THE DATE: August 5th CTC will host a Policy Change for Community Change training. This will be a hands-on training from the perspective of Drug-Free Communities focusing on how each of us can have a systems impact by strategically shifting policies in our places of employment, our communities and the organizations we are part of. More details to come.

  • SAVE THE DATE: August 23rd 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. CTC and Jeffco Public Libraries have partnered to provide a free Positive Youth Development training at the Edgewater Library. Community members are welcome to attend. Registration will be available in July. 

• Please encourage any retail marijuana or alcohol store owners or managers you have contact with to join a new “responsible retailers” group. The first meeting will be on June 28th from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Retailers can sign up at www.JeffcoCTC.com. 

May 2019

• Thank you so much to everyone who attended the coalition’s Recognition & Discoveries Reception last Friday. If you attended the event, please take a moment to complete this very short event survey. Our gratitude goes out to everyone who made the event a success, including all of you who helped with the youth town hall & youth internship, those who assisted with designing the posters, presenters, and partners who hosted tables! Also, thank you to our funders—the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and SAMHSA/Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) Drug Free Communities, without which the event—and this work—would not be possible! If you missed the event or didn’t have time to take everything in, the youth videos and gallery walk posters can be viewed at www.jeffcoctc.com.

• Have you joined an implementation work group yet? There is still time! Join us this Friday, 9 AM to 11 AM for the initial “Policy & Substance Availability Workgroup” meeting-- or select from among this list of upcoming workgroup meetings. These meetings will be held at Jefferson County Public Health: 

  • • • Policy & Substance Availability Workgroup Friday, April 19, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. (additional members needed!)

      • 12 Talks to Have with Teens Workgroup, Friday, May 10, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

      • Trustable Adults Workgroup, Monday, May 13 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

      • Data Workgroup, Monday, May 13, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. (additional members needed!)

      • Youth Engagement & Community Resources Workgroup, Tuesday, May 14 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. (additional members needed!)

• We also have a general few scheduling reminders:

  • • • There will not be an April Board meeting; the next Board meeting is May 23rd from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. at Jefferson County Public Health.

      • A new board member orientation is coming up on May 9th from 8:00 – 10:30 a.m. Please register for Jefferson County CTC orientation here. 

• AND a big congratulations to last year’s youth research interns, recipients of a 2018 Public Health Champions Award! During National Public Health Week, April 1-7, 2019, Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) held an awards luncheon to recognize this year’s Public Health Champions. The awardees were honored for their incredible efforts to make Jefferson County a healthier, safer community. Learn more about the awardees and watch videos of their stories.

• Share Your Thoughts & Get Free Food! Communities That Care is looking for parents, guardians and caregivers of youth aged 14-20 years old to give our coalition input about several upcoming CTC initiatives. This will be a fun, hour-long session during which you will provide opinions on websites, advertisements, materials, concepts and more. All will be held June 26th in Mt. Bierstadt: 

• • Youth Parent/Guardian/Caregiver: 12-1 p.m.

  • Youth Aged 14-20 Years Old: 3-4 p.m.

  • Youth Parent/Guardian/Caregiver: 5:30-6:30 p.m. Participants (including teens!!!) will receive a $20 gift card. *Sorry, we are not allowed to offer JCPH employees a gift card, but you can have a free lunch.

April 2019

• Jefferson County CTC in the news! https://goldentranscript.net/stories/volunteers-are-the-vital-heart-of-the-organization,278673?  

• Don’t miss the April 12th CTC Recognition & Discoveries Reception: If you have not done so already, please RSVP for our big yearly event, coming up on April 12 from 4:30 to 6:30 PM at St. Anthony’s Hospital meeting rooms, by visiting our coalition website at www.jeffcoctc.com. This event will include an overview of progress the coalition has made over the past year—and exciting plans for next year. The event will also feature partner tables and youth-produced videos. You are welcome and encouraged to bring guests, especially anyone you know who might be interested in the issues CTC is working on. Please register your guests using the same form.

1. This year, your organization can have a display at the event: At the event, CTC partners are invited to have a table about their organization’s work in Jefferson County. To have a table at the event, you must register at www.jeffcoctc.com. 

2. Join a CTC work group: Finally, would you be interested in becoming involved in a CTC implementation work group this spring? Work groups are open to everyone—board members, key leaders, community or organizational volunteers, teachers, youth, parents—anyone who wants to help. Planning meetings for each work group are coming up now! Email me for your calendar invitation. For more information about each project listed below, please attend the April 12th event.

   1. Trust-able adult collaboration: pre-workshop survey going out March 28th; planning workshop April 3rd 8 AM to 10 AM at JCPH

   2. 12 Talks to have with Teens: pre-workshop survey out to work group members now (check your email!); planning workshop April 3rd 10 AM to 12 PM at JCPH

   3. Youth Engagement & Community Outreach work group: April 9th 3:30-4:30 PM at JCPH

   4. Policy & Substance Use Availability work group: April 19th 9 AM to 11 AM Denver West, Jeffco Schools

   5. Data work group: next regular meeting (not a planning meeting) April 8th 3:30-4:30 PM at JCPH 

March 2019

• We have several training opportunities open to board members, with many or all expenses paid by the coalition, as long as you are willing and able to share what you learn to support our collaborative work!

  • Uniting to Prevent School Violence in Aurora, CO April 16; please contact us if you would like to attend.

