The main topics for Barton County Youth Crew at the recent CADCA conference in Orlando were substance-use prevention, leadership and community involvement, while Tyler Morton was especially interested in what he learned about grant-funding and sustainability.

CADCA stands for Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America; Morton is the prevention advocate at Juvenile Services, which sponsors Youth Crew.

“This is the largest prevention-training opportunity every year,” Morton said. “We met with other youth groups and prevention experts from across the nation and around the world.

“Our young people gained insight into new ideas for prevention and shared information about past accomplishments. They also showcased these accomplishments with people who make decisions about the future of our grant funding.”

Youth Crew has always been supported by a Drug-Free Communities grant from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. It was awarded in 2021; it is unknown if it will be renewed.

“A conference highlight was getting a better understanding of the temperature of grant funding and having in-depth conversations about sustainability,” Morton commented. “Most of us are in limbo. I connected with those who have walked through this process. I want as much insight as I can get.

“A priority is to continue our visits with county commissions, city councils and school boards. These entities have always shown strong support for Youth Crew. We want to enhance efforts to keep them informed, while rallying the community around this popular Youth Crew program.”

Youth/parent comments

Jaci Sandberg, Ellinwood High School freshman, a first-time CADCA participant, noted that her “favorite part of the conference was how welcoming the atmosphere was – not just in the introductory Key Essentials track but throughout the entire experience. I felt comfortable talking to anyone I came across and every conversation seemed honest and genuine.

“I’m not sure I have ever had so many deep conversations in such a short amount of time. Those interactions gave me new perspectives, strengthened my passion for prevention work and gave me more reasons to continue working hard.”

Third-time CADCA participant Branson Holinde, Great Bend High School sophomore, said he “really enjoyed the summit. It was about fentanyl and how such a tiny dose can kill a person.

“Recently, I had surgery and was given fentanyl and stopped breathing several times, even while being monitored in the hospital. It’s scary to know what could happen to my peers if they got ahold of it, especially if they are unaware that they are in possession of it.”

Shane Sandberg, Youth Crew parent, said a highlight for him was in the Key Essentials classes where the local CADCA first-timers were prepared to participate.

“Even though there were professionals from all over the country delivering the content, most of the information was not new to these Youth Crew members,” Sandberg commented. “That speaks to how well Youth Crew leadership brings back content from previous conferences.

“It gave our Youth Crew members the chance to lead discussions and help guide other groups that had not seen it before. They really stood out.”

Other Youth Crew members who attended CADCA were Mya Brewer, freshman at Hoisington High School, and Braelyn Komarek, sophomore at Great Bend High School.

In addition to Morton and Sandberg, the other adult was Nichelle Holinde, parent.

20th Judicial District Juvenile Services empowers youth in Barton, Rice, Ellsworth, Stafford and Russell counties to achieve positive outcomes by offering Juvenile Intake & Assessment, Immediate Intervention, Intensive Supervised Probation, Case Management, Journey to Change, Life Skills, All Stars and Youth Crew. Parents and guardians also are offered The Parent Project. Visit 1800 12th in Great Bend or call 620-793-1930.