PARS - Regional Prevention Centers

General Information
Shawnee Regional Prevention Center offers services to parents, youth, teachers, community members, law enforcement, clergy and others living in the Shawnee County area. Services include alcohol, tobacco and other drug information, technical assistance, informational brochures and videos, consultations on prevention and intervention activities and Regional Alcohol and Drug Awareness Resources.

Regional Prevention Centers in Kansas assist communities in building the capacity to address youth health and behavior problems through available state resources. They are committed to a vision of change for their community - a vision where all children are healthy and able to reach their full potential. Regional Prevention Centers work towards their goal using the following tools:

A prevention management information outcome system that collects and analyzes current risk and protective factor data at all levels for program and policy planning, evaluation and public education purposes.

Training and technical assistance services to increase the skills, knowledge and the capacity of professionals to more effectively respond to the diverse needs of Kansas communities.

A Kansas Communities That Care Evaluation Program that tracks and evaluates best practices and promising program approaches at all levels.

A Kansas Resource Clearinghouse that links communities with international, national, state and local information, funding opportunities, program models, media campaigns and other resources.

There are 13 Regional Prevention Centers across the state serving all 105 counties in Kansas. To locate the Regional Prevention Center (RPC) in your county, click HERE for a listing of RPC's by region.

Trainings Offered
Kansas Baseline Training - This program is intended to increase awareness of the impact of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD) on the individual, family, school and community.
The 2-day training includes videos, lectures, group activities and guest speakers. A Baseline resource manual will be provided. The training is appropriate for professionals who wish to broaden their knowledge on this topic as well as other community members with personal or professional interest in the area of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Continuing Education Credits (CEU's) will be available for social workers, teachers, nurses and other professionals as needed for licensure renewal. Cost for the 2-day workshop is $50.00. Click Here to register or for registration information.

Kansas Teen Baseline Training - This is a one-day retreat led by certified adult facilitators from Shawnee Regional Prevention Center to help teens examine their own beliefs and behaviors about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD) and gain new knowledge about the physical and social consequences of ATODs including addiction in teens and adults. The Teen Baseline experience gives teens new insight into several factors that increase their risk of developing substance abuse problems. Teen Baseline Training is designed for a group of 15-25 sophomores, juniors and seniors (ages 14-18) who represent different social and/or activity groups within the school or community. The training is free of charge; however food and transportation costs must be covered by the convening organization. Please call Shawnee Regional Prevention Center (266-8666) for more information on scheduling a Teen Baseline Training for youth involved in your organization or school.

Preparing For the Drug Free Years - There is no greater job in life than to provide a close, loving and supportive family. There is no greater threat to your family than alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Preparing For the Drug Free Years (PDFY), developed by Drs. David Hawkins and Richard Catalano, is a 5-week, research-based, prevention-focused parenting workshop designed for parents with children from birth to age 13. The workshop will help parents recognize certain risk factors that have been shown to increase the likelihood of your child becoming involved with alcohol or other drugs. Through the use of roleplays, group discussions, lecture, videos segments and a workbook, participating parents will learn the skills necessary to teach their children how to refuse alcohol and other drugs while at the same time keeping their friends and maintaining strong family bonds. Certificates are available for each participant upon completion of the program. Please call Shawnee Regional Prevention Center at 266-8666 for more information on scheduling a PDFY program.

Parents Who Care - The Parents Who Care program, developed by Drs. David Hawkins and Richard Catalano, is a universal prevention and early intervention program based on the Social Development Strategy to help parents with children ages 12 to 17 strengthen family bonds and learn skills to protect their children from risk. It's a self-paced, interactive video/workbook style curriculum addressing not only basic prevention strategies for alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, but also other problem behaviors such as teen pregnancy and violence. The program is flexible and can be taught as a class with weekly meeting times, or can also be utilized individually by parents on their own time. Each curriculum kit contains a video and a workbook which includes many activities for parents and teens. This program could be used by schools, faith institutions, health care providers, civic groups, businesses or social services agencies. For more information or to schedule a training for your organization, contact Carol Spiker via email or call the Shawnee Regional Prevention Center at 266-8666.

Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Education/Prevention Services
ACTION Groups - ACTION Groups are designed for youth as a fundamental building block for living a healthy life. They were created from the perceived need that children who begin using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs may lack healthy coping skills. As a preventive measure to early initiation of ATOD, ACTION Groups were created to provide encouragement and additional support in the development of healthy, drug-free lifestyles. ACTION Groups usually consist of 6-8 age-appropriate youth between the ages of 5-18. The groups meet weekly in 40-60 minute sessions and include activities, worksheets, videos, discussions and presentation of factual information. ACTION Groups often take place within the school system and are coordinated through the social services at each individual school. To find out if your school is participating in the ACTION Groups program, or for more information about ACTION Groups, please contact Carol Spiker at Shawnee Regional Prevention Center at 266-8666

Life Skills Program - The Life Skills Program is an eight-week group education process for youth needing alcohol and other drug abuse services. Youth meet in age-appropriate groups once a week for one hour. Using the research-based Life Skills Training curricula, prevention specialists from Shawnee Regional Prevention Center facilitate these small group sessions which are designed to help youth identify and evaluate behaviors in their lives that interfere with their successes. They will participate in interactive and informational activities that will increase their knowledge about alcohol and other drug facts and statistics, and identify the social consequences of alcohol and other drug use. Youth may be referred to the program through the court system, schools, law enforcement, Children, Youth and Families Resource Center, parental concern or other community organization. Youth who are identified through alcohol and other drug screening as needing substance abuse treatment are NOT candidates for the Life Skills Program. For more information about this program, contact Debra Bevier at Shawnee Regional Prevention Center at 266-8666

Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug (ATOD) Informational Presentations
Prevention specialists from Shawnee Regional Prevention Center are available to give informational presentations to any community organization or group that is seeking factual information regarding alcohol and other drugs or related topics. Presentations can be tailored to specific audiences and accommodations, and can include information on one or more of the following topics: Shawnee County Communities That Care School Survey statistics regarding youth substance use, addiction, stages of adolescent substance use, warning signs and symptoms, risk and protective factors related to problem behaviors, fetal alcohol syndrome, communicating with your child about alcohol and other drugs, specific drug information, and many other ATOD related games and activities. Free informational brochures and handouts will be provided to all participants. For more information on available topics, or to schedule a presentation for your organization, contact Carol Spiker or Cristi Cain, Shawnee Regional Prevention Center at 266-8666.

Kansas Prevention Initiatives/Campaigns
Kansas Red Ribbon Campaign - For many years, Kansas has participated in a national alcohol and other drug awareness campaign called Red Ribbon. Red Ribbon began in 1985 when Drug Enforcement Agent Kiki Camarena was murdered by the Mexican drug cartel. To honor his memory, and to show that they would continue his fight against illegal drugs, friends and neighbors wore red satin badges. Today, children and adults across the country continue this tradition by wearing red ribbons to celebrate Red Ribbon Week, October 23-31. During this week, activities are planned to promote healthy and drug-free lifestyles, as well as to educate communities about the impact of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs on the lives of children, families and communities.

Shawnee Regional Prevention Center is the local contact for the Shawnee County Red Ribbon initiative. SRPC can provide technical assistance and information to schools or community agencies who want to organize Red Ribbon activities. Other local resources might include Drug Free Schools Coordinators and the Drug Demand Reduction Program at the Kansas National Guard. On a state level, Kansas Family Partnership coordinates the Kansas Red Ribbon Campaign and is available for assistance. You can contact Kansas Family Partnership at 1-800-206-7231 or for Shawnee County Red Ribbon information call Shawnee Regional Prevention Center at 266-8666

Shawnee County Methamphetamine Awareness and Education Project - The Shawnee County Methamphetamine Awareness and Education Project began implementation in July 2000 with funding provided through the Kansas Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. The goals of the project are to reduce the supply of methamphetamine in Shawnee County by reducing the availability of precursor products used in the manufacture of methamphetamine and to reduce the demand for methamphetamine by providing opportunities for youth education and community awareness about the dangers of the drug. Partner organizations involved in the project include: Prevention and Recovery Services, Safe Streets, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Kansas State Research and Extension, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Topeka Police Department, and Shawnee County Sheriff's Department.

The project will address the supply of methamphetamine in Shawnee County by focusing educational and awareness efforts on four target areas: