The Monroe County Safe Community Coalition dates back to the mid-1980s, when a concerned group of agency representatives joined together to look at impacting the rise
in teenage pregnancies in Monroe County and to initiate an effort to help decrease
these numbers. For several years, this group was known as the Monroe County Adolescent Task Force. As a result of this group working very collaboratively and providing a number of successful activities and events, it made sense to look toward the group serving the role
of teen alcohol/drug prevention in the early 1990s. At this point, the local CESA organization was attempting to organize community coalitions to work on youth alcohol and drug abuse issues in each county. Rather than organize another community network, the Adolescent Task Force decided to blend this area along with teen pregnancy prevention.
The Task Force continued working on alcohol/drug issues throughout the 1990s.
The Tobacco Control Board, through a grant coordinated through Monroe County Health Department, joined the Task Force’s efforts in late 1990s/early 2000 and blended the
tobacco prevention initiative with the alcohol/drug prevention issues. Also in about 2000, the Task Force was approached about being the group that would also address injury prevention and traffic safety. With the membership of the Task Force already being fairly broad-based and spanning most to the represented agencies necessary for a Safe
Community Coalition, it was determined that it would be in the best interests of both
groups to extend the focus to include the Safe Community Coalition. Thus, at this point,
the Monroe County Traffic Safety Commission joined the Adolescent Task Force and the name was changed to the Monroe County Safe Community Coalition (MCSCC) and a new focus/mission was created.
The MCSCC partnered with Couleecap in 2013 to write a federal Drug Free
Communities grant that provided a Coordinator position and some funding to implement prevention strategies within Monroe County for 10 years. The funding ended in
September of 2023. Many prevention activities were done through this grant to include things like Drug Awareness presentations, The Wake Up Call Room, medication take back days, prevention billboards and radio PSAs, and working with the schools to get county
wide data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The coordinator also collaborated with
the Northwoods Coalition (a group of statewide coalitions within the state) and received mini grants from them to install medication drop boxes in 4 additional law enforcement
agencies within Monroe County.
The Coalition continues with this collaborative approach of dealing with alcohol/drug/tobacco, traffic safety and injury prevention. This blend of focus areas
has proven very beneficial in bringing together members from justice, law enforcement, emergency, health, human services, schools, citizens, tavern owners, domestic abuse,
family resource center, HoChunk, and more.
in teenage pregnancies in Monroe County and to initiate an effort to help decrease
these numbers. For several years, this group was known as the Monroe County Adolescent Task Force. As a result of this group working very collaboratively and providing a number of successful activities and events, it made sense to look toward the group serving the role
of teen alcohol/drug prevention in the early 1990s. At this point, the local CESA organization was attempting to organize community coalitions to work on youth alcohol and drug abuse issues in each county. Rather than organize another community network, the Adolescent Task Force decided to blend this area along with teen pregnancy prevention.
The Task Force continued working on alcohol/drug issues throughout the 1990s.
The Tobacco Control Board, through a grant coordinated through Monroe County Health Department, joined the Task Force’s efforts in late 1990s/early 2000 and blended the
tobacco prevention initiative with the alcohol/drug prevention issues. Also in about 2000, the Task Force was approached about being the group that would also address injury prevention and traffic safety. With the membership of the Task Force already being fairly broad-based and spanning most to the represented agencies necessary for a Safe
Community Coalition, it was determined that it would be in the best interests of both
groups to extend the focus to include the Safe Community Coalition. Thus, at this point,
the Monroe County Traffic Safety Commission joined the Adolescent Task Force and the name was changed to the Monroe County Safe Community Coalition (MCSCC) and a new focus/mission was created.
The MCSCC partnered with Couleecap in 2013 to write a federal Drug Free
Communities grant that provided a Coordinator position and some funding to implement prevention strategies within Monroe County for 10 years. The funding ended in
September of 2023. Many prevention activities were done through this grant to include things like Drug Awareness presentations, The Wake Up Call Room, medication take back days, prevention billboards and radio PSAs, and working with the schools to get county
wide data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The coordinator also collaborated with
the Northwoods Coalition (a group of statewide coalitions within the state) and received mini grants from them to install medication drop boxes in 4 additional law enforcement
agencies within Monroe County.
The Coalition continues with this collaborative approach of dealing with alcohol/drug/tobacco, traffic safety and injury prevention. This blend of focus areas
has proven very beneficial in bringing together members from justice, law enforcement, emergency, health, human services, schools, citizens, tavern owners, domestic abuse,
family resource center, HoChunk, and more.
