More Pages about Our Work
Note: This page contains the history of the initial three committees of Project Vision during 2014 – 2015.
In 2020, Project Vision is currently in a Strategic Planning Process. Going forward there will be two committees. More information will be forthcoming when the current planning process is completed.
Going forward, the prior “Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Committee” will be named simply as “Health Committee” to indicate a more broader view of community health: medical, healthcare and treatment services along with a healthier Rutland community. The prior two committees, “Building Great Neighborhoods” and “Crime & Safety” (later “Community Policing & Engagement”) will be combined into a single committee called, “Community Building and Neighborhood Engagement“.
Committee History
Here are the goals, objectives, and accomplishments of each of Project VISION’s initial three committees, starting in 2014 :
- Building Great Neighborhoods
- Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment
- Community Policing & Engagement (originally named “Crime & Safety“
Building Great Neighborhoods
This committee is composed of regional housing organizations, the Rutland Recreation and Parks Department, homeownership organizations, faith organizations, local business owners, and invested citizens who are focused on community revitalization efforts. These include block parties, ice cream socials, park design and creation, and neighborhood beautification projects.
Goals and Objectives
1. Significantly increase levels of community involvement to return Northwest Rutland to a neighborhood of choice.
2. Increase the number of owner occupied homes from 30% to 50% in three years.
3. Reduce the number of vacant and blighted homes from 21 to 15 within two years.
4. Keep existing housing inventory from becoming vacant and/or blighted.
2014 Accomplishments
- Flower box project
- Adopt a block on State Street
- First Friday events
- Kids and Family fun day at Giorgetti
- Kids school supply and winter gear giveaways
- Northwest Rutland Neighborhood Association
- Neighborhood physical conditions assessment
- U-8 Soccer program pick-ups
- “The Local” fundraisers
- Next Door electronic forum in Northwest Rutland
- City awarded $1.25M grant for Northwest Rutland Neighborhood revitalization
- Sub-grant agreement with NeighborWorks of Western Vermont developed and executed
- Project manager hired by NeighborWorks of Western Vermont to oversee housing acquisition/demo
2015 Accomplishments
- Rutland Blooms plantings
- Front Porch cleanup project
- Photo Voice project
- On sight recreation program registrations
- U-8 sports programs
- Targeted acquisition of blighted property
- Neighborhood engagement for re-use of green-space property
- Northwest Rutland Sewer Separation project begin re-building phase
- Marketing initiative of Northwest Rutland as “place of choice”
- NeighborWorks of Western Vermont home equity grant/loan programs hit the street
Substance Abuse: Prevention and Treatment
This committee is composed of local treatment providers and concerned citizens. They work to increase communication between providers, create safety nets for the gaps in treatment, increase awareness of treatment options as well as concerted prevention efforts.
Goals and Objectives
1. To reduce substance abuse to the lowest level in Vermont
2. To increase awareness of and access to available treatment and recovery options
3. To create stronger communication amongst organizations
Prevention
A. Implement or expand evidence based programs that meet the community’s needs, expand SBIRT programming, identify/enhance or create quality evidence – based programming, create awareness for Promise Community grant, outcomes and action planning, explore opportunities for job skills/coaching and training
