YSAPC meets the first Tuesday of every other month at the LifeWorks East Site, 835 N. Pleasant Valley Rd.
The 2020 meeting schedule is:
- December 2, 2019, 11:30am-1:30pm **Note: Date change to a Monday**
- Monday, February 3, 11:30am-1:30pm **Note: Date change to a Monday**
- Tuesday, April 7, 11:30am-1:30pm ** Note: Canceled due to CoronaVirus
- Tuesday, June 2, 11:30am-1:30pm
- Tuesday, August 4, 11:30am-1:30pm
- Tuesday, October 6, 11:30am-1:30pm
- Tuesday, December 1, 11:30am-1:30pm
February 3, 2019, 11:30am-1:30pm, LifeWorks East
Opioid Misuse Project Updates – report on Year 3 YSAPC Roles and Expectations
SafeHaven Harm Reduction, an Austin based non profit organization, presented explaining their mission is to provide education and peer-based services using harm reduction principles within the music and arts community; establishing an inclusive culture of physical safety, psychological support and informed decision making. The organization creates an atmosphere of inclusion and compassion to empower participants in making informed choices free of judgement and stigma.
December 2, 2019, 11:30am-1:30pm, LifeWorks East
2019 SAMHSA “Communities Talk Underage Drinking and Vaping Prevention” Town Hall – Debrief to membership
2019 Regional Needs Assessment by Jared Datzman, Prevention Resource Center (PRC) 7 Data Coordinator, discussed findings from the most recent Regional Needs Assessment and upcoming information from the coming year’s needs assessment, talk about the Texas School Survey and Texas College Survey and its role in the needs assessment process and the benefits of it for schools and communities. The PRC has three main functions: to establish itself as a data repository and produce yearly needs assessments for the region, to promote the 4 state prevention priorities through media, social media, and support of prevention coalitions, and to ensure that retailers are in compliance for tobacco sales through compliance checks.
Mental Health/Food/Domestic Violence/Substance Use Resources by Mary Dodd, Senior Planner for Integral Care, shared resources developed by Work Groups of the Children’s Mental Health Plan that are are posted on the Kids Living Well (formerly the Children and Youth Mental Health Planning Partnership) website: https://kidslivingwell.org/ available in English and in Spanish. Resources for dealing with a mental health crisis for families, schools and community agencies: · Mental Health Flier for Families gives signs to look for and key referral information · What to do when your child has a mental health crisis – a Travis County map of services · After a crisis – parental rights and information.
October 1. 2019, 11:30 am-1:30 pm
Presentation of Executive Committee
Effective September 1, 2019
Nomination and voting on Past Chair
Preventing Opioid Misuse Among Girls Ages 10-17 Office on Women’s Health Prevention Award (OWHPA) Updates
We just finished Q1 (July-September) of Year 3
Vanessa Sarria, Cardea Project Manager, will summarize the presentation Cardea delivered at Office of Women’s Health in Washington, DC the week of September 16-20.
