Town Safety

Safe Community Workgroup of St. Clair County

St. Clair County Community Mental Health

Phone: (810) 985-8900

E-mail: asmith@scccmh.org

Contact: Amy Smith

Region: St. Clair County

Coalition Background

The Safe Community Workgroup is a committee of the St. Clair County Community Services Coordinating Body (CSCB), which is comprised of over 50 organizations plus at least three citizen representatives. Agencies pay an annual membership fee of $200. The CSCB meets bi-monthly and its various work groups meet on a regular basis, depending on the level of activity.

The Safe Community Workgroup was formed over four years ago with the assistance of the Thumb Region Substance Abuse Coordinating Agency Prevention Specialist at the St. Clair County Health Department. At the time, this was one of five safe community/traffic safety projects funded by OHSP and the project has evolved since then. The County Commission Chair is a catalyst in the county and is very supportive of the Workgroup.

 

ACTS Information

The Workgroup conducted the ACTS as a project of the Substance Abuse Coordinating Agency in fiscal year 2001 in several areas of the county, including: St. Clair County, St. Clair County-Metro, St. Clair County-Western and St. Clair County-Downriver.

According to the ACTS, top deficits in St. Clair County are safety belt nonuse, substance abuse, drinking and driving, and frequent alcohol use. In addition, crash profile data from 1995-1999 revealed the county ranks high when compared to other counties in Michigan in the areas of alcohol related crashes, motorcycle crashes, injuries from traffic control violations, and older driver injuries.

Asset scores were highest in the enforcement category, as well as parental teaching. According to the ACTS results, the community perceives a strong presence of standard alcohol enforcement, enforcement technologies, and streamlined arrest process. Asset scores were lower in the categories of behavior change campaigns and policies assets, and education and training assets.

Challenges

 

 

Strategies as a Safe Communities Learning Laboratory

In January 2002 the Safe Communities Team, along with Resource Consultant Mike Kearns, met with the Workgroup to propose and describe the learning laboratory project. The Workgroup agreed to participate in the project and identified two co-project coordinators: Chief Mark Thorner of the Marysville Police Department and Chair of the Criminal Justice Association; and Don Maronde, Chair of the County Road Commission. The Workgroup then went through an organizing process which resulted in the formation of four sub-committees, each with a chair who reports sub-committee activity at Workgroup meetings. The four committees and their projects are as follows:

NETS Committee for Employers: A list of the "top 20" employers were identified for the county, including a key contact person at each business. An eventual goal is to elicit local corporate contributions to support the Workgroup as an established institution within St. Clair County. The Workgroup will also research other means of financial support to sustain themselves and their activities.

In July 2002, Resource Consultant Team members Dan Vartanian and Mike Kearns provided a NETS presentation to the subcommittee and employers from the county who were invited by the subcommittee.

Public Education: The subcommittee will build relationships with local media outlets to promote the learning laboratory project.

The Workgroup will be hosting a training on alcohol and drinking and driving issues. The training will be provided by FACE-Truth and Clarity on Alcohol in September 2002.

Enforcement Practices: The subcommittee will develop a process to examine different enforcement processes throughout the county; and collect and analyze data on serious injury/fatality crashes. In addition, Chief Thorner will present ACTS data to the St. Clair County police chief’s association.

Through the Drive Michigan Safely Task Force in St. Clair County, a seat belt observation survey will be conducted to compare results from the ACTS data.

 

Engineering Expertise: Engineering improvements will be a major focus of the Workgroup, based on traffic crash data. This subcommittee will work with the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) to review crash data at key intersections in the county. From this meeting the subcommittee will provide the Workgroup with a recommendation for a targeted area for learning laboratory projects.

 

Early Successes

In fiscal years 2001 and 2002 OHSP provided funds to the St. Clair County Community Mental Health Authority (SCCMHA) to address ACTS deficits (non seat belt use, drinking and driving). Two small workgroups were formed to oversee the grant activities. Projects for the grant included "Think Before You Drink" and "Safe Seatbelts for Everyone." The following sections describe activities of the project:

Think Before You Drink

Part 1: In Spring 2001 the committee sponsored eight presentations at six middle schools and high schools in the county. Generation 2000 Search for Truth was the multimedia program used in the presentation to educate youth from grades 6-12 about the dangers of underage drinking, and drinking and driving. Approximately 3,500 students participated. Within one to three days after presentations, teachers distributed surveys to participating students to get feedback on the program. Survey results revealed that 80% of respondents were able to articulate the messages that were intended in the presentation.

