About Us

Vision

In 20 years, Kansas will be the best place to raise a child.

Mission

Community by community and neighborhood by neighborhood, we strive to create and support environments for children to become healthy and contributing members of Kansas communities.

Goals

• Families, youth and citizens are part of their community’s planning, decision making, and evaluation
  
• Families and individuals live in safe and supportive communities
  
• Pregnant women and newborns thrive
  
• Infants and children thrive
  
• Children live in stable and supported families
  
• Children enter school ready to learn
  
• Children succeed in school
  
• Youth choose healthy behaviors
  
• Youth successfully transition to adulthood

The Southwest Kansas Regional Prevention Center was created specifically to meet the needs of the people in the 25 counties of Southwest Kansas. With headquarters in the Student Center on the Garden City Community College Campus, the SWKRPC is designed to keep in constant contact with and serve our communities.

The SWKRPC is organized to assist in prevention programming to community members, parents, school personnel, and others who impact youth. This programming includes comprehensive programs to prevent and reduce alcohol and other drug abuse. We provide resources, training, consultation, and technical assistance for the development of stronger communities.

Research has shown there are a number of risk factors that increase the chances of adolescents developing health and behavior problems. Equally important is the evidence that certain protective factors can help shield youngsters from problems. If we can reduce risks and increase protection throughout the course of young people's development, we can prevent these problems and promote healthy, pro-social growth.

Communities That Care is a comprehensive community prevention strategy developed from these principles by J. David Hawkins, Ph.D., Richard F. Catalano, Ph.D. and a team of researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle. It seeks to teach communities how to reduce risk and increase protection through coordination of efforts across the entire spectrum of community activity.

Community Risk Factors

Availability of drugs
Availability of firearms
Community laws and norms favorable toward drug use
Media portrayal of violence
Transitions and mobility
Low neighborhood attachment and community disorganization
Extreme economic deprivation

Family Risk Factors

Family management problems
Family conflict
Parental attitudes favorable toward drug use

School Risk Factors

Early and persistent anti-social behavior
Academic failure in elementary school
Lack of commitment to school

Individual/Peer Risk Factors

Alienation and Rebelliousness
Friends who engage in the problem behavior
Favorable attitudes toward the problem behavior
Early initiation of the problem behavior
Constitutional factors

Protective Factors

Individual characteristics (gender, temperament, social orientation, intelligence) Bonding through opportunities, skills and recognition
Healthy beliefs and clear standards

Serving the counties of:

Regional Prevention Centers

Kansas Alcohol and Drug Prevention Regions

WICHITA AND HUTCHINSON – REGION 1
(Rice, McPherson, Reno, Harvey, Kingman, Sedgwick, Harper, Sumner Counties)

CHANUTE AND EMPORIA – REGION 2
(Morris, Marion, Chase, Lyon, Osage, Coffey, Anderson, Linn, Butler, Greenwood, Woodson, Allen, Bourbon, Wilson, Neosho, Crawford, Elk, Cowley, Chautauqua, Montgomery, Labette, Cherokee Counties)

GARDEN CITY, HAYS, COLBY AND SALINA – REGION 3
(Cheyenne, Rawlins, Decatur, Norton, Phillips, Smith, Jewell, Republic, Sherman, Thomas, Sheridan, Graham, Rooks, Osborne, Mitchell, Cloud, Wallace, Logan, Gove, Trego, Ellis, Russell, Lincoln, Ottawa, Ellsworth, Saline, Dickinson, Greeley, Wichita, Scott, Lane, Ness, Rush, Barton, Pawnee, Edwards, Stafford, Pratt, Kiowa, Comanche, Barber, Hodgeman, Finney, Haskell, Gray, Ford, Seward, Meade, Clark, Kearny, Hamilton, Stanton, Grant, Morton, Stevens Counties)

KANSAS CITY, LAWRENCE, AND OLATHE – REGION 4
(Brown, Doniphan, Jackson, Atchison, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Douglas, Johnson, Franklin, Miami Counties)

MANHATTAN AND TOPEKA – REGION 5
(Washington, Marshall, Nemaha, Clay, Pottawatomie, Riley, Geary, Wabaunsee, Shawnee Counties)