2016 Champion for Change of Prevention
Lester Gillespie
This award is given to someone who supports community efforts to address substance abuse prevention, increase education and outreach, and integrate primary and behavioral health. As leader of the Charleston C2000 Coalition for over 16 years, Lester has worked tirelessly facilitating, creating, and implementing youth and adult community services in Mississippi County. His dedication and passion has contributed greatly to many individual persons and program successes. Individual successes are clear when you talk to youth and adults that refer to Lester as their friend, greatest supporter and confidant. Program successes include running a strong year around, multifaceted after-school program for At-Risk youth. The great programs built by the coalition with his leadership include substance abuse & violence prevention education, social skill set learning, tutoring, community service projects, as well a great physical activity component.
2016 Coalition of the Year
St. Joseph Youth Alliance
The Coalition of the Year award celebrates a coalition’s sustained level of excellence. Since 1991, Youth Alliance has worked alongside member organizations to prevent teen substance abuse, to help create quality early childhood education opportunities and to help teens find ways to serve their community while learning new job skills. They have dedicated 20 years of time, talent and resources from their partners and members toward placing their youth on top as a community asset. Together, they are setting the tone for their community by promoting youth asset development, community engagement and responsibility and the value of early childhood education. The Youth Alliance’s mission is to engage with community partners in practical ways in order to improve the lives of children and families.
2016 Milestone Award
C.R.U.S.H. St. Charles
The Milestone Award celebrates a coalition’s specific success in FY2016 in the area of outreach, advocacy, media, education, or training. CRUSH (Community Resources United to Stop Heroin) has worked tirelessly to advocate for environmental and policy changes. Due to the composition of CRUSH and the weight member agencies carry within the communities they serve, the St. Louis area has been able to see numerous positive changes. St. Louis has become Missouri’s leader in policies addressing opioid misuse. In the past year, the region has passed a first in the nation municipal prescription drug monitoring program in 2 municipalities, equipped every officer in Missouri’s largest law enforcement agency with naloxone, passed a municipal Good Samaritan law, and established the first prescription drop box in the City of St. Louis. These environmental changes constitute a comprehensive approach to addressing the opioid epidemic, and in some cases is already saving lives. CRUSH has truly reached a milestone achievement that other community organizations can and will emulate.
2016 Milestone Award
Lee’s Summit CARES
The Milestone Award celebrates a coalition’s specific success in FY2016 in the area of outreach, advocacy, media, education, or training. Lee’s Summit CARES has spent a tremendous amount of time creating a safe environment for the youth in their community while strengthening youth resilience to refuse alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other drugs. They have done an excellent job educating their community and training volunteers on the impact of substance use on youth brain development, academic achievement, motivation, potential for addiction and related youth-impact topics. Lee’s Summit CARES has worked with volunteers to mobilize residents, state legislators, county governments, and local municipalities to work within current federal law to prevent the spread of marijuana distribution and use in Lee’s Summit. Their dedication to this issue and it’s effect on the community proves that they truly believe in their mission statement to “direct, support and actively coordinate efforts of the community to prevent and reduce youth substance abuse, promote youth safety and thereby improve the health and well-being of the community”. Lee’s Summit CARES is aware that the legalization of marijuana directly impacts their youth-focused mission and they have shown their determination to do something about it.
2016 Milestone Award
Osage County Anti-Drug Community Action Team
The Milestone Award celebrates a coalition’s specific success in FY2016 in the area of outreach, advocacy, media, education, or training. OC-ADCAT has only been in existence since November 2015, but the coalition is a well-known driving force within Osage County. OC-ADCAT is a grassroots organization serving over 13,700 residents, of those there are over 3,600 students within Osage County. OC-ADCAT was created as an essential resource for substance abuse prevention, education, and recovery: Changing lives, Saving futures. OC-ADCAT is a registered coalition with the Missouri Department of Behavioral Health. OC-ADCAT held one of its first events at the Osage County Community Center in January that provided information on Rx drugs and its effects on the brain as well as critical information from the LANEG( Lake area Narcotics Enforcement Group) on the prevalence of drugs in the area and how parents/caregivers can recognize them. The Linn Police Department and the Osage County Sheriff’s Department were also in attendance to answer questions. Out of this Town Hall, the coalition put together their next steps in the “Fight For a Drug Free O.C.”
Prevention Emeritus Award
Donna Chapman
This award is given to individuals who have dedicated their careers to prevention in Missouri. Donna of Morgan County CLEAR, Community Leaders Educating About Resistance, has dedicated her life to supporting her community in its efforts to increase education, to promote healthy behaviors, and to reach out to all segments of their county’s diverse population. Prior to retiring to become MC CLEAR’s grant coordinator, Donna was a teacher, a Summer School Director, a Vice principal, a Principal and Title 1A Coordinator. She has spent her life working with youth and working to provide healthy, safe opportunities for youth. Even in retirement Donna has not left the schools and the students she worked so hard for during her career. As grant coordinator of MC CLEAR since its inception in 2006 and as Planning Director for Citizens for Health and Wellness since 2010, Donna’s commitment to her county, to its citizens and especially to its youth in promoting healthier homes, healthier schools, and healthier workplaces has made her their local Champion.
Prevention Emeritus Award
Jamie Scott
This award is given to individuals who have dedicated their careers to prevention in Missouri. Jamie Scott was always the professional who was dedicated to the prevention of substance use throughout Missouri. Jamie was awarded a Masters of Social Work from the University of Missouri and spent 15 years at the Department of Mental Health in the Certification Division, the Medical and Clinical Review Unit, and the Quality Improvement and Managed Care Section. In 2004, Jamie joined ACT Missouri as the Director of Contracts and Collaborations. This position enabled many community coalitions to access funding to provide the best prevention services possible throughout Missouri. She was a Missouri Advanced Certified Substance Abuse Prevention Professional through the Missouri Credentialing Board. She had a strong passion for prevention because, like many of us, had addiction in her family. She loved working with communities to change the environment in which our children are raised. Jamie was a funny, witty, and just a kind soul. Jamie lost her battle with cancer in July 2015. Her husband Buddy Scott accepted the award on her behalf.
