Central Nebraska Council on Alcoholism and Addictions

Cncaa provides education, information, referral and intervention services in Central Nebraska. These programs and services include kid's power, discovery kids, kid's power 2, teen power, alcohol, tobacco and marijuana education classes for youth and adults, intervention family education program, and many individual programs upon request. Cncaa hosts a lending library with hundreds of books, cds and dvds available for loan. The big book store houses hundreds of books, cds, dvds and gift items. Cncaa is also an active participant with multiple community coalitions who are working together to reduce youth access to alcohol and tobacco, reduce alcohol, tobacco and other drug use by youth, and strengthen the prevention systems in Nebraska. Cncaa's primary service area is hall, hamilton, howard and merrick counties in Central Nebraska. Services available for adults and youth ages six and older will include: kid's power, which is a free eight-week educational program for youth ages 7-11 who are affected by a loved one's addiction. Referrals come from schools, area counselors, treatment centers, and parents of others whose children have previously attended. This program is most typically held at cncaa offices during the evening hours and ends with a family celebration. Discovery kids is a free seven-week prevention education program for youth in grades 3-4-5, using the too good for drugs and violence curriculum and is most typically held as an after-school program and/or summer-school program when many children have unstructured time, filling a need for both structure and important health education. This series ends with a family celebration. Discovery kids is available to all elementary schools in the four-county area. Kid's power 2 is a group of youth who've participated in either kid's power or discovery kids who want to continue meeting for additional support, education and fun. This group in ongoing and typically held twice a month at the Council offices where youth will have a meal together, share concerns and celebrations, and learn more about living health lifestyles. The overall outcome of this group is to delay the onset of first use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, or prevent use altogether. Group size varies, but averages 24 youth per session. Catch kids club is a free eight-week prevention program for students in grades 3-4-5, teaching them about healthy nutrition, the importance of physical exercise, and includes two educational sessions on tobacco. This series ends with a family celebration. This evidence-based and nationally-recognized program is offered as an after-school program and/or summer-school program, when many children have unstructured time, filling a need for both structure and important health education. Education programming for adults is more varied. These educational offerings may be a one-time, one-hour session, or a 6-hour workshop offering continuing education credits for professional working in the field of substance abuse, mental health, or juvenille justice. Cncaa staff will tailor a program to meet the needs of those requesting the program, or they may facilitate a day-long workshop, bringing in a professional to provide training. Some of the educational opportunities for adults are directed towards individuals and families who are struggling with addition or those in recovery offering education and support to prevent relapse.