Get Involved
How to be involved in the ECHO Coalition?
You are a valued member of our team! A few ways you can help serve on the coalition:
- Assist in the implementation of activities.
- Co-facilitating school-based, youth-led programming.
- Recruit new members.
- Participate in a workgroup.
- Provide sector perspective at coalition meetings.
- Update & create the 12-month action plan.
- Help determine coalition goals & objectives.
- Relay information that could pertain to coalition members.
- Advocate for, support, collaborate, and promote coalition efforts.
- Sustain the work of the coalition through partnership, funding, and direction.
- Value the effort of the team, respect each member & the different perspectives.
When are meetings?
Coalition members meet on the third Friday of each month from 12-1:30pm in person and via Microsoft Teams. A meeting reminder is sent via a calendar invite to RSVP; this invite is sent by coalition staff at least one month prior. A reminder email with meeting minutes, agenda, and additional documents will be sent out one week prior.
Meeting Location
ECHO Coalition meetings will be held at the United Way of Williams County: 1100 E High St suite b, Bryan, OH 43506
What happens at ECHO Coalition meetings?
Each meeting will begin with welcome & introductions of those in attendance. A copy of meeting minutes from the month prior will be reviewed to help track progress, follow up on action items, and communicate with stakeholders. Coalition staff will provide updates on any advocacy efforts, program development, and youth programs. Each meeting, there will be time dedicated for workgroups to meet to review progress, discuss next steps, work on activities, and share projects with the group. The meeting will end with any coalition processes and announcements. Coalition meetings are a great time to network with other agencies in the area and share resources.
Meetings & Events
Committee & Workgroups:
Teams of volunteers help implement programs and activities that promote education, prevention, and awareness to create a drug free community. Workgroups meet regularly to implement strategies to increase protective factors and decrease risk factors, including the use of alcohol, tobacco/nicotine, and marijuana.
Steering Committee:
Focus: This committee increases participation and membership, builds leadership, enhances cultural competence, improves organization management and development, and sustains support for the future.
- Outreach & networking
- Public awareness & education about substance use/misuse Engagement of populations experience health disparities
- General health & safety-related activities
- Coalition communications & branding
- Build Coalition capacity to collaborate (Maintain sector involvement) Sustainability Plan
- Update Strategic & Action Plan with coalition by each December Update Coalition by-laws
Youth Leadership Council (YLC):
Focus: A group of talented 8th-12th graders throughout Williams County who are passionate leaders, ready to influence their communities in a positive way and facilitate their school-based, youth-led programs. The YLC drives youth who are rising leaders in the prevention of substance use and problematic issues facing our community.
- Sparking change in local schools & communities Representing youth voice at events & meetings
- Gaining leadership experience
- Leading peers to make decisions and plan for the future Being positive role models
- Uniting school districts
- Living drug-free
- Broadening knowledge
- Creating strategies for prevention & awareness Training youth to use their voice
HEALing Communities/Adult Use:
Focus: Works with community organizations to implement community-level interventions to combat substance use and overdose deaths among adults.
- Project DAWN, stigma-reduction education and Narcan/Naloxone distribution, and linkage to treatment
- Expanding medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and treatment services
- Tracking data on adult substance use and prevention programs
- Communication and campaigns
Community Assessment:
Focus: A community assessment workgroup works to describe the community. The workgroups gathers information about the community for the purpose of identifying and addressing local substance use problems.
- Create, develop, & keep an updated community assessment
- Partners with community organizations to collect and gather data
- Help the coalition show the community and its leaders the important relationship between anti-drug coalition work and the community’s stated priorities
- Help the coalition establish priorities, diagnose root causes, locate resources, name and frame goals, and determine strategic role
- Keeping the work of the coalition data-driven
- Provide reports and information at monthly coalition meetings
Underage Drinking Workgroup:
Focus: Increases collaboration among community partners to reduce underage drinking in Williams County through prevention, education, and creating awareness.
- Identifies problem areas of underage drinking
- Researches practices to address underage drinking
- Creates & develops strategies to address underage drinking
- Implements strategies
- Reports updates to Coalition
Underage Vaping Workgroup:
Focus: Increases collaboration among community partners to reduce underage vaping in Williams County through prevention, education, and creating awareness.
- Identifies problem areas of underage vaping
- Researches practices to address underage vaping
- Creates & develops strategies to address underage vaping
- Implements strategies
- Reports updates to Coalition
*Future Workgroups have been identified and are listed under coalition structure.