HomeMy WebLinkAboutFranklin County Needs Assessment
Franklin County
Drug and Alcohol Prevention Profile
Date Submitted: March 31, 2010
Table of Contents
PART ONE: COUNTY INFORMATION
........................................................................................ 2
PART TWO: PREVENTION NEEDS ASSESSMENT
................................................................... 4
I.Prevention Needs Assessment Process .......................................................................................
4
A. Needs Assessment Team ........................................................................................................ 4
B. Data Sources Which Were Included in Assessing Need .......................................................... 4
C. BDAP Key Representative Survey on Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs .............................. 5
D. BDAP Convenience Survey on Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs ........................................ 5
E. Method(s) Used for Obtaining Additional Information ........................................................... 5
F. Data Gaps ............................................................................................................................... 6
G. Documenting Findings and Data Sources ................................................................................ 6
IIAnalyzing Magnitude and Changeability ..................................................................................
. 7
IIICounty-wide Findings & Key Issues ..........................................................................................
. 7
A. Summary of County-wide Preliminary Findings ..................................................................... 7
B. County-wide Key Issue(s) to be Addressed ............................................................................. 7
IV.Specific Target Communities with High Need ..........................................................................
8
A. Specific Community Identified as Having High Need ............................................................. 8
B. High Need Issue to be Addressed ........................................................................................... 9
C. Data Source(s) ........................................................................................................................ 9
D. Analysis Process ..................................................................................................................... 9
E. What Type of change is Necessary to Impact the High Need Issue that Has Been Identified? 10
V.County-wide and Community-level Capacity .........................................................................
10
A. Resources (human and financial) Needed to Address Issues Identified .................................. 10
B. Existing Prevention Infrastructure in the County and Each Targeted Community ................. 10
C. Strengths and Weaknesses in the Community(s) that May Affect Prevention Effort .............. 10
D. Service Gaps that Have Been Noticed and/or Exist ............................................................... 11
E. Assessment of Cultural Competence throughout County? ..................................................... 11
F. Readiness and Leadership to Implement Policies, Programs and Practices ............................ 12
Appendix 3
- Needs Assessment Team .............................................................................................. 13
Appendix 4
- Documenting Preliminary Findings and Data Sources .................................................. 14
PART ONE: COUNTY INFORMATION
Briefly describe the composition and history of the county(s) covered by the SCA (including
SCA option and number of providers, demographics, geographic make-up, historical
information, education, business, resources and any other important information).
Response:
Franklin County is located in south central Pennsylvania, approximately midway between
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and 55 miles south of Harrisburg, PA. Chambersburg is the
county seat. The southern boundary of the County is also the boundary between
Pennsylvania and Maryland, also known as the Mason-Dixon Line. The County
encompasses an area of 300.1 square miles and had an estimated population in 2006 of
141,655 residents. The population is largely Caucasian, (94.7%) with smaller numbers of
Black/African American (2.8%), Hispanic/Latino (2.7%) residents.
Manufacturing and health/human services offer the largest employment opportunities
available to residents (21 and 19.6% respectively). Median household income is $40,476
and 5.4% of families live below the poverty level. A 2007 Labor Market Analysis found that
high school graduates make up the highest portion of the population.
With the diversity of Franklin County’s economic base, the residents enjoy the advantages
of both urban and rural opportunities within the County. Due to this diversified makeup
and the rich history of Franklin County, tourism is a major component of the county’s
economy.
Since its establishment in 1784, Franklin County has enjoyed a steady, healthy growth and
has become the financial and commercial center of much of the Cumberland Valley. With
two major railroads, the Conrail and the CSX, and the meeting place for three major
highways: Route 30, Route 11 and Interstate 81, Franklin County grows daily.
In addition to commercial growth, Franklin County continues to support a healthy farm
industry with the County ranking second in the state in the production of milk, meat, apples
and peaches. There are currently 1,690 farms in the County consisting of 255,500 acres.
The County also has 39,780 acres of state forest lands with approximately 15,178 acres as
state game lands. The Falling Spring is one of the best natural trout streams in the nation,
and it meanders through Chambersburg.
The county is served by six public school districts and seven private schools. The public
districts are: Chambersburg, Fannett-Metal, Greencastle, Shippensburg, Tuscarora and
Waynesboro. The County has 77 students enrolled in PA Cyber Schools.
Franklin County hosts three Universities. These include Penn State Mont Alto (located in
Mont Alto), Wilson College (located in Chambersburg), and Shippensburg University (in
Shippensburg). Shippensburg is a town in Northern Franklin County which lays in both
Franklin and Cumberland counties.
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The top ten employers in Franklin County are Letterkenny Army Depot (3,400), Summit
Health (2,800), Manitowoc Crane Group (1,800), Chambersburg Area School District
(1,400), Franklin County Government, County Offices (950), Volvo Construction
Equipment (800), Target Distribution Center (600), Johnson Controls, Inc. / Frick Co.
