The Natrona County Prevention Coalition

Mission

Working together, we prevent substance abuse by promoting healthy and positive choices.

Vision

The Natrona County Prevention Coalition recognizes a concern of substance abuse and misuse in our community. We work together to address these concerns and prevent substance abuse by promoting healthy and positive choices.

Goals

We are dedicated to providing healthy, substance free activities for our youth
We provide funding for many after school programs in the community.
We sponsor educational events that promote substance abuse prevention.
We meet monthly to review data, target needs, develop plans, and implement strategies to reduce alcohol, tobacco, drug use, and violence.
We collaborate with community agencies to promote community-wide awareness of issues around substance use.

Working together, we prevent substance abuse by promoting healthy and positive choices.

History

The Natrona County Prevention Coalition (NCPC) was formed by Mercer House (now known as Mercer Family Resource Center) in July 2002 to address growing concerns about substance abuse in the community. Today, NCPC is a thriving coalition of over 50 members agencies, businesses, and concerned citizens.

Historically, NCPC has been responsible for conducting and holding multiple substance-free events for the community throughout the year. Mercer Family Resource Center is the lead agency for NCPC and acts as the Coalition's fiscal agent. Mercer Family Resource Center provides education, counseling, and prevention services that build stronger and healthier youth and families in our community. For more information on all the prevention and intervention services provided by Mercer Family Resource Center click here.

Funding for NCPC first came from the Drug Free Communities Grant; a Federal Grant which assisted with the creation of the coalition and the development strategies for community-wide substance abuse prevention. The 21st Century State Incentive Grant focused on reducing substance use and abuse with community-wide environmental strategies and provided afterschool programming. This two-pronged approach has been the organizational structure since NCPC's inception.

Throughout the years, NCPC has received the following Federal and State grants to work towards providing healthy and positive choices in the community, while decreasing substance use:

21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) - Cohorts 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12
Drug Free Communities - Years 1-5 & 6-10
STOP Act Now
Strategic Prevention Framework
NASA
CORE

Money from local foundations has been received along with business grants, including: Blue Envelope Health Fund, City of Casper Promotions, the McMurry Foundation, Walmart, the Wyoming Community Foundation, and Zimmerman Foundation. Additional support has come in the form of donations, volunteers, partnerships, and community involvement.

NCPC members meet monthly to share their personal and/or respective agency's efforts toward the Coalition's mission. Monthly meeting allow for consistent assessment of coalition goals and activities, provides the opportunity for members and their agencies to seek coalition support, and helps ensure agencies' efforts aren't being duplicated.

Our work

NCPC meets monthly as a large group the first Tuesday of every month. Additionally, there is a Parenting and Family Subcommittee and a Community Prevention Strategies Group Subcommittee that also both meet monthly. NCPC is the advisory committee for the 21st Century Community Learning Center Grants. NCPC is also partnered with the local Youth Empowerment Council to provide youth leadership opportunities each week.

Family and Parenting Subcommittee

The family and parenting subcommittee is responsible for addressing the needs of Natrona County children, parents, and families. The committee organizes several events throughout the year to provide access to information, activities, and provide a substance-free space for families. These events currently include:

-Family Game Night (Yearly event - usually planned for February)
-Community Baby Shower (Yearly event- usually planned for April)

Meets at 10 a.m. the 4th Thursday of each month
Mercer Family Resource Center
Chair: Anna La Torre alatorre@mercercasper.com

Community Prevention Strategies Group subcommittee (CPSG)

CPSG subcommittee is responsible for addressing substance abuse prevention throughout the community. The committee works with several local agencies to identify areas of substance abuse, collect data, and brain-storm possible solutions to current substance abuse issues.

Meets at 2 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month (after the main NCPC meeting)
Mercer Family Resource Center
Chair: Sheena Hixson shixson@mercercasper.com

AFTER-SCHOOL Programs (Nita M Lowey 21st Century community learning centers)

NCPC is the advisory council for the Nita M Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Center (21 CCLC) federal after-school grant programs. The program just successfully closed out 21 CCLC Cohort 12 programming. The goal of 21CCLC programs are to provide a safe, healthy, positive place for youth and children to engage in afterschool learning that connects school day learning to real world experiences. Each center promotes learning and leadership, provides enrichment activities, and encourages family engagement.

Youth Leadership Program

In coordination with NCPC's community needs assessment, the Youth Empowerment Council (YEC) recognizes the voices and insights of the youth of Casper. Through pro-social, substance-free, fun-filled activities, YEC is a unique program that is led by youth; for youth.

YEC meets every Thursday at Mercer Family Resource Center from 6:00pm-7:00pm.