COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Health Department

DATE:

June 5, 2006

BOARD MEETING DATE:

June 20, 2006

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Charlene A. Silva, Director, Health Department

Glen H. Brooks, Jr., Director, Human Services Agency

SUBJECT:

Roadmap for Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug (ATOD) Prevention

RECOMMENDATION:

Accept the Roadmap for Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug (ATOD) Prevention

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: Realize the Potential of Our Diverse Population

Goal: 1. Our diverse population works well together to build strong communities, effective government and a prosperous economy.

Commitment: Ensure basic health and safety for all

Goal: 5. Residents have access to healthcare and preventive care.

6. Children grow up healthy in safe and supportive homes and neighborhoods.

8. Help vulnerable people, the aged, disabled, mentally ill, at-risk youth and others achieve a better quality of life.

Performance Measure(s):

Measure

FY 2005-06
Estimate

FY 2006-07
Projected

Number of community members engaged in addressing high priority health issues

296

296

BACKGROUND:

In May 2004, under the leadership of Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson, the San Mateo County Health Department and community convened for the first Healthy Communities Summit to focus on health disparities. Community members recognized that differences in health care and health outcomes in populations are often a result of social and economic factors, and summit participants voiced a commitment to eliminating these differences. One of the three issues prioritized for initial focus was Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug (ATOD) prevention.

Community leaders representing community-based organizations, schools, law enforcement, County government staff and concerned residents of San Mateo County have been meeting since March 2005 to develop an action plan titled “The Roadmap for ATOD Prevention.” This planning has been guided by both Health Department and Human Services Agency support, including convening of sector-specific and cross-cutting workgroups, analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, and incorporation of “best practices” from a wide range of national sources.

DISCUSSION:

Data in the Roadmap indicate that the toll of substance abuse on the health of our community is great and therefore the need for primary prevention is widespread. Objectives and action steps promote strategies that build assets and resiliency among our youth as well as approaches that shape norms, systems and public policy in ways that promote a healthier environment.

The Roadmap outlines five priority areas for collaborative community action:

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Individual/Family Connectedness: How people are connected to and/or engaged with a community, an individual’s developmental assets or how they associate with others in a peer group.

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Social and Cultural Norms: Unwritten rules for how people are expected to act in a given group or segment of society or widely accepted behaviors.

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Access to/Availability of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs: Factors that influence and/or facilitate the use of ATOD by youth or adults in different public or private settings.

-

Policies, Laws and Enforcement: Established regulations, organizational policies and enforcement practices that encourage, discourage or prohibit ATOD use by different segments of the population.

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Community Support and Capacity for Prevention: Capacity of community-based organizations, governmental agencies, and community members to be able to engage in ATOD prevention including: available resources that prevent use/misuse/abuse of ATOD and serve as an alternative to ATOD use.

The Roadmap describes an action plan in greater detail. Community leaders and concerned residents have committed to working together to reach the outlined goals. These recommendations will also inform the Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) strategic plan that the Human Services Agency will be completing by the Fall.

FISCAL IMPACT:

There is no Net County Cost associated with accepting the Roadmap. The Health Department has redirected $75,000 toward this effort, which is included in its FY 2006-07 recommended budget.