(575), Food Lion, Inc. (550), Waynesboro Area School District (500). Of these employers,
four demonstrated job growth, three remained steady and three experienced a decrease in
employment numbers from 2008.
Franklin County has a number of resources working to improve the quality of life in the
county. The recently formed Community Coalition for the Prevention of Substance Use and
Abuse (referred throughout as “The Coalition”) merged with the long standing Tobacco
Coalition to fight the effects of the negative uses drugs and alcohol in both Franklin and
Fulton Counties. The combined Coalition is working to educate youth on the dangers of
substance use by providing alternative activities and information for youth and parents.
The Coalition has also worked to administer the 2009 PAYS Survey. This information has
been difficult to obtain in previous years and hence the county does not have the ability to
establish strong trends from previous years. It is anticipated that by involving Coalition
members in the process, we can involve local schools at a more intense level and create data
that can be analyzed for trends in coming years. Additional resources include Healthy
Communities Partnership, a community organization that brings together partnering
programs in the county to better the health and wellness of county residents; Waynesboro
Communities That Care, Parenting Coalition, five chambers of commerce, multiple
community health fairs, civic clubs and organizations and faith based organizations. Health
system supports come from both the Summit Health System and Keystone Health.
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PART TWO: PREVENTION NEEDS ASSESSMENT
The Prevention Needs Assessment is designed to profile population needs, resources and
readiness to address needs and gaps. The process involves the collection and analysis of
data to define problems within a geographic area.
The SCAs must use a data driven decision-making process to determine which key issues
will be addressed, as well as the risk and protective factors influencing this key issues.
Effective prevention programs and strategies are essential to successfully reduce risk and
enhance protective factors in specific targeted populations and geographic areas and to
impact the identified issues.
The SCA must submit their Prevention Needs Assessment to BDAP in accordance with the
BDAP Report Schedule.
Prevention Needs Assessment Process
I.
Needs Assessment Team
A.
(See Appendix 3)
______________________________________________________________
Data Sources Which Were Included in Assessing Need
B.
(List and describe each data source utilized for assessing your county’s ATOD needs.)
Some examples could include: Surveys – National Outcome Measures, PA Youth Survey, Social
Indicator/Archival data – Crime, poverty and school data, Non-traditional data sets – PBPS, local community
data
Response:
PA Youth Survey
Crime data from Pennsylvania State Police - Uniform Crime Reporting
Key Representative Survey - PBPS
Franklin County Probation Annual Report
Franklin/Fulton County Drug and Alcohol Annual Report
______________________________________________________________
BDAP Key Representative Survey on Alcohol, Tobacco and
C.
Other Drugs
Explain how the BDAP Key Representative Surveys was administered and provide
justification regarding the number administered (to include the actual number
administered)
Response:
Surveys were administered to key stakeholders in each community in each sector. In
Franklin County more than 1600 surveys were distributed via Survey Monkey, an
online survey tool, and more than 470 total responses were received. Four
4
communities were considered in the county including Chambersburg, Waynesboro,
Greencastle, and Tuscarora/Fannett-Metal. Chambersburg had an overwhelming
response with 336 surveys returned out of 1109 sent. Paper surveys were also issued
to about 10 social service workers in Chambersburg who did not have internet access
at work. Waynesboro had 55 surveys returned out of 198 sent. Greencastle had 51
surveys come back out of 217 distributed. Tuscarora/Fannett Metal, the most rural
area, had 33 responses out of 95 surveys. Sector members were identified using
several methods. A local coalition was asked to give contact information for
acquaintances in the sectors. Local Chamber of Commerce listings were used
contacting anyone with a valid e-mail address. Educator lists were acquired from the
schools in each community. Social service contacts were gathered from the County’s
list of attendees present at a large countywide training opportunity occurring
annually. Law enforcement surveys were distributed to each police force. The
internet was used to research law office contact information as well as medical and
media contact information.
______________________________________________________________
BDAP Convenience Survey on Alcohol, Tobacco and Other
D.
Drugs
If administered, briefly explain how the BDAP Convenience Survey was
administered and to whom
Response:
Convenience surveys were administered to two county groups. A group was
surveyed at James Buchanan Middle School (Tuscarora/Fannet Metal.) Another
middle school aged group was surveyed at Chambersburg’s YMCA after-school
program. A free showing of “Twilight” was held as an alternative drug-free activity at
the local theatre and convenience surveys were collected there as well. These
included both youth and parents.
______________________________________________________________
Method(s) Used for Obtaining Additional Information
E.
(e.g. - public forums, listening sessions, focus groups, interviews, surveys, observations, etc.)
