About Our Department

Our program coordinator position, held by Tracey Potts, is funded completely by a US Dept. of Ed Grant to Reduce Alcohol Abuse. (Learn more about our staff here.)

The CPC is and/or has been involved in the following programs and activities:

Alcohol Operation Storefront: funded by Champions for a Drug Free Kentucky and implemented in conjunction with Bardstown High School's Youth-In-Charge club; teens survey and assess the alcohol advertising at point-of-purchase sites across the county (local vendors) and then report their findings with the goal of reducing alcohol advertising aimed at youth.

Strengthening Families Program: currently funded by the local KY-ASAP board, previously funded by a grant from DJJ; parents and youth attend two-hour workshops for seven weeks to learn ways to build on family strengths, resist peer pressure, and make family life less stressful and more enjoyable; this program boosts many of the factors shown to protect youth from substance abuse and other delinquent behaviors.

TIPS Training: funded and coordinated by the Heartland Trail KY-ASAP board; offered monthly on-site (alcohol servers) and at our center (alcohol sellers), to help them to recognize when they would be liable to sell alcohol.

Start Taking Alcohol Risks Seriously (STARS) for Families: funded by the US Dept. of Ed.; coordinated by the CPC, in conjunction with the Lincoln Trail Health Department for Bardstown Independent Schools in each local high school; a three-year program being implemented with local 9th graders consisting of brief yearly interviews with students from the Class of 2006 conducted by a health educator or school nurse, a series of 10 postcards to these students' parents containing alcohol facts for them to discuss with their youth (year one), and six take-home lessons for youth and parents to complete together (year two); shown to significantly reduce the onset of alcohol usage by youth.

KIP School Surveys: funded by KY-ASAP; administered by the CPC each year to all 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th graders to find out how students feel about alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, and other youth issues; the survey results provide valuable information to researchers and program planners and can be used to obtain funding and to improve prevention programming for youth.

Art as Prevention: funded by the US Dept. of Ed.; coordinated by the CPC for Bardstown Independent Schools in each local high school; after-school art classes, such as culinary arts, martial arts, visual arts, etc., to promote school connectivity and to provide youth with constructive activities.