Medical Marijuana
Educate Before You Medication
Two years after voters approved legalizing medical marijuana in Missouri, dispensaries have opened across the state. What does this mean for you and Jackson County as a community? Before anyone medicates through marijuana COMBAT and the County Prosecutor’s Office urge them to educate. Realize that medical marijuana and driving make for an unhealthy combination—with real legal ramifications. Also, marijuana—like any prescription medication—needs to be kept out of the reach of children and pets.
» RX EDUCATION

December 10 & 15, 2020
Webinar Series Focusing On Compassion Fatigue & Trauma-Infomed Care
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues taking a toll on schools—from students and their families, to teachers and school-based health care providers. This two-part webinar series will focus on strategies to cope with compassion fatigue and trauma-informed care. The first webinar in this series will provide an overview of the impact of trauma on individuals within school communities and the second part on using trauma-informed care techniques to handle stress.
» MORE

December 2, 2020
Cram-A-Cruiser Holiday Toy Drive
The season for giving is upon us! And with 2020 having been such a challenging year, your generosity is appreciated now more than ever. The Kansas City Police South Patrol Division and 7-11 are holding a Cram-A-Cruiser Holiday Toy Drive Wednesday, December 2. Bring new and unwrapped toys to donate. Enjoy a free coffee or hot chocolate and a candy cane. Get your picture with Blue Santa, local officers and Super Heroes. And brighten up someone else's holidays.
» MORE

November 2020
Give Us 5 Minutes (Maybe 10) To Help Shape The Future
We want to hear from you. The COMBAT Commission and Jackson County Prosecutor's Office are considering revisions to the basic formula for allocating funding from the county’s quarter-cent Anti-Crime sales tax. The funding formula is used to determine what percentage of COMBAT tax revenues is allocated to prevention, treatment, law enforcement agencies and more. Please give us your input by taking about 5 to 10 minutes to complete our COMBAT Funding Survey.
» TAKE THE SURVEY RIGHT NOW

October 2020
COVID-19 Testing Clinics
The Jackson County Health Department is conducting free testing clinics throughout the county in October, including in Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Grandview, Independence, Kansas City, Lee's Summit and Raytown. Testing will be done using either an NP swab (nasopharyngeal swab) or nasal swab collected by a healthcare professional. This test only detects a current infection with COVID-19 and will not be able to detect if you've had a past infection.
» MORE

October 10 & 12, 2020
National Faith & Blue Weekend
Events have been scheduled for Saturday, October 10 and Monday, October 12 to commemorate National Faith & Blue Weekend in Kansas City. Those activities include a Drive Through  Food Distribution at United Believers Community Church in Kansas City, a Community Peace Parade through the Ruskin neighborhood and a Social Distancing Unity Prayer to held following the parade.
» MORE

September 24, 2020
Drug Task Force Seizes 3,000 Pills Laced With Fentanyl
A two milligram dose of fentanyl can be lethal. That’s why the Jackson County Drug Task Force’s seizure of 3,000 pills stamped as OxyContin but laced with fentanyl almost certainly saved lives—and sounded alarms. As COMBAT Director Vince Ortega points out, swallowing a tablet with fentanyl in it “could be every bit as deadly as biting down on a cyanide capsule.” While morphine is 1½ times stronger than oxycodone, the semi-synthetic opioid in OxyContin, fentanyl is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine.
» MORE

September 15, 2020
‘We Are Truly In This Together’
Violence and COVID-19 have combined to create “one public health crisis on top of another.” From this adversity, COMBAT Director Vince Ortega is hopeful a new—and better—“normal” emerges. As summer ends and fall begins, he urges law enforcement agencies to hear the calls for social justice and reform, and stresses everyone—social workers, educators, concerned citizens—must work together to address the underlying issues sparking violence and drug abuse. We are truly in this together, so every neighborhood can become a safe place to call home.
» MORE

September 10, 2020
New Behavioral Health Clinic Opens In Raytown
“With our virtual care, we are here when you need us.” ReDiscover has opened a new urgent care clinic in Raytown to provide services for behavioral health emergencies. The clinic is located in Raytown and open seven days a week. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the clinical’s initial services are being provided virtually. ReDiscover has been providing mental health and substance use disorder services in Jackson County for a half century.
» MORE

September 8, 2020
ID Can Be Crucial In Missing Children Cases
The Kansas City Police Department’s D.A.R.E. program recently hosted an event to help families compile the kind of descriptive information that could prove crucial if a child goes missing. The KCPD invited families to have their child participate in the EZ Child ID process, which includes getting photographs and fingerprints, and providing families with ID cards as well as an EZ ID Kit form. Every day 2,000 children are reported missing in the United States.
» MORE

September 1, 2020
It's Not Too Late To Make Sure You Are Counted
You can still fill out the Census Bureau’s survey online, by mail or over the phone. Making sure you are counted really counts toward how much federal funding your community receives for programs such as Medicaid and infrastructure projects like new schools, hospitals, roads and bridges. The information you give the Census Bureau must remain confidential. The Kansas City Health Department is now providing information sessions every Tuesday and Thursday to answer your Census questions.
» MORE