Response:
Information was gathered at the Community Coalition for the Prevention of
Substance Use and Abuse for Franklin and Fulton County’s meetings. The Needs
Assessment Team developed a list of community members identified as having key
insight for information to be considered in this plan. The same list of four questions
were asked to each of these individuals. Those interviewed included local police
chiefs, the Pennsylvania State Police Station Commander, principals and other
school staff, a Franklin County Mental Health Program Specialist, school board
members, Chief of Adult Probation, and the Deputy Chief of Juvenile Probation. The
questions administered by members of the Needs Assessment Team included:
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1. What trends do you see regarding drug and alcohol use in your
community/school?
2. What do you see as the greatest need in your community/school to reduce
drug and alcohol use and abuse?
3. What strengths do you see in people/students who resist drug and alcohol
use?
4. What do you see as barriers to reducing substance use and abuse in your
community/school?
In addition, the Needs Assessment Team researched local news reports of drug use
and arrests in our area.
______________________________________________________________
Data Gaps
F.
(Briefly identify any data gaps that were identified)
Response:
No public health data was able to be obtained and/or was available for our County.
Data was requested of the local health care facility, however due to data conversion
and change in the collection method, necessary data could not be obtained for the
preparation of this needs assessment. However, these facilities have demonstrated a
willingness and cooperation with our agency to provide data for future reporting
needs. Franklin County services are primarily located in Chambersburg, the county
seat. This creates barriers in gathering responses in every sector in every community.
This led to deficiencies in sector representation in the communities other than
Chambersburg. Due to the large number of surveys in Chambersburg, Survey
Monkey was used to analyze survey results since not all surveys were input into
BDAP before the deadline to be included in the raw data from BDAP.
______________________________________________________________
Documenting Findings and Data Sources
G.
(See Appendix 4)
6
Analyzing Magnitude and Changeability
II.
(See Appendix 4)
______________________________________________________________
County-wide Findings & Key Issues
III.
Summary of County-wide Preliminary Findings
A.
Response:
County-wide findings include higher than average youth lifetime alcohol usage,
higher than average and increasing DUI rates, higher than average inhalant usage,
higher than average lifetime tobacco usage (both cigarette and smokeless tobacco), a
lack of availability of services in communities, a lack of transportation to services,
and higher than average prescription drug usage.
_____________________________________________________________
County-wide Key Issue(s) to be Addressed
B.
(Please provide the following information for each county-wide key issue that has been identify and
will be addressed)
County-wide key issue
Response: Higher than average youth lifetime alcohol usage
Baseline data & source
Response: 61.4% of 8 graders, 67.7% of 10 graders, 77.8% of 12 graders (2007
ththth
Pennsylvania Youth Survey)
Influencing risk factor(s)
(Please indicate the risk factors that have been identified as influencing this issue.)
Response: Parental attitude
Protective factor(s) to be enhanced
(Please indicate the protective factors that have been identified as needing to be enhanced to
impact issue.)
Response: Perception of harm, Family involvement, Involved in extra-curricular
activities
County-wide key issue
Response: Higher than average and increasing DUI rates
Baseline data & source
Response: In 2009, Franklin County had 885 adult DUI arrests and 22 youth DUI
arrests. This is a 22% increase over 2008 adult data and a 100% increase in youth
arrests from 2008 (Pennsylvania State Police, 2010). Data shows that 18% of
Franklin County 12 graders report having driven under the influence of alcohol.
th
23.4% in Franklin County have driven under the influence of marijuana.
7
Influencing risk factor(s)
Response: social norms, perception of harm, parental attitude
Protective factor(s) to be enhanced
Response: Perception of harm, Family involvement, Involved in extra-curricular
activities
County-wide key issue
Response:
Higher than average inhalant usage
Baseline data & source
Response: 6.1% of 8 graders, 3.2% of 10 graders (2007 Pennsylvania Youth
thth
Survey)
Influencing risk factor(s)
Response: Parent knowledge
Protective factor(s) to be enhanced
Response: Family Involvement, Involved in extra-curricular activities
County-wide key issue
Response:igher than average lifetime tobacco usage (both cigarette and smokeless
H
tobacco)
Baseline data & source
Response: Lifetime cigarette usage - 35.7% of 8 graders, 43.8% of 10 graders,
thth
50.9% of 12 graders. Lifetime smokeless tobacco usage - 12.5% of 8 graders,
thth
24.1% of 10 graders, 23.9% of 12 graders. Past 30-day cigarette usage - 15.4% of
thth
8 graders, 23.6% of 10 graders, 30.7% of 12 graders. Past 30-day smokeless
ththth
tobacco usage - 6.1% of 8 graders, 14.8% of 10 graders, 13.3% of 12 graders.
ththth
Influencing risk factor(s)
Response: Perception of harm
Protective factor(s) to be enhanced
Response: Family involvement, Involved in extra-curricular activities
Specific Target Communities with High Need
IV.
