Due to an unresponsive community, empathetic community leaders and
unreliable funding sources, the Jo. Co. Task Force on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Inc. is shutting its doors after 22 years of providing Johnson Counties ONLY year-round, free, drug and alcohol prevention programming. This was an extremely difficult decision for the board to make and the loss will be
felt by many but, most importantly the youth in the community. Attempts were made to find agencies and / or organizations to take over programming, to provide support both financially and through providing volunteers for the programs all to no avail. There simply was no interest from anyone in a position to help. With the demise of the Johnson County Task Force, Johnson County will lose $100,000 in prevention programs and services. Other losses will include: - Local schools will lose a major component of their drug prevention program, for which they receive funding. They relied heavily on the TAC Teen Speakers Bureau.
- Jo. Co. Volunteer Center will no longer have a resource for referring youth age 13 and under for community service.
- Overland Park Court Services will not have a teen panel to accompany their Wrong of Passage and Choices videos.
- There will no longer be a skilled group of teens available to evaluate programs and services targeting them.
- Teens will no longer have "their own place" to go for meetings, drug-free activities, meaningful community service, etc.. They will be relegated to basements, meeting rooms and small corners in stifling adult
spaces.
- "Teens Only" Support Group
- Meaningful Community Service
The programming offered by the Task Force through the Teen Advisory Council WILL NEVER BE DUPLICATED. Some will try... they will charge fees for programs that the Task Force offered free of charge, youth will be court ordered to attend programs that youth once willingly attended when the Task Force provided the programs. The Juvenile Court and the County will be involved in what was once a community based program and the scope, mission and purpose of the programs will change drastically. Greed will overtake sincerity and the children will suffer.
|
