Back in the prevention business

After disappearing from the radar for 18 months due to state funding cuts, Kathy Cluff is delighted to say that, “We’re back in the prevention business in Crook County”. Over the last few months, she has rebuilt her strategies to help the community avoid dangers such as alcohol, drugs and tobacco and to build a suicide prevention presence in this area.

Regarding alcohol overconsumption in adults and underage drinking, the Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS) trainer who was previously engaged in this area is also back in action, Cluff said to the Sundance City Council last week. She will be able to provide on-premises training for people who serve alcohol at bars and restaurants or concession stands.

Cluff mentioned that it may be helpful to use a community event checklist, which suggests actions such as to limit the hours of service – or the hours of the event itself – if liquor is being sold at an event. She stated that she has heard from several people regarding the Sundance Winter Festival and that she, herself, heard an announcement around noon that said something along the lines of, “Who’s drunk? Yay!”

That’s a little early in the day when there are kids running around, Cluff suggested.

“There are concerns in the community about making our events safer when they do involve alcohol,” she said, telling the council that there are ways to make this happen and allow attendees to have fun while still enabling the family friendly atmosphere. TIPS training, she said, is probably the most effective evidence-based strategy for a community to adopt.

Regarding tobacco use, Cluff said she is promoting coaching sessions for youth through Wyoming Quit Tobacco and in conjunction with the courts and schools. Through this program, a youth caught smoking tobacco can either pay a fine or choose to undergo a series of coaching sessions.

Suicide is a huge concern in the community, state and nation right now, Cluff said. Her strategy includes cards that can be distributed to the community with a suicide protection text line and lifeline number printed on them, which is available to anyone in crisis or anyone wanting to help a person they suspect is thinking of taking their own life.

The card also includes information such as red flags to watch out for in a person’s behavior and questions you can ask that person, she said.

Cluff is also working on three tiers of in-person prevention training: QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training, which can be completed in around 90 minutes; Mental Health First Aid, which takes around eight hours; and Assist, which is a 15-hour course. The idea, she said, is to train as many people as possible to spot the signs of a person considering suicide and know how to help.

“The more people we train, the more fibers we have in that net to catch people in crisis,” she said.

Finally, regarding drug addiction, Cluff told the council that she has obtained kits for the community to use for the safe disposal of medication. Instead of simply throwing the medication away or leaving it to sit in a cupboard, she said, it can be poured into the kit to mix with activated charcoal, which will safely deactivate it.

Cluff said she will also be working with law enforcement and schools on the Safe To Tell program through Wyoming Highway Patrol. This tip line is available to youth wanting to report an issue with a friend or at their school.

Depending on the nature of the call, either the school will be asked to handle it or local law enforcement if necessary. Most calls are received outside school hours, she said.