Please provide the following information for each community-level issue that has been identified and
will be addressed based upon your community-level data.
Specific Community Identified as Having High Need
A.
(A community is defined as a particular geographic location such as municipalities, cities, towns, boroughs,
colleges/campuses, school districts, neighborhoods, etc.)
Response: Chambersburg and Greencastle
_____________________________________________________________
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High Need Issue to be Addressed
B.
Response:
All school districts included in the 2007 PAYS report higher than average lifetime
usage and past-30-day usage of steroids for at least one grade. Chambersburg and
Greencastle had many key representatives report steroids as “available” to youth.
_____________________________________________________________
Data Source(s)
C.
Response:
2007 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS), 2009 Prevention Needs Assessment Key
Representative Survey
____________________________________________________________
Analysis Process
D.
(Briefly describe the process used for determining this community-level high need issue)
Response:
When analyzing Key Representative Survey data steroids were rated as most
available in these two communities - much higher than the other communities in the
county. Chambersburg did not participate in the 2007 PAYS. However, Greencastle
did have higher than national average steroid usage for both 8 and 12 graders for
thth
lifetime and past 30-day.
___________________________________________________________
What Type of change is Necessary to Impact the High Need
E.
Issue that Has Been Identified?
(Examples: Increase parental participation; increase perception of risk; decrease availability of alcohol; decrease
30-day use of marijuana)
Response: Increase perception of risk, decrease past 30-day usage
Influencing risk factor(s)
(Please indicate the risk factors that have been identified as influencing this issue.)
Response: Peer pressure, Social Norms
Protective factor(s) to be enhanced
(Please indicate the protective factors that have been identified as needing to be enhanced to
impact issue.)
Response: Family involvement
Additional comments
Response: n/a
_____________________________________________________________
Specific Community Identified as Having High Need
F.
Response: Chambersburg, Greencastle, Waynesboro
(
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____________________________________________________________
High Need Issue to be Addressed
G.
Response: High perceived availability of heroin in Chambersburg, Greencastle, and
Waynesboro (increase in heroin usage reported in Waynesboro).
_____________________________________________________________
Data Source(s)
H.
Response: 2009 Prevention Needs Assessment Key Representative Survey,
Interviews
_____________________________________________________________
Analysis Process
I.
Response:
Heroin availability and increasing usage were a recurring theme in 2009 Prevention
Needs Assessment Key Representative Surveys. Interviews with Waynesboro
community members whom are represented in the various data sources
.
__________________________________________________________
What Type of change is Necessary to Impact the High Need
J.
Issue that Has Been Identified?
Response: Decrease perception of availability, decrease past 30-day usage
Influencing risk factor(s)
Response: Perception of harm, Proximity to high drug traffic highways
Protective factor(s) to be enhanced
Response: Family Involvement, Involved in extra-curricular activities
Additional comments
Response:
_____________________________________________________________
County-wide and Community-level Capacity
V.
Resources (human and financial) Needed to Address Issues
A.
Identified
Response:
A prevention specialist available in each school district in order to dedicate time,
energy and attention to the needs specific to each community; to reach every
resident with effective prevention programs; Develop a centralized prevention center
fully staffed for after school and weekend hours, providing healthy alternative
10
activities; sufficient funding to accommodate the above; restoration of tobacco
prevention funding through master settlement funds.
_____________________________________________________________
Existing Prevention Infrastructure in the County and Each
B.
Targeted Community
Response:
Franklin/Fulton SCA Administrator, Franklin/Fulton SCA Prevention Specialist,
Waynesboro Communities That Care, Summit Health, Healthy Communities
Partnership, Community Coalition for the Prevention of Substance Use and Abuse,
Pennsylvania State Police Community Education Officers, school resource officers,
Women In Need Education, Head Start, Keystone Health AIDS/HIV Education
Program
_____________________________________________________________
Strengths and Weaknesses in the Community(s) that May
C.
Affect Prevention Effort
Strengths: Supportive county commissioners and advisory board, youth aide panel,
law enforcement partners, Healthy Community Partnership One By One Committee,
Community Coalition for the Prevention of Substance Use and Abuse, YMCA, Boys
and Girls Club
Weaknesses: Only one FTE (Full-Time Equivalent) prevention specialist to address
the prevention needs for two counties, funding, dismantling of Enough Is Enough (a
community group dedicated to the education of the public about dangers of drug use
and abuse).
_________________________________________________________
Service Gaps that Have Been Noticed and/or Exist
D.
Response:
One prevention specialist for two counties, limited resources and funding.
Inconsistent participation of all public schools in the County in the PAYS. Lack of
data available from the local hospital facilities and indicated early in this plan.