2019 SAMHSA Communities Talk Underage Drinking Prevention Town Hall Updates– Tuesday, October 29, 6-7:30pm at Rudy Zapata Room, Integral Care Dove Springs, 5015 S IH35
- Focus on underage drinking and vaping
- Adolescent Brain Development/Effects of Substance Use
- Underage Drinking – MADD, UDPP
- Vaping – Texans Standing Tall
- UT Students’ Role
August 13, 2019, 11:30am-1:30pm, LifeWorks East
June Prevention Summit Debrief
- Recap and Evaluation Results
82 people attended that were not panelists or presenters but with panelists and presenters was a total of 99 people
- Presentation by Dr. Jessica Cance where 100% rated her as effective speaker
- Presentation and panel of youth that went over really well—a major takeaway was that youth appreciated being heard but also enjoyed building relationships with each other whom they had things in common with
- Policy panel where local and state agencies spoke, and people overall enjoyed but wanted more connection to the youth and how it impacts them
- 74% said they would be likely or very likely to make a change in how they work with youth
- School panel—wanted to know what school was doing in terms of policy and procedures in terms of use and misuse
- 97% of participants thought this was effective and 94% said this improved their understanding of the importance of having student data in order to build capacity
- Had representation from Central Texas which helped expand scope of knowledge
- YSAPC is open to ideas or feedback at future meetings for next year’s summit in order to enhance our own skills
YSAPC Updates: Treasurer’s Report
- YSAPC has $12,984.83 in account having Spent about $2400 on the June Summit
- Thoughts on branding in order to make YSAPC more visible
- Membership brings up idea of having food at future meetings—
- Perhaps a bigger summit would be a great idea and an opportunity to inspire and encourage people to come and share information with each other and hosting a resource fair
Kids Living Well is a FB group that is important to this groups (YSAPC) so membership should go and look at this for resources
February 2, 2019, 2:20-4:30 pm
Nathaniel Fomby, Youth Engagement Intern, Texans Standing Tall presented on “Taking Community Engagement to the Next Level: Best Practices for Involving Youth in Underage Alcohol Use Prevention” Texans Standing Tall, a statewide coalition, has developed the Guide to Effective Engagement, a tool that can be used to engage young people in prevention efforts. This presentation guided participants on how to effectively engage a community through adult and youth partnerships including best practices and strategic steps for implementing environmental prevention of underage drinking, tobacco and other drug use.
December 4, 2018, 2:30-4:30pm
Laura Gold with Integral Care presented on Substance Abuse and Suicide, explaining that Mental illness, substance use, and suicide are public health crises. While the prevalence of mental disorders in children and adolescents is estimated to be approximately 20% in any given year, 8.1% of the population over 12 have a substance use disorder in that same time period. A person dies by suicide every 13 minutes in the United States, every 3 hours in Texas, and every 3rd day in Austin. In 2016, suicide was the 2nd leading cause of death for individuals ages 10 to 34. More than 90% of people who die by suicide also experience depression, substance use disorder or both. We can prevent this from continuing by taking Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) which provides people with the skills they need to help a youth in experiencing a mental health and/or substance use crisis, as well as a suicidal crisis.
October 2, 2018 — YSAPC Meeting
Gina Giachetti, Special Agent, Austin DEA explained the DEA current strategies and funding to prevent or reduce the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs among adolescents in Texas and in Travis County-360 degree strategy. She added that DEA recognizes that they cannot arrest their way out of the drug problem-want lasting success in the communities they serve. Community partnerships: Provide DEA Leadership, Have Lasting Impact, Change Attitudes by doing a lot with recovery groups and community partners in the field of law enforcement, prevention, treatment, health, media, social services, faith communities, etc. DEA continues to put on Opioid Prescription Drug Abuse Seminar.
What drugs DEA is seeing in Travis County: Still traditional drugs: cocaine, meth, heroine followed closely by synthetics (K2)
- Top scheduled drugs: Schedule II: Oxycontin and Hydrocodone (Many times this is employees stealing doctor’s prescription pads and selling prescriptions); Schedule III: steroids; Schedule IV: Xanax and Tramadol
- Prosecution is hard and will sometimes go to medical board to get license of doctor revoked. Imported pill presses are on-going problem with many people buying online to manufacture their own pills to sell — what is being pressed and putting out there is identical to the drug you can get at the pharmacy but what is in them is not identitcal, there is often times meth, etizolam, ecstasy, etc.
August 21, 2018 — YSAPC Meeting
Joe Dias, M.Ed, LPC-S, Mr. D Counseling Services and Director of Family Services for University High School 
presented on the relationship between mental health and substance abuse, adolescent substance use, dually diagnosed adolescents, and ACEs as risk factors to SUD. He addressed strategies to enhance awareness and approaches to introducing preventative factors in our communities, as well as our most influential “clique” amongst our life cycle, the family. Some points: Be careful not to assume the whole story because a few symptoms checked off – and explore traumatic experiences that may lead to increased drug use/dependence. *ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences): Household substance abuse, parental verbal abuse, chronic bullying, parent incarceration, poverty and homelessness, domestic violence, etc. Impact of 4+ ACES brings higher risk behaviors, emotional problems, health risks probability of getting introduced to substances increases.
