This website aims to provide resources for prevention workers and other stakeholders throughout the lifecycles of prevention efforts.  It is modeled after the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF), a five-step, cyclical process to help stakeholders understand and address issues of substance abuse and addiction in their communities. The SPF model includes the following components:

• Assessment – Using current data to understand local needs
• Capacity – Building partnerships and resources to have capacity to address prevention needs
• Planning – Understanding best practices related to these needs and how to effectively implement them
• Implementation – Delivering the best practices or programs selected in the previous step
• Evaluation – Taking a look at how practices were implemented and whether they led to the intended outcome

Regardless of what step a community is at in its efforts to prevent prescription drug abuse, this website will provide the information and resources they need to get started, or to enhance work that’s already being done.

And, more than half of the state’s residents or their immediate family members have seen reductions in work hours or pay because of the pandemic, with nearly three-quarters expressing deep concern about the impact of coronavirus on the economy.

The survey, conducted Monday, is the first of multiple surveys WYSAC plans to measure public opinion on a number of topics related to COVID-19. A total of 465 people participated in the weighted survey representing all Wyoming counties, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

Here are some of the survey findings:

• 31.9 percent of respondents said they or immediate family members had been laid off or lost their jobs.
• 56.3 percent said they or immediate family members had seen a reduction in work hours or pay.
• 71.4 percent were very concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, with 22.7 percent somewhat concerned. Only 5.7 percent were not concerned.
•  75 percent were concerned about the impact of the coronavirus on their personal finances, with 24.9 percent not concerned.
• 89.8 percent said they’ve changed their daily routines because of the outbreak, with over 80 percent of those saying they’re eating out less, avoiding physical contact with others, washing their hands more frequently, not attending public gatherings and spending more time at home.
• About 66 percent said they think the worst is yet to come.

Regarding policies enacted to slow the spread of the virus, more than 80 percent supported the closure of schools, day care centers and restaurants, along with limitations on public gatherings. More than half — 54.4 percent — would support a state-level “shelter-in-place” order, with 22.3 percent opposed and 23.3 percent uncertain.

If a vaccine becomes available for COVID-19, 80.2 percent said they would be likely to seek the vaccine.

The survey also asked for perspectives on the way local, state and national leaders are handling the virus response. Results from those questions include:

• 62.2 percent approve and 34.3 percent disapprove of President Donald Trump’s performance on the issue, with 55.7 percent saying they trust the information about COVID-19 they hear from him and 44.3 percent saying they don’t.
• 81.9 percent approve and 14.1 percent disapprove of Gov. Mark Gordon’s handling of the situation, with 86.9 percent saying they trust the information he provides and 13.2 percent saying they don’t.
• 78.4 percent approve and 15.9 percent disapprove of the way local government and health officials are handling the outbreak, with 85.7 percent say they trust the information they hear from those sources and 14.3 percent saying they don’t.
• 47.6 percent say they approve of the way Congress is handling the pandemic, with 45.5 percent disapproving.

When it comes to the U.S. and Wyoming health care systems’ ability to handle the response to the pandemic, close to 51 percent said they have confidence in that ability, and about 30 percent said they don’t, with about 19.5 percent unsure.

Finally, asked if they think COVID-19 is a real threat or blown out of proportion, 63.8 percent said it’s a real threat, 24.2 percent said it’s blown out of proportion, and 12 percent were unsure.

Read the Issue Brief

Under contract with each state, WYSAC is evaluating this CDC-funded work by creating annual evaluation plans, forming evaluation indicators for process and outcome measures, and reporting progress on the evaluation indicators. Over the course of the evaluation, WYSAC will assess the approach, efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability, and impact of each state’s efforts.

The Division of Health Promotion at the North Dakota Department of Health been working with health care providers and other less traditional partners to help North Dakota residents prevent and manage type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. WYSAC will be helping the Division examine the effectiveness of working with new partners in this work.

WYSAC will work with North Dakota and the Chronic Disease Prevention Program at the Wyoming Department of Health to evaluate their work in the context of working in very rural states with severe winter weather, a population dispersed across large areas with few towns, and limited infrastructure for telehealth services. Although the work is not a direct continuation, WYSAC’s work in Wyoming is related to the previous evaluation of Wyoming’s CDC-funded State Public Health Actions to Prevent and Control Diabetes, Heart Disease, Obesity and Associated Risk Factors and Promote School Health.

WYSAC does similar work for the New Mexico Department of Health, described here.

This report and the corresponding executive summary were commissioned by the University of Wyoming’s Grand Challenges Initiative and paid for by the Office of Research and Economic Development.

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View the Summary [PDF]

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View the Full Report [PDF]
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WYSAC provides overarching guidance and technical expertise to NMDoH in developing, implementing, and evaluating the 1305 and 1815 projects. Specifically, WYSAC develops logic models and evaluation plans, facilitates the use of data to improve programming, documents program implementation and successes, and facilitates sustainability planning. This project uses both quantitative and qualitative data to guide and measure project progress and outcomes.

Read more about Wyoming tobacco prevention at the Department of Health’s website.

The website for the evaluation, including an online survey data tool, is https://wysac.uwyo.edu/wyomingtobacco/

This documentary details the history of substance abuse prevention in Wyoming and how it led to a 40% decrease in underage drinking. It includes interviews with WYSAC as well as important state and local stakeholders in the prevention system.

It documents data showing the change in underage drinking, it; but, more importantly, it tells the story of how local coalitions worked with State and Federal funding to impact the problem. It provides context to more than 15 year of work by prevention professionals and local coalitions to keep Wyoming at the cutting edge of prevention.

In 2017, economists at WYSAC completed a study of the value of prevention in Wyoming. This research began in 2012 when WYSAC was able to estimate the societal cost of alcohol in Wyoming at $843 million in 2010. Researchers also knew than since the prevention of underage drinking began in 2001, Wyoming communities have contributed to a 40% decrease in past month alcohol use by teenagers.

Putting these together and using peer reviewed literature on delaying the onset of alcohol use, WYSAC estimates that, in 2014 alone, local efforts prevented 389 students from developing alcohol use disorders. This saves Wyoming $122 million over the lives of those individuals.

To read the full report go to https://wysac.uwyo.edu/wysac/reports/View/5556.

Wyoming TPCP was created using WordPress for content management and utilizes open-source technologies such as High Charts for data interactivity.

[button type=”success” size=”lg” link=”http://wysac.uwyo.edu/wyomingtobacco”] Visit Project [/button]

Produced in partnership with the Wyoming Community  Foundation, and with funding from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the 2016 Wyoming KIDS COUNT  project  provide insight to the status of Wyoming’s children and families, and serve as a tool for those working to make positive change.

[button type=”success” size=”lg” link=”https://www.wyomingkidscount.org/”] View Project [/button]

The survey monitors the percent of students that have used or are currently using alcohol, and/or other drugs. It also measures a wide variety of attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions related to alcohol and other drugs.

[button type=”success” size=”lg” link=”http://centralvalleysurvey.org”] View Project [/button]

The PNA  is a survey of Wyoming middle and high school students focusing on attitudes, beliefs and perceptions about alcohol, tobacco and drug use.  Data is used by schools, districts, communities and the state of Wyoming to evaluate prevention strategies and policies.

[button type=”success” size=”lg” link=”http://www.pnasurvey.org/Default.aspx”] View Project [/button]