Procedural changes within county partners have created a data gap.
__________________________________________________________
Assessment of Cultural Competence throughout County?
E.
Response:
The Hispanic population of the County is rising and bringing with it the need for
cultural awareness to reduce racial/ethnic issues. Prevention services need to
available in the Spanish language. This is an area that is currently lacking within the
County’s prevention program. There are few local interpreters available. One
resource has been The Chambersburg Hispanic American Center, however, services
are limited. The Hispanic community has many resources for their population, but
there is limited collaboration between the Spanish and English speaking
communities and service agencies.
11
_____________________________________________________________
Readiness and Leadership to Implement Policies, Programs
F.
and Practices
Response:
Key leaders, motivated community members, and concerned citizens in both
Franklin and Fulton counties are coming together to discuss prevention efforts and
participate in the community coalition for the prevention of substance use and abuse
that started in August 2009 and is gaining momentum daily.
12
Needs Assessment Team
Appendix 3 -
SCA: Franklin/Fulton County Drug and Alcohol Program
(Individuals assisting with your Prevention Needs Assessment Process)
(Please provide the following information for each member of your county’s Needs Assessment Team)
Job Title / Agency/ Role /
Name
Occupation Organization Responsibility
Becky Greenawalt SCA, Program Franklin/Fulton County Data analysis, reviewer,
AdministratorDrug and Alcoholsubmit plan to BDAP
Christy Russell SCA, Fiscal Officer Franklin County Human Data analysis, reviewer
Services
Lauri Ryder SCA, Prevention Franklin/Fulton County Data analysis, reviewer,
SpecialistDrug and Alcoholteam lead, combine
plans, submit plan to
SCA Admin and BDAP
Alaina Ingels Grant Writer Franklin County Grants Interviews, data
Managementanalysis, reviewer
Carrie Jenkins Grant Writer Franklin County Grants Data analysis
Management
Jean Snyder County Human Service Fulton County Data analysis, reviewer
Administrator
Christy Unger Prevention Education Healthy Communities Data analysis, research,
Coordinator, Coalition Partnership, Community administration of
SecretaryCoalition for the surveys, interviews,
Prevention of Substance data entry, document
Use & Abusewriter
Stacy McCole Grants Coordinator, Healthy Communities Research,
Coalition 1 ChairPartnership, Community Administration of
st
Coalition for the surveys, data analysis,
Prevention of Substance data entry
Use & Abuse
Elen Ott Executive Director Fulton County Center for Data analysis, research,
Familiesadministration of
surveys, interviews,
data entry, document
writer
Debbie Hiller Family Education Fulton County Center for Data analysis, research,
CoordinatorFamiliesadministration of
surveys, interviews,
data entry
Jamie Taylor Communities That Care Fulton County Center for Data analysis, reviewer
Community MobilizerFamilies
Julie Dovey Executive Director Fulton County Data analysis, reviewer
Partnership
Sheri Morgan Parent, Coalition Community Coalition for Interviews, data
memberthe Prevention of analysis
Substance Use & Abuse
**please see below**
**Additional members from many organizations and sectors participated in the process of reviewing Needs Assessment work at
Community Coalition for the Prevention of Substance Use and Abuse meetings over the past months. Attendance ranges from 15-35
members from many backgrounds including local government, elected officials, healthcare officials, media, educators, law enforcement,
youth, civic groups, parents, business owners, and other organizations involved in prevention efforts.
13
Appendix 4 - Documenting Preliminary Findings and Data Sources
(Please provide the following information for each of your preliminary findings)
Finding:
Youth in Franklin County have higher than average lifetime alcohol usage
Data Source:
2007 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS)
Level of Impact:
County-level
Community-level issue
If community-level, please indicate community(s) impacted:
Magnitude & Changeability
How many people are affected by the problem and the severity of its
effects?
(Include information on the amount, age, gender and race of those affected, if known.)
Students in 6, 8, 10, and 12 grade surveyed in PAYS report lifetime alcohol
thththth
usage higher than national rates (Monitoring the Future, 2007).
How feasible is it to address this issue?
Alcohol usage is currently being targeted by the educator on staff at the county. The
bi-county coalition working to prevent substance abuse will also be targeting the
underage drinking. A large part of the addressing of this issue is the need to educate
parents on the hazards and laws surrounding providing alcohol to minors.
How important is this issue to the community?
Alcohol use and abuse is a huge issue in our county. Usage in Franklin County has
led to very high DUI rates in the county. Key representatives surveyed stated that
alcohol was very accessible to youth. Youth that start drinking at a young age have
higher addiction rates.
What are the possible impacts and/or consequences of addressing the problem?
Addressing the problem will decrease the number of Franklin County youth engaged
in underage drinkingecrease the number of alcohol-related crimes and costs to
and d
community. Also addressing would increase school achievement and attendance.