August 5, 2020
2021 Funding Applications Now Being Accepted
COMBAT is now accepting applications for 2021 funding. Funding applications are available in four separate categories: 1) Violence Prevention; 2) Substance Abuse Prevention; 3) Substance Use Disorder Treatment; 4) Law Enforcement School-Based Initiative. NEW THIS YEAR: Applications can only be submitted using the new online forms that can be accessed through this website’s Form Center. DEADLINE: Forms must be submitted by 4:00 p.m., September 1, 2020.
» MORE

July 27, 2020
Domestic Violence Was Already An Epidemic Before COVID-19
Domestic violence increases whenever families spend more time together—whether they’re spending more time together during the holiday season or due to a pandemic. With COVID-19 forcing many families into isolation, surges in intimate partner abuse were probably inevitable. They’ve been reported all across the nation and around the world, promptly the United Nations to declare domestic violence a global crisis. Locally, agencies that operate shelters and provide other services for abuse victims have experienced a significant increase in crisis hotline calls. They’ve also reported “not only seeing more abuse, but injuries being inflicted that are more severe. The level of violence… has only gotten worse with the pandemic.”
» MORE

July 23, 2020
Special Masked Delivery Made 
Jackson County Legislative Chair Theresa Cass Galvin (6th District) recently made a special delivery. She delivered 300 face masks to Sisters In Christ in Raytown. Sisters In Christ operates recovery houses for women transitioning from substance use disorder treatment facilities and/or correctional facilities. Sisters In Christ also serves as the COMBAT resource hub for the STRIVIN' initiative in Raytown.
» MORE

July 20, 2020
'More Egregious' Abuse
Child Abuse & COVID-19—Two Public Heatlh Crises
Reports to Missouri’s child abuse hotline dropped more than 50% in March. That was an ominous sign. With children in isolation after schools closed due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, teachers and other mandatory reporters could no longer watch over them and look for signs of abuse—signs, if spotted, they’d be required to report. If anything, the decrease in hotline calls sent off alarm bells. And in June the Child Protection Center experienced a surged in calls for its staff to interview victims—to acquire the statements the police needed to make arrests. CPC began seeing cases of abuse “much more egregious” than before the pandemic.
» MORE

June 19, 2020
Let Freedom Ring
Juneteenth—And Everyday
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in this country. However, while the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves and the 13th Amendment to the Constitution officially abolished slavery in America, neither, of course, ended racist oppression. Calls for Juneteenth to become a federal holiday are being made to not only recognize slavery’s unsavory role in building America, but to also acknowledge racism’s ongoing impact on the lives of African Americans today.
» MORE

May 12, 2020
Still Able To Put Together The Conflict-Resoultion Pieces
The Center for Confliction Resolution (CCR) has continued to put the pieces together, finding resolutions for conflicts, despite the COVID-19 crisis. Normally, CCR arranges for people with disputes to meet and “make a human connection,” then hopefully settle their differences with a handshake. The pandemic has forced CCR to find a new approach. The Center’s mediators are using technology to allow people to continue meeting face-to-face—even while miles apart—and, true to CCR’s name, eventually resolve their conflict peacefully.
» MORE

May 7, 2020
Facing Challenges & Expressing Gratitude
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” Gardening is but one way the Sisters In Christ have been helping their clients cope with the anxiety of the COVID-19 crisis, while continuing on their path to recovery. The organization’s executive director, Carolyn Whitney, expressed her gratitude to COMBAT and other partners for their ongoing support as  the Sisters In Christ and other COMBAT-funded agencies move into May.
» MORE

April 30, 2020
Taking The Census Only Takes Minutes
Census Results Have Decade-Long Ramifications
The Census Bureau has sent postcards to households all across the nation as a simple reminder that everyone counts and everyone needs to be counted. The only way to assure you will be counted in the 2020 Census is to respond to the Bureau’s “Shape Your Future” questionnaire—online, over the phone or by mail. It’ll only take you a few minutes, but the Census’ official headcount will have ramifications for our state and community lasting a decade.
» MORE

April 20, 2020
'Justice For All' Includes Respecting Crime Victims' Rights
Vince Ortega • COMBAT Director
The presumption of innocence—the fact a defendant needn’t prove they did not commit a crime—is paramount in our legal system. But we can’t truly have “justice for all” unless we assure victims’ rights are also respected and protected and legally guaranteed. It's vital having victims' rights laws on the books. Just as essential as following the letter of the law, I believe, is sincerely treating each and every victim with compassion.
» MORE

April 15, 2020
State Auditor Releases COMBAT Report
We welcome today’s state audit report on COMBAT. The Prosecutor's Office and the COMBAT Director have worked to improve the administration of COMBAT since it was transferred back to the Prosecutor in late 2018, including the implementation of the previously released BKD audit recommendations. We will also work diligently to implement the State Audit findings.
» DOWNLOAD REPORT

