What We Do: Healthy Communities That Care (HCTC) brings together parents, youth, and community partners to:

þ Build positive, safe environments for all youth.
þ Increase protective factors, also called assets, while reducing risk factors, to minimize adolescent involvement in problem behavior. The more assets children have, the less likely they are to participate in risky behaviors, such as drug or alcohol abuse, early sexual activity and violent or criminal behavior.
þ Enhance youth connectedness to school and community.
þ Strengthen community collaboration.

How We Do It

þ Engage and educate key community leaders on HCTC; work with HCTC Coalition.
þ Assess community risk and protective factors; prioritize prevention planning needs and positive youth development efforts.
þ Identify effective prevention strategies and create a community action plan.
þ Implement most appropriate prevention strategies based on knowledge of existing community resources.

What can HCTC do for you and your Community?
  Develop prevention strategies that are based on real live data specific to your school and community needs.
  Educate community leaders, school district, parents and youth on youth development and building assets in youth.
  Give tips and insight for dealing with youth behaviors including:
o How to talk with your teen and improve communication
o Why they act that way – the latest research in adolescent brain development
o Teenage drinking and keeping youth drug free
o Setting clear boundaries, appropriate rules and expectations

Provide insight on the latest research regarding and issues and trends in youth behavior.
Assist communities and schools in developing a comprehensive plan to address school/community specific needs to prevent such problems as teen pregnancy, substance abuse, delinquency, and school drop outs. Plans can include school based programs and/or family workshops/programs provided by Livingston County agencies
Assess needs through youth surveys, parent surveys, youth interviews, youth focus groups
Assist with community mapping and creating resources and publications specific to your community and needs
Help to engage and empower youth and create youth leadership opportunities such as youth councils
Assist with organizing asset building youth and family activities

HCTC Coalitions

R Consists of parent and community representatives from across Livingston County as well as representatives from business, school, media, health organizations, youth organizations, faith community, law enforcement, youth, civic groups and substance abuse professionals.
þ Meet 6 times per year (2010 schedule below) to follow timelines/plans for coalition and to plan for events /activities /programs/strategies according to needs assessment data collected
þ Representatives work on implementing plans/events/strategies in their school and community sector according to set timelines.
þ Coalition takes part in community assessments, strategic and action plans, implementation and evaluation plans.
þ The coalition members acts as “catalysts and champions” in implementing County wide strategies targeting underage drinking. These include: Community Alcohol Scanning, Parents Who Host Lose the Most, Project Sticker Shock, Not in R House (guides for school staff, coaches, PTSAs, parents to prevent underage drinking).
þ The coalition members also act as catalysts and champions in implementing County wide asset promotion through schools, businesses, parents, and congregations.

2010 Meeting Dates:
(All meetings take place from 4-5:30PM at the County Government Center in Geneseo; Room 106): Feb 1st, Apr 5th, June 7th, Aug 2nd, Oct 4th, Dec 6th)

To get involved or for more information on Healthy Communities that Care, please contact: