The CRST Communities That Care (CTC) Coalition uses a Public Health approach & prevention science to promote positive youth development in our community. In June 2021 CTC surveyed Eagle Butte youth grades 6-12 to identify students risk and protective factors in the sectors of community, family, school, and individual/peer. These youth survey results allowed the coalition to understand, from the youths perspective, their lives. After analyzing the responses, the CTC coalition held a meeting in January of 2022 to report out to community leaders what they identified were the risk priority areas (Figure 1). 

 

After the community agreed on CTC adopting these priority risk areas to address/lower, the CTC coalitions next step was to analyze the community to identify what youth serving organizations/program there are in Eagle Butte and id they are already addressing the priority areas agreed upon.

 

The next meeting held in June 2022 was a report out meeting of the Eagle Butte communities gaps analysis. After CTC surveyed 40+ youth serving organizations/programs in the Eagle Butte area, we found that 11 programs were working to lower the priority risk areas, 2 of them were adapted from a tested & effective program, and 1 was an implemented tested & effective program. The 1 tested & effective program is Positive Action™, is currently being delivered in the Cheyenne Eagle Butte schools grades 2-12. Gaps of delivery were identified for this program. Figure 2 shows what behaviors Positive Action™ increases and decreases, along with the 3 priority areas is addresses.

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In the report out meeting recommendations were made for CTC to pursue, to ensure that all risk area priorities are being addressed/lowered with a tested & effective program for the Eagle Butte areas. Recommendations are not in a specific order

1. Explore the option of implementing the Community and Family piece of Positive Action™ in the Eagle Butte Community. 

2. Invite the Windswept Academy School to participate, along with the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte (C-EB) School in the Community and Family piece of Positive Action™ events, and training. 

3. Support the continuance of Positive Action™, or other efforts, being done in 2nd-6th grades for the C-EB School. 

4. Explore the barriers to implementing Positive Action™ in 7th-12th grades for C-EB school, and provide support as means are identified and capacity allows.  

5. Explore the option of implementing the Strengthening Families Program (SFP) in the Eagle Butte community. By starting this program in the community it would address the current service delivery gap of the “Family Management” priority area. SFP can be implemented in a community or school setting and has been successfully delivered to Native American families. SFP is a group parenting and youth skills program that aims to promote good parenting skills and bonding to create positive family relationships. Figure 3 shows the increase and decrease of behaviors once SFP is implements, along with the 2 CTC priority areas SFP addresses. 

 

The next step for CTC will be addressing these recommendations and working to bring them to life!

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