HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard of Health April 5 20111
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Board of Health
April 5, 2011
CALL TO ORDER
Council Chair Sam Crawford called the meeting to order at 10:33 a.m. in the Council
Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
ROLL CALL (10:33:34 AM)
Present: Barbara Brenner,
Tony Larson.
Absent: Carl Weimer.
1. PUBLIC SESSION
No one spoke.
2. HEALTHY YOUTH SURVEY
Ken Mann, Sam Crawford, Bill Knutzen, Kathy Kershner and
Ann Deacon, Health Department, introduced Program Specialist Joe Fuller. He will present
the Healthy Youth Survey and the adverse childhood experience (ACE) study.
Joe Fuller, Health Department, submitted and read from a presentation (on file).
Knutzen asked and there was discussion about involving private schools in the survey.
Brenner asked and there was discussion of:
• Mental illnesses that aren't preventable.
• The drugs that are included in the illegal drug use statistic.
• The percentage of kids who come from addicted parents.
Larson asked and there was discussion of the survey methods.
Knutzen asked and there was discussion of:
• Children born with alcohol and drugs and their systems, and their propensity for
addiction later in life.
• Identifying specific school districts with known problems.
• Preventing addicted parents from having children.
Crawford asked and there was discussion of whether the study looked at ACE results in
single - parent households versus two - parent households.
Regina Delahunt, Health Department Director, stated addicted parents are a result of the
historical lack of early childhood prevention efforts.
Deacon referenced and read from a handout (on file) that is the 2011 Whatcom County
Mental Health /Chemical Dependency Budget. Today, they hope to find out the roles of the County
and Health Department. They are going to lose more funding for mental health services in
Whatcom County. She asked to what extent they will use local dollars to fill in those gaps.
Board of Health, 4/5/2011, Page 1
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Greg Stern, Health Officer, stated certain measures were proposed as a solution to cross -
generational problems. They need to define the problems clearly. Identify causes before
developing solutions with grave implications. Data shows that other solutions can reduce problems
in high -risk families. Address the problem of the cost of preventative services in a way that
doesn't blame the victim or even the perpetrator. There is accountability, but there's also an
ability to make changes to break those links.
The Board discussed the vocabulary of certain prevention measures.
Mann asked and there was discussion of drinking statistics compared to countries with lower
drinking ages.
Knutzen asked and there was discussion of properly identifying the victim in the situation of
families with addicted parents.
Brenner stated and there was discussion of some of the results not being accurate, because
kids don't generally open up about these issues.
Larson asked and there was discussion of:
• Separating the results by gender.
• The positive impact of having a mentor.
• Directing at -risk families or youth to services, even if they aren't government- funded
services.
• Studying the protective factors of people with a high number of ACEs and who don't
have at -risk behaviors.
Crawford asked and there was discussion of a coordinated movement by local religious
leaders to identify community needs.
Kershner asked and there was discussion of:
• The changes in the State requirements.
• Redirecting funds to prevention and early intervention efforts.
• Spending County funds to provide the most benefit.
Brenner stated she would like to see recommendations from the Health Department and the
school districts.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 12:04 p.m.
Please contact the Council Office to obtain an
official, signed copy:
360- 676 -6690 or council&o.whatcom.wa.us
Dana Brown - Davis, Council Clerk
Sam Crawford, Council Chair
Board of Health, 4/5/2011, Page 2