About
Crook County has led prevention efforts in one form or the other for at least 20 years. At times, the focus was solely on tobacco, other times it was on mental health and preventing suicide. In 2018, the Be Well Coalition and prevention staff became part of the county public health office, located in the County Seat of Sundance. The Wyoming Department of Health is the main funding agency providing support to community coalitions to prevent alcohol, tobacco and other drug misuse as well as reduce and prevent suicide.
In 2023, the coalition was awarded a five year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the Drug Free Communities program. There are around 750 coalitions around the country with this special funding and we are one of four in Wyoming.
The DFC program goals are to:
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Establish and strengthen collaboration among communities, public and private non-profit agencies, and Federal, state, local and tribal governments to support the efforts of community coalitions working to prevent and reduce substance use among youth.
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Reduce substance use among youth and, over time, reduce substance use among adults by addressing the factors in a community that increase risk for substance use and promoting factors that minimize risk for substance use.
How our coalition makes community-wide change
Strategic Prevention Framework
The Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) is a data-driven process that coalitions use to address the substance use and related behavioral health problems facing communities.
The five steps of the SPF are:
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Capacity: Build local resources and readiness to address prevention needs.
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Planning: Find out what works to address prevention needs and how to do it.
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Implementation: Deliver evidence-based programs and practices as intended.
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Evaluation: Examine the process and outcomes of programs and practices.
In the middle of this process you'll see Sustainability and Community Relevance. We must always ensure our work matches our communities and that what seeds we plant today result in a longevity of prevention.
Bylaws
At the Be Well Coalition of Crook County, our Leadership Team worked for six months to develop a new structure for us to operate, this included an updated Mission, Vision and Bylaws. Starting now and as we grow, we can ensure transparency and integrity in all our programs, strategies and activities.
Feel free to take a look HERE and of course, you are very welcome to get more involved!
Leadership
A dedicated group of volunteers from all over the county with various backgrounds, committed to guiding and shaping the policies and strategies of the coalition. They meet monthly on the 2nd Monday of the month at 5PM.