What We Do

Southwest Kansas Regional Prevention Center supports the mission of "creating and supporting environments for children to become healthy and contributing members of Kansas communities" in three ways:

1. Building on a solid foundation of research and evaluation
Just as medical researchers have found risk and protective factors for heart disease and other health issues, research has identified factors that are placing children, families, and communities at risk for interrelated problems. This research has also identified approaches that build protection and developmental assets in children. We attempt to build on this knowledge by:

• Identifying best practices, programs, and strategies and rigorously evaluating promising approaches.
  
• Bringing researchers, program planners, and practitioners together through Prevention Leadership Forums to continue fine tuning the most effective science-based strategies and best practices.
  
• Supporting applied research studies to learn more about what works in prevention.
  

2. Supporting outcome-based community planning
Southwest Kansas Regional Prevention Center is assisting communities in protecting children and achieving results.

• Kansas Data and Planning Guides, organized around the nine caring community outcomes, are available for all 105 Kansas counties. This information, designed to assist communities in addressing issues that matter to them, will be updated annually and available online.
  
• The Community Resource Assessment Guides will assist communities in identifying federal, state, and local resources that are available to address the nine caring community outcomes.
  
• The electronic Community Documentation System is supporting more than 100 communities in tracking progress in implementing local action plans. This service will be available to all participating Connect Kansas communities.
  

3. Supporting community capacity building

• Training and technical assistance is available for communities around core competencies: leadership, community assessment, outcome-based planning, community action and advocacy, community evaluation, social marketing, and leveraging resources.
  
• Technology such as the "Building Healthy Communities" Distance Learning Workshops, and the Community Tool Box through the University of Kansas Health Promotion and Community Development is available to communities at no cost. This can be accessed at http://ctb.ku.edu/index.jsp.
  
• "Learning Communities" and social marketing campaigns are providing state-of-the-art information and opportunities for networking among national and state decision-makers, program planners, and concerned citizens.
  
• The Community Leadership Corps is supporting internships for undergraduate students to serve in community coalitions and partnerships and learn more about the application of prevention technology.

The Regional Prevention Centers are here to act as a catalyst to build a new kind of community - one that faces its problems and works on solutions together. We:

• Provide leadership in developing a common vision and agenda for preventing the risks and increasing protection for families and communities
  
• Conduct community risk assessments to provide a baseline understanding of the concerns and strengths in the area and provide assistance in developing community coalitions
  
• Provide technical assistance and training, along with training packages for employees in the development of a drug-free workplace
  
• Have access to and dissemination of materials from the Kansas RADAR (Regional Alcohol and Drug Awareness Resources) Network.
  
• We provide technical assistance along with videos, free pamphlets, books and audio cassettes supplying the latest prevention research
  
• Provide leadership and training in Kansas Family Partnership programs such as Preparing for the Drug Free Years and STAR Baseline Training
  
• Serve as the local coordinators for innovative, collaborative efforts such as the National Family Partnership's Red Ribbon Campaign

Prevention Services

Resource Library – The SWKRPC library contains videos and books that are available for checkout.

Clearinghouse – We are happy to pass along materials we receive in the form of posters, pamphlets, bookmarks and other literature free of charge to citizens and organizations in our area.

Website – Our website focuses on prevention information, keeping you up-to-date on the progress of our coalitions, on new developments in the prevention field and links to other great prevention sites.

Networking – Your RPC actively works to coordinate, support and market regional prevention efforts. The RPC also coordinates the exchange of information between regional, state and national Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug prevention organizations concerning their services and programs.

Prevention Training and Referrals – It’s our pleasure to help you to get involved in prevention in various ways. We also act as a referral resource for various substance or other problem behavior issues.

Together we can make a difference in the lives of our young people. Let’s get together; it’s rare for one to say, "I prevent," but it’s common for a group to say, "We prevent."

To be a part of the solution, call (620) 276-9624