Highlighted Program: Creating Positive Change

Creating Positive Change to Reduce Substance Abuse

Creating Positive Change (CPC) is a public, non-profit organization that fully believes broad-based commitment from all sectors in the community (including business, law enforcement, schools, and charitable organizations) is needed to ensure positive futures for children and families in the ConVal and Jaffrey-Rindge districts. The mission of CPC is to focus resources to build community, strengthen families, encourage healthy behaviors, and reduce the abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. The idea is to empower the community to deal with these issues using organizations and resources already in the community. CPC works towards this mission through: 1) Community Outreach, 2) Parent Outreach, and 3) Youth Outreach.

History

In 1999, a coalition of community leaders formed the Community Prevention Collaborative to reduce ATOD substance abuse in the region, and identify strategies to support prevention programs and secure treatment options. This dedicated coalition developed a framework for collaborative programming and in 2000 was awarded a State Incentive Grant to plan and develop prevention programming for the Region. A Board of Directors representing core coalition members was formed to provide governance, and a full-time Program Director was hired in August 2000. The initial efforts of the program director were successful and in 2001 a full-time coordinator joined the team. In 2003 the Board of Directors revised the name of the organization to “Creating Positive Change” to signal their proactive stance towards prevention programming. Today CPC has four paid staff members and offers and array of community and youth programming serving more than 12,000 people annually.

Community Outreach

CPC embraces it’s mission to reduce ATOD use by offering educational and training programs for adult and youth community members, providing internship and service learning opportunities for youth, and developing and sustaining parental outreach efforts. One of the great, on-going successes of CPC in advocating for community ATOD issues is the development and coordination of the Prevention Page of the Mondadnock Ledger. Click Here! to learn about this effort and how you might develop a similar partnership with your local paper.

Circle Talks
Community members invite their “circle of friends” into their home to discuss concerns. Participants are encouraged to host similar parties in their homes with their “circle of influence.”

Media Education Campaign
In-house media campaign to increase awareness of substance-related issues in our community. Initiatives include: the CPC website, quarterly prevention page (Monadnock Ledger), The Exchange and The E-Exchange (CPC newsletter), news and press releases.

Community Action Teams
Action groups that meet regularly between coalition meetings. Past action teams have addressed Youth Programming (the Teen Center) and Community Mobilization.

Quarterly Coalition Meetings
Open community meetings to increase awareness of substance-related issues, highlight community leaders, and provide a networking venue for non-profit providers.

Parent Outreach

Parent Circle
An outreach forum that provides parents access to prevention resources in our community while providing a safe and nurturing environment, and encouraging the exchange of ideas amongst participants. Empowerment is achieved through mutual understanding support, recognition, and a call to action.

The plan is to offer Parent Circles on a rotating basis in Peterborough, Jaffrey, and Antrim.

Youth Outreach

Challenge Program
An outreach resource to youth, parents, law enforcement, and schools as a means to address alcohol, tobacco, and other drug issues.

Youth participants are encouraged to explore the cause-effect relationship involved in unhealthy decision-making. Youth are invited to engage in the stages of change through education and awareness activities. The program incorporates referral measures for youth who exhibit a greater need beyond the scope of the Alternatives Program. Program developed by the N.H. Division of Alcohol Drug Abuse Prevention and Recovery. ($75 participant fee)

Teen Center/Club Cannon (located at 40 Grove Street, Peterborough, NH)
A safe and healthy environment for youth to ‘hang out’. Further, Club Cannon will offer wellness programming; cultural, recreational, and interactive activities as defined by participating youth. Click Here! for a description of Club Cannon Programming.

Creating Positive Change
PO Box 441
40 Grove St.
Peterborough NH 03458
603-924-4981

For more information about CPC or any of thier programs, call or email the staff at director@cpcnh.org. Or check out the website at www.cpcnh.org

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University of New Hampshire - Pettee Hall - 55 College Road - Durham, NH 03824 2/4/05