What barriers / resistance might there be to solving this issue & how might they
be minimized?
Youth frequently get alcohol from their parents in the home. Parents need to be
educated about the laws surrounding serving alcohol to minors so that they can fully
understand the consequences. Funding and staff-time is a barrier to more people
receiving prevention programming.
14
Appendix 4 - Documenting Preliminary Findings and Data Sources
(Please provide the following information for each of your preliminary findings)
Finding:
Youth in Franklin County have higher than average prescription drug usage
Data Source:
2007 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS)
Level of Impact:
County-level
Community-level issue
If community-level, please indicate community(s) impacted:
Magnitude & Changeability
How many people are affected by the problem and the severity of its
effects?
(Include information on the amount, age, gender and race of those affected, if known.)
Students in 6, 8, 10, and 12 grade surveyed in PAYS report lifetime, past-12-
thththth
month, and past-30-day prescription drug usage are all higher than national rates
(Monitoring the Future, 2007).
How feasible is it to address this issue?
Prescription drug use and abuse is a growing problem in the county. The issue can be
addressed in schools and at parent education events. Prescription drug abuse is often
misunderstood and education is vital to addressing the issue. The bi-county coalition
working to prevent substance abuse will also be targeting prescription drug use. A
large part of the addressing of this issue is the need to educate parents on the hazards
of prescription drug use. The availability of these drugs in many households also
needs to be addressed and changed.
How important is this issue to the community?
Many key representatives surveyed listed prescription drugs as available in their
communities for both youth and adults. Many youth can find these drugs in their
home medicine cabinets. This is an important issue for the community to address.
What are the possible impacts and/or consequences of addressing the problem?
Addressing the problem will decrease the availability of these drugs for youth in
Franklin County. By addressing this problem, parents could be educated to discard
or lock up unused prescription drugs.
What barriers / resistance might there be to solving this issue & how might they
be minimized?
Prescription drug use and abuse is still a relatively unknown and unspoken form of
drug use in the county. Many community members may not realize this is a problem
15
in the community and may be resistant to attending education events. Funding and
staff-time is a barrier to more people receiving prevention programming.
County-wide key issue
Response: Higher than average prescription drug use
Baseline data & source
Response: Baseline data for Past-12-month use: Amphetamines - 4.3% of 8
th
graders, 4.0% of 10 graders, 14.4% of 12 graders; Sedatives - 5.1% of 8
ththth
graders, 2.8% of 10 graders, 9.3% of 12 graders; Tranquilizers - 1.5% of 8
ththth
graders, 2.8% of 10 graders, 5.6% of 12 graders; Other Narcotics - 3.7% of
thth
8 graders, 6.0% of 10 graders, 14.0% of 12 graders (2007 Pennsylvania
ththth
Youth Survey)
Influencing risk factor(s)
(Please indicate the risk factors that have been identified as influencing this issue.)
Response: Parent knowledge, Social norms
Protective factor(s) to be enhanced
(Please indicate the protective factors that have been identified as needing to be enhanced to
impact issue.)
Response: Perception of harm, Family involvement, Involved in extra-
curricular activities
16
Appendix 4 - Documenting Preliminary Findings and Data Sources
(Please provide the following information for each of your preliminary findings)
Finding:
Franklin County has one of the highest DUI rates in the state. Eighteen percent of
high school seniors report having driven under the influence of alcohol and 23.4%
report having driven under the influence of marijuana. DUI rates continue to increase
for both juveniles and adults. Adults showed a 22% increase from 2008 to 2009 and
there was a 100% increase in youth DUI arrests from 2008 to 2009.
Data Source:
UCR Police Crime Reporting in PA
2007 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS)
Franklin County 2008 Juvenile Probation Annual Report
Level of Impact:
County-level
Community-level issue
If community-level, please indicate community(s) impacted:
Magnitude & Changeability
How many people are affected by the problem and the severity of its
effects?
(Include information on the amount, age, gender and race of those affected, if known.)
PAYS survey showed an overwhelming number of high school seniors drive while
under the influence of alcohol or marijuana. Franklin County also has one of the
highest DUI arrest rates in the state. UCR data show an increasing number of DUI
arrests in the county, meaning the problem is affecting an increasing number of
families.
How feasible is it to address this issue?
This issue should be addressed to many populations. Adults and high school students
need to be educated about the dangers of driving under the influence. Influential,
state approved effective strategies such as “Save a Life” tour should be presented to
high school students. Over-serving of intoxicated patrons should also be examined at
local bars and restaurants. Education should be provided to employees of area
alcohol-serving restaurants about the danger and liabilities involved in over-serving
patrons.
How important is this issue to the community?
The issue is of major concern to the community because DUI accidents are often fatal.
