2006-04-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

It breaks my heart to say this but the Johnson County Task Force on Drug and Alcohol Abuse Inc, sponsors of the Teen Advisory Council (TAC) closed its doors as of Dec. 31, 2005.

The organization served the Johnson County Kansas community and surrounding counties for over 20 years. This was done on a shoestring budget and with no full-time staff. Each year the Task Force reached over 7,000 area youth + their families with PROVEN drug and alcohol prevention education, programs and projects. Outcome measurements were excellent, response from teens and parent's that participated was amazing.

BUT.... support from community leaders, cities, funders such as the Drug and Alcoholism Council (DAC) were not supportive.

I did learn that in Jo. Co. outcomes don't matter. The agencies that fund programs and make referrals to programs are all in bed together. United Community Services is the sweetheart of Jo. Co. (DAC) is under their umbrella, and there is some shady goings on but no one has the guts to say or do anything about it. DAC will not fund a proven organization but they will fund county programs out the wahzoo.

USC through DAC has been charged with deciding who will receive certain portions of the Alcohol TAX fund, this is TAX money paid to the state by each county for liquor by the drink sold in that county. Now one would think that there would be some oversight over an agency handling millions of dollars in TAX monies, but not in Johnson County.

The DAC records of the agencies that they do fund are public record, according to Kansas Open Records, but not in Johnson County.

DAC was allowed to publicly slander this small organization knowing that we did not have the money to fight them in court, they did not follow their own funding guidelines and rules when the Task Force was receiving funds... but this was of no concern to their board, their director or their numerous paid staff. When complaints were lodged at higher levels no action was taken because everyone currently is or has served on either the UCS or DAC board and feels a loyalty despite their devious actions.

I think by now they have cleared the tables of all but a few non-profits and are funding primarily ineffective, overstaffed, over funded county programs. What a shame. Many wonderful small non-profits have been forced out because of small minded people with too much power.

Thank goodness I believe in karma.

2005-04-29T12:17:00.000-07:00

Drugs Make Your Ugly

Welcome to Teenztalk

2005-04-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

This site is connected to the Johnson County Task Force on Drug & Alcohol Abuse, Inc. sponsors of the Teen Advisory Council (TAC). A Jo. Co. Kansas non-profit organization dedicated to provided drug and alcohol prevention and intervention to the teen population with the teens developing and delivering the projects and programs.

This type of programming has been proven to be effective in the prevention of substance abuse, and quite a few organizations say that they "involve" the target population but few, if any, organizations take it to the extint that the Task Force does.

Actually, we are in the process of being confirmed as a model prevention program.

We welcome posts from teens, parent's, youth worker's and anyone with something constructive to say.

Once again... welcome and thanks for coming by.

What Teens Have To Say

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