MATFORCE Spotlight

January 2023

Director's Corner

Leslie Horton, Director

Yavapai County Community Health Services

I began my career in public health as a health educator working to prevent children from using tobacco and other substances. 20 years ago we were worried about kids trying drugs and getting addicted, and did our best to keep kids from ever starting. Things have changed so much in those 20 years. Now we are worried that if a child tries drugs, there’s not simply a chance of addiction, but of sudden death… from just one pill!

I remember attending one of the first MATFORCE meetings over 16 years ago and was encouraged by the number of people interested in coming together to combat methamphetamines in our communities. Over the years, the coalition has grown to an incredible collaboration of individuals and organizations with a passion to fight drugs and minimize their impacts on our communities. It has been amazing to watch the coalition grow in capacity and size, advance programs, follow the data and the changes in the drug landscape, be a statewide model coalition, and a community force to be reckoned with!

As a member of the Board of Directors, I am proud of the work that MATFORCE does to keep drugs out of the hands of our kids, limit access to all ages, and promote recovery and re-entry for those that have struggled with substance use in our county.

Prevention Champion

James Tobin, Director of PFS Grant

Yavapai College

As a rookie police officer in 1997, Sheriff G.C. “Buck” Buchanan encouraged me to be a community problem solver. In 2007, I walked into the MATFORCE office in Prescott Valley to find out if we could work together. It turned out to be one of the best decisions of my career. I began to develop relationships with many other service providers and community stakeholders, all working hard to solve drug and alcohol problems in our county.

I’m proud to be associated with MATFORCE, one of the best community problem-solving coalitions in the US. Last year, MATFORCE, D.E.A. Operation Engage, and Yavapai College partnered to host a series of meetings and a Town Hall event to better address the opioid crisis. When the town hall was over, the event facilitator from Ohio told me, “You guys in Yavapai County collaborate like nobody’s business!”

He was right----it takes a community to solve community problems. In Yavapai County, collaboration is “our business” --- and nobody does it better than MATFORCE.

Community Impact | Vicky Solomon, Executive Director, Nexus Coalition

Substance Abuse Coalition Leaders of Arizona

I wasn’t familiar with coalitions when I took over Nexus Coalition 6 years ago, so I reached out to Merilee with MATFORCE. Best choice ever! She connected me with SACLAz. Being a part of SACLAz has helped Rural Navajo County Nexus Coalition! Being part of a statewide coalition who gathers factual, up-to-date resources for prevention education and shares it with all, is extremely powerful and appreciated. Coalitions serve their communities and try to make positive impacts. The toolkit [SACLAz members created] helps achieve this.

Nexus Coalition partnered with AzHIDTA, utilizing the SACLAz toolkit, to serve our neighboring reservation in providing naloxone and naloxone education. We have been invited back 4 times and will continue serving that community. Has Whiteriver Community been impacted? YES! Has Nexus Coalition been positively impacted? YES! Thank you MATFORCE, SACLAz, & AzHIDTA!

For more information about the SACLAz program visit SACLAz.org.

Calendar of Events

Visit matforce.org for more information about events and how to register.

Visit our Website

Parenting the Love and Logic Way

4-week VIRTUAL class

Parents often wonder if it's really possible to raise well-adjusted kids while at the same time trying to manage an incredibly hectic and stressful work and family life. Discover effective ways to lessen the stress of raising great kids and help find balance in a hectic life.

Starts Wednesday, January 18, 2023

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Youth Drug Trends in Yavapai County

The latest Arizona Youth Survey for Yavapai County has been released. Take a deep dive into the data with MATFORCE Executive Director Merilee Fowler.

Thursday, January 19, 2023

11:00 am to 12:00 pm [virtual]

Dump the Drugs

Safely and easily dispose of your unused and expired prescriptions or over-the-counter medications. Keep them out of the wrong hands!

Saturday January 21, 2023

10:00am to 12:00pm

MATFORCE is a community organization that educates and raises awareness about substance use issues. With over 300 active volunteers, MATFORCE encompasses the belief that stopping drug use before it starts through primary prevention strategies is an essential part of building healthier communities.

Programs of MATFORCE include drug prevention education in the schools, the Yavapai Reentry Project, Trauma Lens Care, public awareness and education campaigns, the Substance Abuse Leaders of Arizona and advocating for policy change at the state and local level. For more information about MATFORCE visit our family of websites:

matforce.org

MarijuanaHarmlessThinkAgain.org

YavapaiReentryProject.org

CommunityReentryProjectsAZ.org

MATFORCE | info@matforceaz.org | (928) 708-0100