Community Assessment identifies top concerns, need for evidence-based programming

After six months of research that included working with more than
40 area organizations and interviews with 80 community members, CoxHealth and Skaggs Foundation have released the Stone and Taney Counties Community Assessment. The document is part of the Stone and Taney Counties Substance Abuse Initiative.

“This document will essentially be our road map moving forward and help guide our community in preventing and reducing substance abuse,” said Substance Abuse Initiative Project Coordinator Marietta Hagan.

Recommendations outlined by the Community Assessment includes developing and monitoring key partnerships with individuals and organizations who can provide initiative growth; develop a data dashboard for community and local organizational use; focus on evidence-based programs; utilize an effective evaluation that focuses on process, outputs and outcomes; introduce and grow research-based programming in the schools to address youth and family needs; and introduce and grow research-based practices for intervention and treatment initiatives based in the community.

“From this point on, we will be coordinating all of our efforts around these recommendations,” Hagan said. “Preventing and reducing substance abuse is no easy task and it will take time and effort, however, with the support of the communities within Stone and Taney counties, this project will have a positive impact for generations to come.”

The Substance Abuse Initiative is a concentrated effort aimed at reducing and preventing substance abuse in Stone and Taney counties. The project, which started in 2016, is led by CoxHealth and funded by a Skaggs Legacy Endowment grant.