Share Your Program

Take pride in your programs and share the good news. Provide me with a write-up of your program, graduation or special celebration along with photos (if available) and I'll post it to the BLOG. Other grantees love hearing about your successes and I love to share them with others.

Best Practices: Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs

These are some highlights from the recently released Best Practices document from the CDC. Follow this link to find the complete CDC document: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/tobacco_control_programs/stateandcommunity/best_practices/index.htm

The more states spend on comprehensive tobacco control programs, the greater the reductionsin smoking—and the longer states invest in such programs, the greater and faster the impact.Evidence-based statewide tobacco control programs that are comprehensive, sustained, andaccountable have been shown to reduce the number of tobacco-related deaths and disease.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the recommended level of investment for tobacco prevention and control in Virginia is $103.2 million per year, or $13.50 per capita.

In Virginia, an estimated 9,300 adults are projected to die each year from smoking.For each person who dies, another 20 people are suffering with at least one serioustobacco-related illness.
If current smoking rates among people younger than age 18 continue, an estimated 152,000 of these Virginia youth are projected to die from smoking.

2007 VTSF Grantee Conference Follow-Up

Southeast Grantees

It was great to see everyone together!! I hope you had time to talk to each other and to share your programs.

The conference was a great success. Thanks go to Terri-ann Brown and Charlie McLaughlin for pulling it together – they did a great job. I hope that everyone will share the information they have gained with their colleagues and community.

I look forward to seeing everyone again next year.

Statewide Evaluation Process Update

A message from Terri-ann Brown, Program Specialist

As many of you are aware, the statewide evaluation process has been modified for the 2007 - 2008 grant year. Students will now only be completing a single survey at the end of the program. This means that students will no longer be required to create a unique identifier as we will not be matching pre and post surveys. The student post surveys are one page long (front and back) and should take no longer than 10 - 15 minutes to complete. Before surveys can be administered parents must be notified about the survey using a parental notification letter.

Additionally, changes have been made to the instructor cover sheet. The cover sheet has been expanded to collect additional information regarding program fidelity. We feel that this additional information will help compare program outcomes across the state.

You should expect to receive periodic updates from VCU regarding the surveys they have received from you. If you do not receive an update directly from VCU at least quarterly, please call or e-mail your SERL contact person to request an updated list.

The timeline for receiving and submitting surveys is as follows:

- Agency contact should have received surveys at least two weeks before the program is scheduled to end (unless the agency has requested an alternative mailing cycle)

- Agency contact will distribute surveys and parental notification letters to instructors

- Instructors return surveys with coversheets as soon as they have been completed (within two weeks of last session)

SERL Contact Info

Central and Southwest Regions
Candace Price
Phone: 804-827-4247Fax: 804-827-3793e-mail: ceprice@vcu.edu

North and Southeast Regions
Andy Hollins
Phone: 804-827-4223
Fax: 804-827-3793
e-mail: s2aholli@vcu.edu

We are hopeful that this streamlined process will enable us to effectively assess program outcomes across the state as well as track program fidelity across programs. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me!

Terri-ann Brown
Program Specialist
Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation
701 E. Franklin Street
Suite 501
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: (804) 225-3466
Fax: (804) 225-2272
www.vtsf.org

Governor’s Conference Round Table

Building on the success of the Round Table format from the first Prevention Comes First Conference, the Governor’s Office for Substance Abuse Prevention is inviting individuals and groups to apply as presenters at the “Round Table - Mini-Workshop” sessions at this year’s Prevention Comes First Conference. The conference is being held on Monday, October 29, 2007 in Richmond. The intent is for participants to hear how groups in communities across the Commonwealth have chosen and implemented an effective prevention practices & program, as well as the resulting outcomes.* The choice of which prevention program and/or practice to present is left to the presenter(s) and is not limited to the theme of bullying; hence, the “and beyond” in the title. The proposal to present is attached.The Round Table – Mini-Workshop format is an effective way for participants to receive a great deal of information about programs and practices in a condensed time period. Presenters will speak with groups of ten (10) or fewer participants at a “round table” for 15, minutes with five (5) minutes for questions before participants move to another table.

Presenters repeat their presentation in three consecutive sessions, enabling participants to hear multiple presentations. Presenters are asked to use flip charts or battery-powered laptops (no cords or sound) as visual aids, and to bring handouts for participants to take with them. Set-up time should be kept to ten (10) minutes or less. Round Table – Mini-Workshops will be held from 2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.

Proposals should be submitted to:
Dr. Michelle Schmitt Mail: GOSAPEmail: mmschmit@vcu.edu
P.O. Box 1475
Richmond, VA 23219
Fax: (804) 828-0962

Selection of presenters will begin on September 15, 2007. Those chosen will be notified by October 1, 2007. Each Round Table Presentation selected will receive complimentary access for one presenter to attend the full Prevention Comes First Conference.

For questions please contact Dr. Schmitt at (804) 827-2610.

Deadlines

Program Schedules:
Program Schedules are due as they are finalized. All schedules are to be submitted prior to the beginning of the program.

Invoices:
Monthly invoices are due by the end of the month following the expenditures.
Example: July expenses are due by the end of August.

Final Invoice is due on July 15, 2008.

Quarterly Reports:
Reports are due by the 15th of the month following the end of the quarter.

October 15, 2007
January 15, 2008
April 15, 2008
July 15, 2008 (includes Final Report)

Local Evaluation Contact Needed

Please provide a helping hand to another grantee!!
If you know the name of someone who does local evaluation, please send their contact information to me. One of our grantees is in need of a local evaluation consultant for their Life Skills Program.
I appreciate your help - Judy

VTSF Report Forms

The latest program forms are on our web site - http://www.vtsf.org/

Please be sure that you have successfully downloaded your forms. All three-year grantees must download the invoice form as it has been updated for the current grant year.

If you have any problems, please contact me. Thanks

2007 - 6th Annual Grantee Conference

The deadline for the conference rate at the Marriott Newport News at City Center is August 25th. If you have not already done so, please register soon. The hotel reservation number is: 866-329-1758. Use code VTNVTNA. Below are the links to the registration form and to verify your registration if you have already registered.

Registration: http://www.vtsf.org/registration/registration-form.asp?regfrm=57-6tn

Verify Registration: http://vtsf.org/registration/reglist2.asp?regfrm=57-6tn

If you need any assistance, please feel free to contact me. Thanks!

Greetings

Hello Southeastern Region VTSF grantees

Welcome to the latest vehicle VTSF is utilizing to help network regional grantees and share information about the tobacco prevention and cessation world.

I will be using this blog to post announcements, reminders, news, etc. on VTSF. You can also leave a comment for any of the posts. The hope is to make this a resource for grantees to make inquires, provide assistance and overall network with other grantees as well as VTSF staff.

Please forward any suggestions you may have for the blog. Items that will be posted include:
- Training opportunities
- Announcements
- Helpful hints
- Photos sent in by YOU!
- Reminders of due dates/deadlines
- News from grantees (please email me any success stories)

I will monitor and update the blog regularly so plan to visit often. I look forward to working with all of you to make this blog a great success. Judy