What are the possible impacts and/or consequences of addressing the problem?
Decreasing the number of drivers that get behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated will
make the county a safer place.
17
What barriers / resistance might there be to solving this issue & how might they
be minimized?
Youth are probably the easiest and most feasible to target with education as adults
are less impressionable. Also some restaurant and bar owners are hesitant to
encourage employees to flag customers as this can result in a negative financial
impact. Funding and staff-time is a barrier to more people receiving prevention
programming.
18
19
Appendix 4 - Documenting Preliminary Findings and Data Sources
(Please provide the following information for each of your preliminary findings)
Finding:
Higher than average inhalant use in Franklin County
High perceived availability of inhalants
Data Source:
2007 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS)
2009 Prevention Needs Assessment Key Representative Surveys
Level of Impact:
County-level
Community-level issue
If community-level, please indicate community(s) impacted:
Magnitude & Changeability
How many people are affected by the problem and the severity of its
effects?
(Include information on the amount, age, gender and race of those affected, if known.)
Franklin County youth report 11.1% lifetime usage for inhalants according to 2007
PAYS. Inhalants were also considered by key representatives surveyed to be very
accessible to youth. 8 and 10 graders had highest usage rates according to PAYS.
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How feasible is it to address this issue?
This issue is addressed with youth as part of the in-classroom programs taking place
in the county. Addressing parents is vital to this issue but is more difficult.
How important is this issue to the community?
It is important to address the issue since inhalants often have a reputation among
youth as being safer than other drugs. Inhalants ranked as the third or fourth most
available drugs to youth in Key Representative Surveys in each community surveyed
in Franklin County.
What are the possible impacts and/or consequences of addressing the problem?
Inhalants are dangerous and the lack of knowledge of health consequences of these drugs
influences teen perception about inhalant use. Awareness of the health effects and laws
Increasing parental
surrounding inhalant use will hopefully decrease youth inhalant use.
awareness of what household products youth are using as inhalants is vital.
What barriers / resistance might there be to solving this issue & how might they
be minimized?
Adults in the community often are not well-educated on the usage and effects of
inhalants. Adults are often difficult to get to educational events. Funding and staff-
time is a barrier to more people receiving prevention programming.
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Appendix 4 - Documenting Preliminary Findings and Data Sources
(Please provide the following information for each of your preliminary findings)
Finding:
Higher than average steroid use in Franklin County
High availability of steroids in Greencastle, Chambersburg
Data Source:
2007 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS)
2009 Prevention Needs Assessment Key Representative Surveys
Level of Impact:
County-level
Community-level issue
If community-level, please indicate community(s) impacted:
Greencastle, Chambersburg
Magnitude & Changeability
How many people are affected by the problem and the severity of its
effects?
(Include information on the amount, age, gender and race of those affected, if known.)
All school districts included in the 2007 PAYS report higher than average lifetime
usage and past-30-day usage of steroids for at least one grade. Chambersburg and
Greencastle had many key representatives report steroids as “available” to youth.
How feasible is it to address this issue?
Steroid education could be targeted to community athletes.
How important is this issue to the community?
Steroids have less negative consequences on the community than many other drugs
but still can have devastating effects on users.
What are the possible impacts and/or consequences of addressing the problem?
Educating athletes, the group at the highest risk for use, would decrease youth usage
in the targeted communities.
What barriers / resistance might there be to solving this issue & how might they
be minimized?
Funds and staff time to do programs that affect smaller numbers of youth are not
generally available at Drug and Alcohol at this time. Funding and staff-time is a
barrier to more people receiving prevention programming.
21
Appendix 4 - Documenting Preliminary Findings and Data Sources
(Please provide the following information for each of your preliminary findings)
Finding:
High perceived availability of heroin
Increasing heroin usage reported in Waynesboro
Data Source:
2009 Prevention Needs Assessment Key Representative Surveys
Interviews
Level of Impact:
County-level
Community-level issue
If community-level, please indicate community(s) impacted:
Chambersburg, Greencastle, Waynesboro
Magnitude & Changeability
How many people are affected by the problem and the severity of its
effects?
(Include information on the amount, age, gender and race of those affected, if known.)
Key representatives report perception of high availability of heroin. When asked
about availability of heroin (if “Don’t Know” answers are removed) 84% of
Greencastle respondents, 69% of Waynesboro respondents and 70% of
Chambersburg respondents say heroin is “Very Available” or “Fairly Available”.
Community members interviewed in Waynesboro report increasing heroin use and
heroin arrests in their area.
How feasible is it to address this issue?
This issue can be addressed using in-school programming in place. Due to
limitations in staff and funding not all schools and grades are receiving programming
currently. Heroin could be targeted as an important topic in these prevention
education classes.
How important is this issue to the community?
