Feb 4, 2015 By Luke Campbell for The 3 min read

“It’s not a program, it’s a process.”

Karen Bennett, administrator of the Department of Human Services for Greene County, reiterated that point when discussing the reemergence of the Communities that Care initiative.

This process, which was implemented in 2001, helped the Carmichaels area by organizing various activities, including a community picnic and a Battle of the Bands, performed at Carmichaels Area High School, to promote an anti-drug message. Both lasted several years without the funding; however, they eventually had to be eliminated.

“We definitely helped the families there,” Bennett said.

But a recent announcement by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), which funds the program, allowed for the opportunity to attain grants for new sites. Being that no program was in place over the last few years, it ultimately led to being qualified as a “new site.”

The $102,000 grant that is to be used over the next two years is designated to Franklin and Cumberland Townships, particularly the areas of west Waynesburg and Nemacolin.

Officials announced that Greene County received the grant during a commissioners’ meeting in December. On Jan. 22, the county salary board approved the hiring of Melissa Wood as community mobilizer for the initiative.

Deciding to bring this program back almost seemed inevitable after the recognition of the issues these areas were having.

Another contributing factor that ultimately led to the approval of the grant was the results of the Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) given to Central Greene High School and Carmichaels Area High School in 2013. This assessment helps learn about the students’ behavior, attitudes and knowledge about alcohol, tobacco, violence and other drugs.

“The needs specifically spoke to fixing the drug and alcohol activity and how the communities were trying to come together and fix that problem,” Bennett said. “The goal is to get (the PAYS) in all five school districts here in Greene County. We used the PAYS data to explain and justify why we were asking for the money.”

To prepare themselves for the installation and continuation of the Communities that Care initiative, Greene County Human Services invited EPISCenter, a collaborative partner with PCCD, to assist them with training and technical consulting that is implemented throughout the program.

“We have had EPISCenter here about five times to work with our community board and our key leaders,” Bennett said. “You can’t get the grant unless you have all the pieces in place. We really felt that the grant could help Nemacolin and west Waynesburg.”

The unique approach that is taken through this program is that Greene County Human Services is only acting as a facilitator over the projects.

Bennett knows that for the program to be successful it will need cooperation from the members of the community to give their opinion on what they feel would work.

Both superintendents of Carmichaels and West Greene school districts are on board to do whatever necessary in becoming involved with this change.

“It’s the process of working grassroots in a community,” Bennett said. “Setting goals and objectives with the people that live in those communities while making positive changes to make sure they achieve those objectives.”

The end goal ultimately being that these students, primarily ranging from kindergarten to seniors in high school, will not use drugs and alcohol.

“There is a willingness in both areas that we determined they are wanting to do anything to help better their community,” Bennett said. “We know where the resources are. We have got the right people for things to happen.”