April 14, 2020
Homicide Victims' Families & Violent Crime Survivors Still Need Support
KC Mothers In Charge Founder Rosilyn Temple would—normally—be among the first to arrive at a Kansas City homicide scene, soon after the police, to offer crisis counseling  and other support for the victim’s surviving family members. But the novel coronavirus pandemic has forced Mothers In Charge and the AdHoc Group Against Crime to do the best they can, virtually and over the phone, to continue providing crime victim support services from a safe distance.
» MORE

April 5, 2020
Recovery Is Possible, Evening During A Pandemic
Substance Use Disorder treatment remains just as essential as treatments for other serious illnesses like cancer or kidney disease—treatments that can’t simply be put on hold even during the COVID-19 crisis. Welcome House President/CEO Jamie Boyle gives us a first-person account of how his treatment facility is continuing to provide services, while taking precautions to protect its 60 residents—men “taking their first steps into sobriety”—and coping with mounting emergency expenses.
» MORE

Continual Updates
COMBAT Agencies Making Adjustments In Response To Pandemic
COMBAT funds nearly 100 programs throughout Jackson County that offer prevention and treatment services. We will be posting changes those agencies are having to make in response to the Coronavirus pandemic as they are reported to us. Some agencies have closed their physical locations, but are continuing to try and deliver services via the phone or through online options like Zoom.
» MORE

March 19, 2020
Pandemic Poses Unique Challenges For Treatment Facilities
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, COMBAT-funded treatment agencies are continuing to serve their clients the best they can under difficult circumstances. The global public health crisis poses unique challenges for all these agencies, but especially those operating residential facilities or recovery houses—places where practicing “social distancing” isn’t necessarily easy and runs counter to addressing the social isolation many people with a substance use disorder (SUD) can feel.
» MORE

March 19, 2020
Pandemic 'Financial Hit' Coming
They have or, at least, had jobs—the men and women who call Healing House home, the women seeking a fresh start at the Sisters In Christ recovery houses, the men undergoing treatment at Benilde Hall.  The COVID-19 pandemic’s economic tole is already be felt by many of these individuals as they live with uncertainty while striving to continue their substance use disorder (SUD) recoveries. And the agencies serving them know “there’s going to be a financial hit—a hard hit—coming.”
» MORE

March 12, 2020
Everyone Counts & Needs To Be Counted
“We need good data to make good decisions,” points out COMBAT Director Vince Ortega. With data now driving COMBAT’s decisions about where resources can most effectively be allocated, accurate numbers—such as statistics about population density—are crucial. That data collection starts with the U.S. Census Bureau. States that are undercounted, due to people not participating in the 2020 Census, could lose billions of dollars in federal funding and seats in the House of Representatives. Also, inaccurate data would impact crime analysts, like COMBAT’s Holli Crowley, seeking to identify correlations between Census data and criminal activity.
» MORE

February 24, 2020
Drug Task Record-Setting $30.4 Million In Seizures
The Jackson County Drug Task Force had never before seized more than $20 million in illegal substances in a single year. But the Task Force discovered nearly $12½ million worth of  methamphetamine during a single search last fall as that record-setting day led to what would be a record-setting year in 2019—with $30.4 million in illegal substances confiscated or purchased in “controlled buys.” COMBAT Director Vince Ortega emphasizes most of those drugs were seized before they could be distributed on the streets, “which is when we would see the surge in violence associated with drug trafficking.”  Therefore, he says the COMBAT-funded Drug Task Force is “very much an anti-violence task force too.”
» MORE

February 3, 2020
New COMBAT Budget Coordinator
Keron Hopkins brings 20-plus years of experience to her role as COMBAT’s new Budget Coordinator. During a career that has included posts with three major universities and a fellowship at the Smithsonian Institution, she has administered grants and contracts, managed budgets, modernized financial procedures, and overseen multi-million-dollar portfolios. She wasn’t seeking “just any job” when she accepted an offer from COMBAT. She wanted to work for an organization committed to making a difference in the community. She says of her new position with COMBAT, “This is a job worth fighting for.”
» MORE

January 14, 2020
The Boxing Ballerina
She is a graceful ballerina. Floats like a butterfly. She also throws a nice punch. Stings like a bee. Meet Brijhana Epperson—an aspiring dancer and boxer, a true “Rising Star,” a little girl with big dreams. Those dreams are being nurtured through the COMBAT-funded youth programs at the Whatsoever Community Center in Kansas City. Bri envisions herself representing Team USA at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, then someday opening a combination dance studio/boxing gym called “B2,” short for The Boxing Ballerina. It'll be a place where girls will be taught dance and self-defense—to plié and to counterpunch.
» MORE

January 2, 2020
'I Opened My Eyes More Widely...'
A case that began with what sounded like a funny announcement in the Emergency Department—“GSW to butt, ETA 5 minutes”—has forever changed Dr. Robert Winfield, a trauma surgeon at KU Medical Center. He writes about his experience treating gunshot wounds and how he is now willing “to speak to anyone, anywhere, at any time, who wants to talk about gun violence and its root causes.” We consider his first-person account a must-read, but be warned that it does include graphic details that some readers might find disturbing. The case that started with the “GSW to butt” announcement ended with a heartbreaking encounter with a grieving mother: “The anguish she expressed when I told her of his death was like a bullet fired into my soul.”
» MORE