More About Us
The mission of Monument Prevention Coalition is to prevent underage alcohol use and excessive alcohol use. As an organization, we use a comprehensive approach to work together to make the entire community safe and healthy for our youth. This is accomplished by focusing on policy initiatives, enforcement collaborations, media, education and awareness, and youth leadership. As a community coalition, we endeavor to fulfill our mission with integrity. Our collaborative efforts undertaken so far have brought this coalition to a place of prominence in the community in underage alcohol use and excessive alcohol use prevention and advocacy.
As Robert Wood Johnson Foundation states, "underage drinking is a community problem that has a community solution. This community is stepping forward to work for a solution and change the landscape on the acceptance of not only underage drinking but also excessive alcohol use.
In order to achieve our goals, we have several strategies in place which we work diligently to aid our community for safe alcohol use and absolutely no underage alcohol use. The following is a list of our strategies on helping our community to be safe and healthy for our youth which will then be safe and healthy adults.
1. TiPS Alcohol Server Training is a 3 hour alcohol server/seller training to aid our liquor license holders to server or sale alcohol in a safe manner. This is a no cost to the licensee training that is provided quarterly throughout the year and also on demand for any licensee. Upon successful completion of the training, the seller/server will be certified for 3 years. Through this training, we have found that many sellers/servers do not know the laws of the state of Nebraska and following the training have put safe and protective policies forward with their business establishments.
2. We have established a Western Nebraska Community College Work Group. This work group meets once a month and consists of representativies from DOVES, WNCC, UNMC, Region 1 Behavioral Health, CAPWN, RWMC, and Monument Prevention Coalition. This partnership works together to help in keeping our college students safe and healthy will attending college.
3. Human Performance Project is another strategy that is a partnership with schools throughout the county as well as the Panhandle of Nebraska. Human Performance Project in Nebraska is a project geared to lead to changes in school climate and behaviors amonty the student body. This project is a best-practice education tool for junior high, high school and college students that are participating in all school activities. Project includes: revision of student codes of conduct to support healthy lifestyle choices; policy changes that encourage positive behaviors among the student school activities community; youth leadership training to develop team unity; and student, sponsor, coach, parent and community edudcation on the impact of lifestyle choices and how to make healthier ones. This approach provides the science behind the development of Human Performance Project in Nebraska. This project is designed to support student behavior changes with focus on proper nutrition, adequate sleep and abstinence from alcohol and other substance use. The three primary goals are:
to reduce rates of substance use among students; increase positive lifestyle choices; and nuture successful healthy individuals.
4. Monument Prevention Coalition also collaborates with law enforcement agencies in the county to conduct consistent alcohol compliance checks. This is an effective strategy to ensure the alcohol license holders train their employees on detecting and then not serving alcohol to minors.
