Community Mobilization

Program Overview  |  Committees  |  Data / Information
Calendar  |  Resources  |  Contact Staff

Program Overview

The Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments’ Community Mobilization Department was created to address substance abuse prevention and education and to reduce violence in our community. Community Mobilization (CM) staff are currently coordinating programs and services guided by the Cowlitz Substance Abuse Coalition (CSAC) and the Cowlitz Meth Action Team (CMAT); committees dedicated to uniting a healthy and safe community by reducing substance abuse and violence through integrated efforts. Through these programs, staff is able to bring the community together to focus on pertinent substance abuse issues affecting Cowlitz County today.

CM staff collaborates with multiple community agencies and individuals who work together in devising and implementing proven strategies over multiple sectors throughout the county.  Though the scope and focus of the groups may diverge, their goal is the same. 

The CM Department can provide information, resources, and support to individuals, groups, and communities through inter-agency cooperation, development of targeted strategies, and implementing those strategies to reduce the impact and incidence of alcohol and drug abuse, and subsequent violence. 

Committees

The programs guided by CSAC and CMAT are overseen by knowledgeable and experienced individuals from local social service agencies, substance abuse treatment facilities, law enforcement  and local government entities, faith-based communities, local businesses, schools, media, concerned citizens, parents, and the recovery community.  If you are interested in joining the efforts to reduce substance abuse/violence in our community and making it a safer place to live, please contact us or click here. Click on the CSAC and/or CMAT links in this paragraph for further information regarding these programs.

As a non-profit organization, there are several ways in which you can help:

• Volunteer - our organizations are frequently looking for volunteers for community events. Additionally, we have a number of youth-oriented activities well suited for high school and middle school students. If you have any interest in volunteering for us or any of our affiliates, please fee free to call or email.
• Donate - the CMAT and CSAC are always happy to accept donations. If you would like to make a tax exempt contribution in support of drug abuse prevention and education, feel free to call or email.
• Training - we offer a wide variety of training materials and programs. Additionally, we have hundreds of brochures and free material focusing on important subjects such as methamphetamine, tobacco, suicide prevention and prescription drug abuse. If you are interested, please contact our office.

Programs

Staff efforts continually change to meet the current needs in our community; however, the following programs have been cornerstones of the community mobilization efforts.

• Youth Leadership Academy ~ aka: Teen Leadership Week

• Strengthening Families Program (10-14 year old version)

• Teen Mentor Program: high school teens mentoring elementary age youth

• County-wide Youth Drug and Alcohol Prevention Summit

Along with these programs, staff are also available for presentations and trainings on all areas of substance abuse, risk and protective factors, social norms, drug endangered children, and family effects of substance abuse. CSAC and CMAT are committed to affect positive change in the community by making an impact on the lives of local youth. These programs and activities promote healthy lifestyles and substance abuse awareness. If you, or anyone you know, would like more information on substance abuse, healthy families, drug endangered children, or youth violence; or are interested in participating in any of these activities, please contact us. 

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Data / Information

Statistics from the 2009 Tobacco, Alcohol, and Other Drug Abuse Trends in Washington State show:

1. The drug-induced death rate in Washington, which has been higher than the national average for 30 years, is increasing rapidly.
2. Alcohol abuse and underage drinking continue to be Washington State’s biggest drug problems; one-fifth of Washington 12th graders reported being drunk or high in school in the past year.
3. In 2008, almost 4 in 10 admissions to publicly funded treatment for prescription-type opiate addiction were for young adults ages 18-25.
4. Youth ages 12-20 account for 30% of all US abusive and dependent drinkers.
5. Youth who start drinking at age 14 or younger are four times more likely to become alcohol dependent in their lifetimes than those who start drinking at age 20 or older.
6. Washington State ranks 6th in the nation for non-medical use of prescription pain relievers by those ages 12 and over.
7. By 12th grade, almost half of Washington adolescents have tried smoking.
8. Almost a third of Washington 6th graders have tried alcohol.
9. Marijuana use in the past 30 days among Washington State students is increasing and remains significantly above the national rate
10. About 1 in 8 Washington State 12th graders used prescription pain relievers to get high in the past 30 days – more than twice the percentage of those who had used methamphetamine even once in their lifetime. Of these, slightly more than half (6.0% of all 12th graders) had used them three or more times, suggesting a risk for addiction or other serious consequences.

However.....

• The percentage of students, both in Washington and nationally, who have ever tried smoking is declining.
• As a result of Washington State Tobacco Control efforts, smoking prevalence among adults has declined 30% since 2001.
• In 2008, the percentage of Washington State high school students who reported having tried methamphetamine declined significantly.

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Calendar

Click the calendar icon to the left to view the CWCOG calendar.

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Resources

For educational information on substance abuse and violence, as well as resources that are available locally, click here.

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Contact Staff

For further information, please contact us at cwcog@cwcog.org, or call 360.577.3041.

Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments
Administration Annex
207 4th Avenue North
Kelso, WA 98626

Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

• Shannon Miller, Coordinator, Cowlitz Substance Abuse Coalition/Cowlitz Meth Action Team
• Brian McCrady, Program Coordinator, Cowlitz Substance Abuse Coalition
  

Directions to our office

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