Jessica Miller, Child & Youth Program Coordinator with NAMI Austin presented on NAMI’s Austin’s programs, especially those that are geared towards teens and parents of teens. NAMI provides classes, support groups, presentations and hope for families and individuals navigating mental illness.
- Family to Family: 12-week course for family/friends of those living with a mental illness
- Peer to Peer: 10-week information and wellness course Offer classes for families bust must attend all sessions
- Basics: 6-week session for caregivers of children beginning to experience serious behavior changes or early onset mental illness
- Connection: weekly recovery/wellness support groups for adults living with mental illness
- Family Support Groups
- Do presentations in schools called ending the silence where they let youth know warning signs and advice on how to help or get help
- Free 2 Talk: free weekly support group for teens (13-17 yo)
June 5, 2018 YSAPC Meeting –
Vickie Adams with the San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Awareness (SACADA) which serves nearly 60,000 people in Bexar County and 28 surrounding counties in South Central Texas reported to our membership their current San Antonio initiatives including a new city program raising the minimum age to 21 to legally purchase tobacco, a retailer tobacco law education effort, and a Social Host City Ordinance passed last year to fine persons providing alcohol to minors. Susan Millea with YSAPC reported on recent accomplishments of our Preventing Opioid Misuse Among Girls (OWHPA) grant – including recent our May 4th webinar where more than 100 school counselors and health professionals attended, and the May 30th technical assistance call where nurses reported what is happening at the schools She added that currently there are about 450 members in the grant’s community of practice (CoP).
October 3, 2017 YSAPC Meeting –
Cathy Collins with The Christi Center discussed the “Loss to Overdose” group as well as other services provided by the Center. The Center provides resources to help with grief. Founded in 1987 the Center offers hope after the death of a loved one through groups and free peer-based support.
August 8, 2017 YSAPC Meeting –
Daniel Sledge, Jonathan Stoughton & Izzy Swanson, all with TONI, presented on the Texas Overdose Naloxone Initiative (TONI) and Texas Overdose Awareness Day on August 31. Vanessa Saria, Project Manager with Cardea, explained the YSAPC Preventing Opioid Misuse Among Girls Ages 10-17 Office on Women’s Health Prevention Award (OWHPA) grant – Workplan and Timeline.
April 4, 2017 YSAPC Meeting Eva Escobedo, LPC, and Laura, with YWCA Greater Austin, spoke about operating from a trauma-informed perspective and the stages of trauma recovery. This was particularly salient for people working in settings addressing substance use/abuse since research shows that the vast majority of people battling addiction are also struggling with the aftermaths of trauma.
December 6, 2016 YSAPC Meeting –
Presentation was by the Alliance for Adolescent Recovery and Treatment in Texas (AART-TX), Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health University of Texas at Austin. Also, Travis County Substance Use Disorders (SUD) Plan – Austin Travis County Integral Plan to explained to membership.
Sierra Castedo
October 4, 2016 YSAPC Meeting –
Sierra Castedo, UT Center for Students in Recovery Director, discussed the new UT Sober Dorm and other Initiatives. “What we do here at CSR and what we hope to achieve with this new housing initiative is to help spread the word that recovery is possible,” Castedo says. “You can absolutely have a genuine college experience free from alcohol and other drugs.” Laurie Born, LifeSteps Council Executive Director, presented about LifeSteps Coalition – History and Current Initiatives.
September 6, 2016 YSAPC Meeting –
Nicole Holt, with Texans Standing Tall, led membership in identifying effective environmental prevention strategies that have a high rate on investment and how to utilize community level versus individual level approaches in order to leverage limited resources.
Travis County Juvenile Probation Department Day Enrichment Program (DEP) Presentation presented on their community-based program providing intensive substance abuse treatment in a structured day treatment setting. Program goals provide 60 days of educational instruction, substance use education, and therapy.
Chair Stephanie Rainbolt thanked all for their work on the DFC grant and specifically thanked Susan Millea for her work along with Kelly Nichols and Sam Wollard for their help in writing the grant. A grant match was also secured. Stephanie reported that April is alcohol awareness month and alcohol continues to be the most abused substance in the US so the choice to include this in the grant was a good choice.
