Creating Lasting Family ConnectionsThe Campaign for COPES

From heartbreak to hope…By the early 1980s Ted Strader had lost friends to addiction, students to drug overdoses and his first love to a drugged-driver’s accident. Joining together with others in the community ~ a former school teacher, a recovering alcoholic, a local pediatrician and a few frightened parents ~ who had suffered similar heartbreak, the Council on Prevention and Education of Substances (COPES) was formed. COPES’ goal is to help individuals, families and the entire community reduce the incidence and impact of substance abuse through prevention, intervention and treatment of alcohol and drug problems.

A history of life changing resultsIn its 33-year history of nationally-recognized success, COPES has:• Since 1996, COPES’ program has consistently been recognized as

a premier, best-practices program by The White House, all 50 U.S. states, the Canadian federal government and others.

• Provided marriage enhancement, fatherhood programs and successful reentry support to dramatically reduce drug-related prison recidivism in Kentucky.

• Served as a Citizen Ambassador on drug prevention to Russia and Ghana.

• Provided consultation / training for the U.S. Army at Ft. Knox.• Consulted on substance abuse prevention for U of L’s athletic

teams.• Collaborated with the West Louisville Community Ministries to

implement The CLFC program.• Installed a K-12 substance abuse prevention curriculum in both

Jefferson County Public schools and the Louisville Catholic schools

I’ve known Ted personally for decades, but I teamed up with him in the early 1980s to develop a comprehensive substance abuse prevention and intervention program…adopted by all male and female athletes at the University of Louisville...it works! I felt our efforts definitely made a difference for my 1986 national championship team.... ~ Coach Denny Crum

Nationally and internationally acclaimedThe nationally-acclaimed Creating Lasting Family Connections® (CLFC) Curriculum Series addresses substance abuse recovery, family strengthening, fatherhood and marriage enhancement. It is in use throughout the U.S. and in six other countries, fulfilling our vision to reduce the incidence and impact of substance abuse at the local, national and international level.

The National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP) gave the CLFC Fatherhood and the CLFC Marriage Programs perfect scores (4.0) on all ‘Readiness for National Dissemination’ ratings.

CreatingLasting FamilyConnections®

Thank you for giving me ... the skills I need to communicate with my partner....We were on the verge of divorce and made a comeback! ~ CLFC program participant

Violence is often intergenerational and driven by familial patterns of drug trafficking, drug use, and ultimately drug addiction. Marijuana use is increasing as legalization is emerging; increased use leads to increased addiction, resulting in higher crime rates, violence and higher rates of incarceration.

People returning from prison often have the greatest need and the least access to treatment and post-incarceration services needed to successfully transition back into their family and community. Even when reentry populations do find access to substance abuse treatment, it is typically not provided in a timely manner, resulting in substance abuse relapse, a swift return to prison and ongoing family disruption.

Timely intervention services are crucial for reentry and substance abuse recovery.According to the University of Louisville Recidivism Study conducted from 2007–2009, the majority of people returning from local corrections facilities were back in jail within 24 months of release. KY House Bill 463 has resulted in dramatic increases in the release of inmates into the local community. Incomplete and inconsistent reentry support in our community has led to increased drug relapse and re-incarceration.

Prison recidivism is quite pricey.In fact, current incarceration costs alone are over $25,000 per person per year, not including escalating costs from chronic health issues, family dissolution, intergenerational addiction, delinquency and incarceration.

Children suffer the most in all of this.The lack of a stable, healthily engaged and legally employed father is a well-documented risk factor presenting a range of negative outcomes for these children. The immediate need for family and community reintegration services to stop the intergenerational pattern of addiction, violence and incarcerations is abundantly clear.

The emerging need

5%The US’ portion

of the world’s population

but

25%The US’ portion

of the world’s prisoners

2,300,000Number of people behind bars

95%Percentage of all prisoners

eventually released

67%Percentage of prisoners

who will reoffend

*Source: Prison Fellowship (www.prisonfellowship.org)

COPES has given me the opportunity to grow as a spouse and a father with the skills they have taught me. Learning how to communicate in a positive way has always been a downfall for me. Even though I meant well, it didn’t always seem so. These new skills will also be helpful in the growth of my children. I can teach them as they grow up to be more honest with their feelings and not be afraid to say ‘no’ in a healthy way. Thank you COPES for all you have done for me and what you will do for others in the future.

~ CLFC participant

Drawing from over 30 years of experience and research, COPES will launch a world-class, innovative, holistic CLFC Family Recovery Support Center. • The center will be located in west Louisville.• Consolidate an evidence-based network of professional services

into a single building. • Will serve as a central hub of hope, outpatient support,

employment and personal and family transformation.• House 10–15 offices, 4 large training rooms and 30 residential

units.• Provide corrections, treatment, recovery, employment and

family reintegration professionals an opportunity to collaborate in a synchronous recovery-oriented approach for reentry populations and intergenerational family-centered care.

• Provide direct access to housing, job skills and job placement in one location.

The solution: the CLFC Family Recovery Support CenterBuilding and staffing the CLFC Family Recovery Support Center will help us achieve the following:Reduce prison recidivism by 60%• Over 300 individuals will receive personal and family support

as they return from incarceration and deal with substance abuse recovery.

• Hundreds of KDOC reentry will receive employment skills training and job opportunities with local corporations, provided through the collaboration of Metro Government, Metro Corrections, Kentucky Department of Corrections, Kentuckiana Works, Goodwill, Urban League and new corporate sponsors.

• Up to 30 individuals at a time will receive placement in our transitional housing program, apartments where participants live on-property in a halfway house setting to receive intensive, ongoing care.

Interrupt the intergenerational pattern of substance abuse and incarceration• Recovering fathers, couples and their children will receive

ongoing personal and family support.• Recovering individuals will receive employment skills training

and job opportunities with local corporations.• More than 100 couples will gain essential relationship skills and

improved marriages.• Hundreds of children will receive trauma-informed care under

a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

83.5% *According to a Saint Wall Street study (a third party firm commissioned by the federal government).

of our CLFC Fatherhood Program participants achieved employment during or soon after program participation.*

CLFC Family Recovery Support Center $2,500,000

Job Generator Enterprise $500,000

CLFC: Fatherhood Program $2,500,000

CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program $1,000,000

Original CLFC Program $1,000,000

Total Cost $7,500,000

For every dollar spent implementing The CLFC Fatherhood Program, approximately $41 in savings and revenue go back into the

community annually.* That means a $5 million dollar investment in COPES will yield $200 million in public savings and new revenue.*

Projected costs over 5 years

$1 → $41 $200 million in savings

*According to a Saint Wall Street study (a third party firm commissioned by the federal government).

Thank you for this wonderful program. It was well needed to those who never knew a different way. God was all in this because it turned out great. May God Bless this program to go around the world to make a difference. ~ CLFC participant

COUNCIL ON PREVENTION & EDUCATION: SUBSTANCES

845 Barret AvenueLouisville, Kentucky 40204

(502) 583-6820www.copes.org

tstrader@sprynet.com

The Creating Lasting Family Connections Curriculum is the most flexible and effective program we have implemented in our entire 20-year history.... Educators and probation officers alike continue to comment favorably on the noticeable positive changes in behavior and improved conduct of their students and probationers. (It) create(s) a powerful message and approach to facilitating positive and lasting growth opportunities for youth and their families.

Duane R. BookerAssociate Executive DirectorPrevention and Intervention Services Dallas Challenge Inc.Dallas, Texas