B. Inventory existing programs and resources
C. Research best practice models
D. Survey targeted community groups (Boys and Girls Club, etc.)
Treatment
A. Service providers will have increased knowledge of the system of care, a model “Call-IN” protocol will be established
B. Develop a universal consent form for sharing (Model BAMBI consent), provide motivational interviewing training, develop system to know who is the lead case manager at any given time
C. The system of care will be mapped and made easily accessible
D. Develop a ‘call in’ protocol and organizational agreements that will assess an individual’s needs and provide wrap around support to ensure successful transition for those who choose to stay in the community
E. Implement Evidence Based Programs
F. Reduce Prescription Drug Diversion
2014 Accomplishments
- Treatment
- West Ridge Clinic open and successful
- Continuing to get information out on the Rutland Recovery Collaborative
- Institutional Capital Survey Complete (by AmeriCorps)
- Vermont 211 added information about Narcan distribution sites to the database and added information on Suboxone
- Funding approved by Bowse Health Trust for Recovery House to add a Suboxone clinic in Rutland
- RRMC received a grant to support SBIRT in the ED
- Rutland Free Clinic has been using SBIRT since April
- The Coffee Klatch has created a stronger network of providers
- More WRAP programs are available in the community
- Dismas House has added a Residential Outreach Coordinator (ROC) to the staff with the support of Bowse Health Trust funding
- Designing MOUs for Evergreen, West Ridge and Recovery House
- One Rutland version of the ‘Call in’ occurred and 7 were offered Treatment Court
- Updated list of what each organization does
- Universal Release completed
- Transition Teams (Recovery House, West Ridge and Evergreen) have developed protocols
- RRMC and CHCRR have developed a common contract for treating non-cancer pain and a consent form.
- Prevention
- SBIRT- Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment
- Smart Moves offered at Boys and Girls Club
- Youth Assessment screening instrument (YASI) is now being used at Court Diversion
- Turning Point is offering Making Recovery Easier
- 6 new staff have completed training as Tobacco Treatment Specialist (SPOKE, Recovery house, VDH, Cardiac Clinic, CHT, HUB),
- RAP provides Say It Straight; Family Matters; Guiding Choices
- WIB and VAL graduated 10 young women from Three Steps Forward
- Transition program (HS students at risk for drop out supported in developing action plans) expanding to middle school.
- Korrine Roderigue, University of Miami Data Specialist and VISION volunteer, presented information about criteria and measurements for evidence based programs.
- The RAP Coalition completed the following:
- Installed permanent drop box at the Sherriff’s Dept
- Promoted Take Back Events
- Held educational forums for prescribers and dispensers of medications, in collaboration with VDH & local pharmacies.
- Distributed over 4000 cards and fliers promoting permanent drop box and future events.
- West Ridge Clinic – treatment reduces diversion & crime
- Health talk in Rutland Herald
- Peg TV shows with community partners
- Presentations by VSP Diversion Investigator and an expert in addiction & the adolescent brain.
2015 Accomplishments
In 2015 the Project VISION Substance Abuse: Prevention & Treatment Committee focused on a variety of goals and activities, including but not limited to the following:
- Provided educational opportunities to providers and community members aimed at increasing awareness of substance abuse issues, as well as prevention and treatment options and services
- Launched networking activities to promote provider awareness, and developed systems that allow for improved communication across care providers
Community Policing & Engagement
Note: This committee was originally named “Crime & Safety”, and has been renamed to “Community Policing & Engagement” in January 2020.
Goals and Objectives
1. Reduce residential burglaries by 50%
2. Reduce drug marketplaces (DMI)
3. Reduce Recidivism (Probation & Parole)
4. Implement DDACTs (Data Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety) model for traffic and crime reduction
5. Develop Storytelling
2014 Accomplishments
- Reducing burglary: Total Burglaries Reduced by 34.2% (CRG)
- College Internship Program
- Site and Victim Surveys
- Offender Surveys (P&P)
- Case Review and Data Collection
- Reducing drug marketplaces:
- Anecdotal Pro and Con; positive feeling
- Michigan State University / Chief Sumner
- September Arrests 60+
- FBI, DEA, US Attorney, VT AG & VSP Task Force
- Pulling Levers – 8 Persons Offered Treatment Court
- Community Response Team – Sgt. Prouty
- Patrol Division, Directed Patrols
- Reducing recidivism
- Community Response Team – visits 30+/- high risk
- Offender Re-Entry Board Development
- Replicate Re-Entry Model for High Risk Offenders Living in Rutland City
2015 Accomplishments
- Reducing burglary: Total Burglaries Reduced by 60%
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