Outcomes:

a) Staff in the various schools were so pleased with the multimedia program that they want to continue scheduling the presentation and have developed a curriculum to reinforce the messages from the program.

b) Growth of the project

1. The Workgroup will be including local businesses in the program in coming years.

2. The Workgroup will seek additional local funding and will collaborate with local resources, such as the Youth Advisory Committee of the Community Foundation, and Drug Free School Funds.

3. The Workgroup will work to promote better coordination of prevention services and activities between agencies and schools.

4. A social worker from one of the schools volunteered her school as a pilot site for future educational programs to address underage drinking and safe driving.

Part 2: In Spring 2001 the Workgroup promoted the Think Before You Drink program in area newspapers. They also disseminated alcohol prevention materials throughout the county at agencies, on bulletin boards, and at local community events.

They developed a brochure for parents of graduating seniors explaining Michigan’s Zero Tolerance Law. The brochure was mailed to every parent of a graduating senior in the county. In addition, it was distributed at human service agency meetings, to local newspapers, and to radio stations for PSA spots. On May 22, 2001, the project coordinator participated in a live radio talk show to discuss the brochure and the Zero Tolerance Law. In June 2001, a community paper published a story highlighting the Zero Tolerance Law.

Outcomes:

a) As a result of the amount of positive feedback, the Workgroup modified the brochure to focus on high school activities versus graduation. In Fall 2001 the revised brochure was mailed to 1,835 parents of high school seniors in the county.

b) The revised brochure was disseminated at several CSCB meetings, hung on bulletin boards, and posted in office lobbies.

c) A mother of a high school senior who received the Zero Tolerance brochure was so energized by the information that she began to disseminate the material and educate others about underage drinking in her own community. Her hope is to make other parents much more aware of the dangers of purchasing alcohol for minors while hosting "overnight parties." This brochure has generated grassroots prevention activity!

d) The success of this project encouraged human service agencies to begin pooling resources and coordinating prevention efforts. They have found there is strength in numbers.

 

Safe Seatbelts for Everyone

Part 1: In Spring 2001 the Workgroup promoted the Safe Seatbelts for Everyone program in area newspapers. They disseminated occupant protection brochures, posters, stickers, and coloring books throughout the county at agencies, on bulletin boards, and at local community events, including car seat safety inspections. Brochures were sent to the local television cable station to be shared on the "Community Bulletin Board" that televises local events several times a day. In addition, a live radio interview was conducted with the coordinator. The coordinator stressed the importance of using seat belts correctly, and promoting upcoming car safety seat inspections.

Outcomes:

The coordinator received several phone calls from community members requesting more information; how to obtain car seats if one has limited resources; and how to install car seats properly.

Part 2: The Workgroup arranged a two-day Child Passenger Safety Training in Spring 2001. Seventeen people participated from various human service agencies: fire department, police EMS, MSU-Extension, Health Department, Domestic Violence Shelter, CMH, Downriver Community Services, and Head Start bus drivers.

Outcomes:

All participants passed the class and served as checkers at car safety seat inspections during Summer 2001.

Part 3: Three car seat inspections were held in Summer 2001. A number of agencies co-sponsored and/or provided support for the events. In addition, the Richmond Michigan State Police Post and the Marysville City Police Department each allowed personnel who were certified technicians to participate in the inspections. Participating parents completed satisfaction surveys; results were very positive.

Outcomes:

a) In total, 164 car seat inspections were completed, 79 new car seats were distributed, and 46 old and/or defective car seats were confiscated.

b) Due to the success of the car seat inspection program, the St. Clair County Community Services Coordinating Body has become a SAFE KIDS Chapter.

c) The Workgroup received a separate small grant to conduct a fourth car seat inspection in Fall 2001. At this event, 83 car seat inspections were completed, 44 new seats were distributed, and 30 defective seats were confiscated.

d) The Workgroup developed a voucher program to distribute remaining car seats to families in need as identified through various agencies (i.e. domestic violence shelter, homeless shelter, kinship car families, foster care families, and low income families). The voucher program included appointing a certified technician to provide educational material and to instruct the recipient families on the proper installation of the car seats.

e) The Workgroup received an additional grant to allow:

1. Local car seat checkers to obtain additional training to become certified technicians;

2. A second training to train newly recruited car seat checkers;

3. Four to six additional car seat inspections to be held throughout the county;

4. An ongoing voucher program to assist people with obtaining car seats when other resources are not available.

f) The coordinator was invited to speak about car safety seats at other community events.