  • Culture of Data Conference in Denver, May 3; please contact us if you would like to attend

  • Colorado Risk & Protective Factor Conference, May 29-31, Keystone Colorado SIGN UP TO ATTEND HERE

  • CADCA Mid-year Training Institute, Dallas, July 14-18 SIGN UP TO ATTEND HERE

  • Advocating for Policy & Systems Change, Lakewood CO; TBD

• The Strategic & Action Planning retreat on Jan. 27 was a great success, despite an ill-timed snow storm. Based on input from the retreat, we will be organizing our coalition’s work going forward at our next board meeting. The executive committee is proposing the following workgroups and project groups. You are invited to join one or more groups, which we will start organizing at our next regularly scheduled board meeting Feb. 28, from 8:00 to 9:30 AM, at Jefferson County Public Health.

• Please save the date for our next Recognition & Awards reception on April 12th, 4:30 to 6:30 PM. Our youth interns will present their findings from the youth town hall which was held on Feb. 15, 2019. 

• Next year, Jeffco Schools will use an opt-out model for the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey! https://goldentranscript.net/stories/jeffco-schools-moves-toward-opt-out-model-for-health-kids-co-survey,277015 

• Our second annual youth town hall, held Feb. 15th, was a huge success with over 70 youth in attendance. The evening included many in-depth, youth-led discussions about youth mental health, substance use, interpersonal violence, and relationships with peers and adults. Thanks to each of you who were there to help support our youth. If you want to learn what we heard from youth in our community, please come to the April 12th event (see above). 

February 2019

• The Strategic & Action Planning retreat on Jan. 27 was a great success, despite an ill-timed snow storm. Based on input from the retreat, we will be organizing our coalition’s work going forward at our next board meeting. The executive committee is proposing the following workgroups and project groups. You are invited to join one or more groups, which we will start organizing at our next regularly scheduled board meeting Feb. 28, from 8:00 to 9:30 AM, at Jefferson County Public Health.

• Please save the date for our next Recognition & Awards reception on April 12th, 4:30 to 6:30 PM. Our youth interns will present their findings from the youth town hall which was held on Feb. 15, 2019. 

• Would you like to attend the Colorado Risk and Protective Factor conference in Keystone on May 29-31, 2019? We are able to fund 10 coalition members, youth and/or staff to attend to collect information related to our coalition’s work. If you are interested in attending as a JC CTC coalition representative, please sign up here. 

• We are also planning to take a group to the next CADCA Training Conference in Dallas, July 14th- 18th https://www.cadca.org/news/register-today-mid-year .

• Next year, Jeffco Schools will use an opt-out model for the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey! https://goldentranscript.net/stories/jeffco-schools-moves-toward-opt-out-model-for-health-kids-co-survey,277015 

• Our second annual youth town hall, held Feb. 15th, was a huge success with over 70 youth in attendance. The evening included many in-depth, youth-led discussions about youth mental health, substance use, interpersonal violence, and relationships with peers and adults. Thanks to each of you who were there to help support our youth. If you want to learn what we heard from youth in our community, please come to the April 12th event (see above). 

January 2019

• Save the date for our yearly Recognition & discoveries Event April 12, 2019 from 4:30 to 6:30 PM at Centura/St. Anthony's Hospital.

• Thanks to all of you who have been able to participate in our ad hoc planning groups over the past month! We have come up with some great strategies to present to the rest of the Board and key leaders at our retreat for discussion, debate and planning. We are asking that active Key Leaders and Board members sign up for the January 24th Strategic and Action Planning retreat here so that we can plan food and activities for the correct amount of attendees. 

December 2017 

• The CTC Board continues to make progress on goals: The Data Workgroup continues to analyze and the Resources Workgroup is designing a system to assess resources already available in our community. At the same time, our Board Executive Committee is finalizing formal by-laws. Our Youth Engagement group is hosting a Youth Advocacy Workshop on February 4th and hiring youth researchers.

•  Now hiring youth researchers from our community. Please spread the word, CTC is hiring a group of student researchers from Lakewood HS, Wheat Ridge HS, Jefferson Jr./Sr. and McClain/Longview HS to help our community better understand risk and protective related to youth substance abuse, violence, and mental health. Find out more, download a flier and/or register here.

November 2017 

• Press release JCPH Awarded Federal and State Grants to Prevent Youth Substance Abuse Before It Starts

October 2017

•  With the support of our CTC coalition, JCPH has received funding for a Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention grant and is seeking engagement from community partners to help guide the planning and evaluation of this project.  A small task force will meet approximately 3 times between Dec.2017-August 2018 to provide input and lend expertise for the development of educational events for prescribing providers in Jefferson County during 2018-2019.  Please contact Kelly Conroy, kconroy@jeffco.us, if you are interested in joining this task force and helping move this important project forward.

• We are now holding new Key Leader and Community Board member orientations. If you weren't able to attend all or part of the retreats held in August and September, please sign up here.

•  The CTC Community Board voted to support a grant application for a Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention program. On October 31, we received notice that the grant was awarded to Jefferson County! This funding will help provide educational opportunities for medical providers in Jefferson County to increase their knowledge and awareness of the CDC guidelines for opioid prescribing, best practices for pain management,  increased awareness of MAT, and better identification of opioid use disorders. 

September 2017

•  We have a vision statement: Jefferson County is a thriving, healthy, and safe community for our youth.

• September 2017: Jefferson County received the SAMHSA Drug Free Communities Grants! Congratulations to all who worked hard to secure this funding.