Minority Program Services is committed to: the full participation of people in health decision making, the availability of high quality preventive and primary care services to support the health of people at every stage of life, community-wide collaboration to draw on organizational, financial and human resources to improve health, community wide access to appropriate health services, and cost effective use of all community resources.

Coordinating Council
The Coordinating Council (CC) was formed in September 1989 by the Community Mental Health Board. The council was established to carry our coordinated community planning services in Calhoun County.

Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Workgroup of the Human Services Council 

With regard to the continuation of substance abuse services (prevention through treatment and recovery,) the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Workgroup of the Council will provide a broad active voice for Substance Abuse concerns and issues, enhance public awareness of programs and services, and address system changes with a vision of collaboration, coordination and inclusive participation needed to assure effective and eficient service delivery. 

Workgroup Objectives 

1) Identify gaps in the continuum of substance abuse services and recommendations for service delivery. 

2) Review and monitor managed care issues in our county, state and nationally, in private and public sectors, and implication for implementation. 

3) Strengthen substance abuse services for high risk populations. 

4) Increase awareness of substance abuse service availability and accessibility. 

5) Promote awareness and ensure opportunities for community-based substance abuse prevention actions initiatives. 

6) Strengthen coordination, communication and collaboration of substance abuse prevention/treatment efforts within the community. 

7) Identify varied funding sources for community prevention and treatment priorities. 

8) Develop and implement effective evaluation of the workgroup. 
 

 Tobacco-Free Albion Youth Partnership
The Tobacco-Free Albion Youth Partnership serves as a Advisory Board of Tobacco-Free Action Partnership.  It seeks to eliminate tobacco use by youth in Albion. 

To do this, the coalition will develop, prioritize and implement recommendations of the coalition, as well as those recommended by the Mid-South substance Abuse Commission. 

The Partnership is a Community - Base grassroots advocacy and information network, as well as a link to youth groups and youth organization through which tobacco prevention programming can be provided. 

Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Partnership 
One of our goals was to form a network of leaders who could support each other and offer resources to each other.  We did this by forming "learning teams."  Harry Bonner will recruit 8-10 Learning Team members in consultation with Ken and Deana Henry, Ph.D., from Battle Creek. Each potential member receives an initial visit. 

We meet with 4-6 advisors 3-4 times for collaboration. We facilitate 4 meetings  developing a research design and training. We facilitate 4 meetings inputting and analyzing the data collected. 

We participate in interviews and other data gathering activities partnered with a Learning Team member/s. We facilitate 2 meetings preparing the report of the study. We facilitate 3 meetings doing strategic planning and preparing an action report. 
 
Teenage Pregancy Prevention Week is a community-wide event designed to "blitz" Calhoun County with activities that highlight our problem of teen pregnancy and what our community can do about it.  Last year's event proved successful beyond our wildest dreams.  We conducted a week-long series of excellent community events and received outstanding media coverage.  The event taught us that there is a widespread desire for serious debate on the subject of adolescent sexuality and the messages we need to be transmitting to teens about sex.  The efforts of the partnership proved to be a catalyst that decision. 

The Teen Pregnancy Partnership of Calhoun County is a group of professionals and concerned citizens throughout Calhoun County who are concerned about the issue of teenage pregnancy and its attendant problems. 

The goals of the group are: 

1) To increase community awareness about the seriousness of the teenage pregnancy problem. 

2)  To formulate a concrete plan of action to reduce teenage pregnancy in Calhoun County. 

3) To work cooperatively with school districts, agencies, and other organizations that serve teenagers. 

4) To advocate for improved health services to teenagers.