Small network offers big results in Wahkiakum County

As Wahkiakum Community Network celebrates its 13th anniversary, it's mostly volunteer team is a busy catalyst for local prevention programs that have reduced rates of substance abuse in Wahkiakum County.

A unit of the Washington State Community Networks, the focus of the Wahkiakum network is to reduce the rates of major social problems. Since 1996 the group has focussed on eradicating substance abuse, child abuse and neglect and domestic violence. The group believes its work is becoming even more important in light of a local youth survey that indicated young people in the Wahkiakum area are beginning to drink alcohol as young as 10 years old, and further research shows substance abuse in general directly influences violence, teen pregnancy and suicide rates among a multitude of other factors.

"Our success is when the community looks to the Wahkiakum Community Network as a central point for resources, training, evaluation tools and guidance. Our work helps achieve the community's social-service program objectives while helping to connect the residents to the local programs," said Program Director Lea Sealund.

"What's more, our network guides the local service providers to become self-sustaining and deliver successful, measurable programs. We are a resource center, of sorts, that connects local program service providers with the funding sources while we connect service providers with effective tools and provide oversight to ensure programs are truly the programs the community needs," she added.

Sealund works with Tammy Peterson to operate the 21-member volunteer network that determines priorities and policy within the county.

The programs in Wahkiakum County have been operational long enough to see positive year-to-year trends. Among the network's successes are studies that show alcohol-abuse rates are in decline plus a steady increase in young people in Wahkiakum County receiving substance abuse treatment. High school student alcohol use is down by 25 percent and middle school alcohol use has declined by 76 percent. Child abuse and neglect rates are also improving with Child Protective Services referrals down more than 28 percent.

As a local affiliate of the Olympia-based Family Policy Council, the Wahkiakum Community Network supports programs such as Family Support Services, Healthy Youth Summits, YAP, 4-H, college scholarships, after-school care and a parent educator at St. James Family Center.

"Parents are seeking out more support systems during these uncertain times in our nation, state, and county," said Beth Hansen, Director of the St. James Family Center. "Due in part from financial assistance from the Wahkiakum County Network, our parent educator is working with teen moms. One goal of the parent educator is to make sure these new young mothers are not isolated so we work with them to create their own social network. The older mother's in the program act as mentors as well."

For more information about the network, contact Sealund at 360-795-8040 or visit http://www.wahkiakumcommunitynetwork.org.