The communities perceiving availability are located along major north/south
Interstate-81. Availability and use are increasing as the drug is transported further
from major cities and into these regions by way of local highways.
What are the possible impacts and/or consequences of addressing the problem?
Increasing local knowledge at all ages about the consequences of heroin usage may
decrease use.
What barriers / resistance might there be to solving this issue & how might they
be minimized?
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It is difficult to affect the availability of heroin in these communities. The trend of
transporting drugs on major interstates is difficult to contain. Communities with a
heroin problem often have trouble admitting there is a problem due to stigma.
Funding and staff-time is a barrier to more people receiving prevention
programming.
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Appendix 4 - Documenting Preliminary Findings and Data Sources
(Please provide the following information for each of your preliminary findings)
Finding:
Franklin County youth have higher than average past 30-day tobacco usage (both
cigarette and smokeless tobacco)
Data Source:
2007 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS)
Level of Impact:
County-level
Community-level issue
If community-level, please indicate community(s) impacted:
Magnitude & Changeability
How many people are affected by the problem and the severity of its
effects?
(Include information on the amount, age, gender and race of those affected, if known.)
PAYS survey data was based on 8, 10, and 12 grade students at schools
ththth
throughout the county and shows significantly higher tobacco usage than national
data according to Monitoring the Future.
How feasible is it to address this issue?
The program can be addressed by doing more in-school tobacco education in middle
and high schools throughout the county. Funding is an increasing problem since
state funding was cut last year for tobacco prevention programming.
How important is this issue to the community?
Tobacco usage costs taxpayers a large amount of money each year in healthcare costs
and lost wages. This issue is especially important to the community as usage is so
much higher than national averages.
What are the possible impacts and/or consequences of addressing the problem?
Increasing tobacco education often raises the age of onset of tobacco use. People who
start using tobacco products at younger ages are more likely to have lifelong
addictions to nicotine
What barriers / resistance might there be to solving this issue & how might they
be minimized?
Parents are often a barrier to tobacco education as many adults use tobacco in our
county as well and often youth acquire tobacco products from adults purchasing the
products for them. The state budget impasse last year resulted in significant cuts in
tobacco funding. PA Department of Health removed tobacco prevention completely
from their budgeted Master Settlement monies, choosing to focus on tobacco
cessation. Funding and staff-time is a barrier to more people receiving prevention
programming.
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Appendix 4 - Documenting Preliminary Findings and Data Sources
(Please provide the following information for each of your preliminary findings)
Finding:
Lack of availability of services in Franklin County
Data Source:
2009 Prevention Needs Assessment Key Representative Surveys
Level of Impact:
County-level
Community-level issue
If community-level, please indicate community(s) impacted:
Magnitude & Changeability
How many people are affected by the problem and the severity of its
effects?
(Include information on the amount, age, gender and race of those affected, if known.)
Key representative survey respondents in every community (with the exception of
Chambersburg, the county seat) reported a lack of availability of services in their
communities. This affects a large percentage of the population of Franklin County.
How feasible is it to address this issue?
This issue is not feasible to address within Drug and Alcohol Prevention.
How important is this issue to the community?
This issue was a recurring theme in the communities in the county. People feel as if
the services are not available in communities other than Chambersburg.
What are the possible impacts and/or consequences of addressing the problem?
Adding services or transportation would impact availability.
What barriers / resistance might there be to solving this issue & how might they
be minimized?
Funding necessary to increase services and providers in communities other than
Chambersburg would be tremendous.
25
Appendix 4 - Documenting Preliminary Findings and Data Sources
(Please provide the following information for each of your preliminary findings)
Finding:
Lack of public transportation to services in Franklin County
Data Source:
2009 Prevention Needs Assessment Key Representative Surveys
Level of Impact:
County-level
Community-level issue
If community-level, please indicate community(s) impacted:
Magnitude & Changeability
How many people are affected by the problem and the severity of its
effects?
(Include information on the amount, age, gender and race of those affected, if known.)
Key representative respondents from every community reported a lack of public
transportation to services throughout the county. The county does have an integrated
transportation system that is free to Medicaid recipients but the service is highly
expensive ($16 one-way) for other county residents. There is no other public
transportation throughout the county.
How feasible is it to address this issue?
Other organizations and groups have been trying to address the issue with little
success.
How important is this issue to the community?
Transportation offerings for low-income residents have greatly improved in previous
years. Affordable transportation for other residents is severely lacking.
What are the possible impacts and/or consequences of addressing the problem?
Increasing transportation within the county from other communities to
Chambersburg would affect the availability of services problem that currently exists
in Franklin County.
What barriers / resistance might there be to solving this issue & how might they
be minimized?
Finding an alternative, affordable public transportation within the county other than
those currently offered for low-cost residents would be costly and a very large-scale
project.
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