Prevention and Response Columbia County

04/21/2026

It's happening THIS Saturday!!!!

🌬️It might be snowing and blowing out but we are thinking about spring!

🌼🪻🌺The spring drug take back day will be occurring on Saturday, April 25th, at 8 locations across Columbia County! See flyer for locations and times!

💊Bring your expired and unused medications, pills, patches, and pet medication to one of these locations! Please no sharps!

Thank you to our community partners that help make this event possible: Columbia County Sheriff's Office WI Hometown Pharmacy - Pardeeville City of Columbus - WI Village of Fall River Police Department City of Lodi Police DepartmentPortage Police Department - WisconsinPortage Public Library Poynette Police Department Village of Arlington, Lodi Area EMS Randolph Police Department

04/21/2026

Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, April 25th, 2026, in various locations across Columbia County! Check out this event hosted at Hometown Pharmacy - Pardeeville 117 N Main Street, Pardeeville on Saturday, April 25, 2026, 9am-1pm

☑️Bring: Prescription and over-the-counter medications, ointments, patches, non-aerosol sprays, creams, vials, and pet medication!

❌DO NOT BRING: illegal drugs, needles/sharps, v**e devices, inhalers, aerosol cans, biohazard materials, mercury thermometers, personal care products, and household waste.

04/21/2026

The PARCC awards were an inspiring celebration of impact. We recognized 10 individuals and organizations whose dedication to prevention, intervention, and recovery is truly changing lives and shaping futures in Columbia County. Let's celebrate them and their efforts!

Deanna is a dedicated Physician’s Assistant at the Lodi Clinic who has positively impacted many patients through her work in primary care, women’s health, and preventative care. As a founding member of the Lodi Community Action Team and Prevention and Response Columbia County, she has been a committed coalition partner for many years. Deanna brings valuable, firsthand insight into substance misuse trends from her clinical experience and consistently shares important community resources with her patients. Despite a demanding schedule, she remains deeply engaged, regularly attending meetings and contributing her knowledge to strengthen efforts across Columbia County.

Deanna was unable to attend the ceremony. Pictured below is Deanna Lord, courtesy of the Sauk Prairie Healthcare website.

04/21/2026

The PARCC awards were an inspiring celebration of impact. We recognized 10 individuals and organizations whose dedication to prevention, intervention, and recovery is truly changing lives and shaping futures in Columbia County. Let's celebrate them and their efforts!

Marie is recognized for her compassionate leadership and strong commitment to supporting her community. During her time in Public Health, she created a hygiene closet that provides free essentials, helping restore dignity and ease burdens for individuals in recovery and families in need. She has been a valuable community partner, offering guidance, building connections, and expanding access to resources through collaborative efforts. As a certified parent peer support specialist, she brings both lived experience and professional training to support other families. Her lasting impact across Columbia County, along with her continued leadership in her new role as Director of Columbia County Emergency Management Services, makes her a deserving recipient of the PARCC Changing Lives and Changing Futures Award.

Marie was unable to attend the event. Pictured below is an image of Marie courtesy of LinkedIn.

04/21/2026

The PARCC awards were an inspiring celebration of impact. We recognized 10 individuals and organizations whose dedication to prevention, intervention, and recovery is truly changing lives and shaping futures in Columbia County. Let's celebrate them and their efforts!

Monica has played a key role in supporting individuals with substance use challenges through a variety of impactful roles. She has guided clients as a probation and parole agent, supported recovery through the Drug Treatment Program in Columbia and Sauk Counties, and worked with Transitions Behavioral Health’s MAT program. In her role with CCS, she provides care coordination, AODA assessments, and education to both adults and adolescents. After earning her Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) license, Monica expanded her ability to serve the community. She also serves as Chairperson for Prevention and Response Columbia County, where she helped lead the development of a strategic plan to guide future efforts.

Pictured below are Monica N. PARCC Chairperson and Bryan Bilse, PARCC Director.

04/21/2026

The PARCC awards were an inspiring celebration of impact. We recognized 10 individuals and organizations whose dedication to prevention, intervention, and recovery is truly changing lives and shaping futures in Columbia County. Let's celebrate them and their efforts!

Marissa is a Senior Probation and Parole Agent based in Columbia County and an active member of the PARCC coalition. Marissa brings an important and unique perspective to our discussions at PARCC meetings. She provides firsthand knowledge of the current trends affecting our community. She was nominated for her efforts to improve access to lifesaving resources by creating a space within the probation and parole office where Narcan is freely available to clients and visitors. In addition, Marissa redesigned a resource bulletin board to make it more user-friendly, helping clients find the services and resources they need more easily.

Pictured below are Marissa F., Senior Probation and Parole Agent, and Sara McChesney, PARCC Program Coordinator.

04/21/2026

The PARCC awards were an inspiring celebration of impact. We recognized 10 individuals and organizations whose dedication to prevention, intervention, and recovery is truly changing lives and shaping futures in Columbia County. Let's celebrate them and their efforts!

Brook is a mental health clinician and the owner of Corazón Counseling and Wellness, LLC in Poynette, where she provides one-on-one therapy to youth, teens, and adults. What began as a solo practice has grown into a thriving clinic with more than 10 staff members—a testament to Brook’s dedication and vision.

Brook is deeply passionate about community health and is currently leading the planning of the first-ever Poynette Wellness Day. This event highlights the eight dimensions of wellness and invites community members to explore and engage in each area. Through this effort, Brook has built strong partnerships with the Poynette Parks and Recreation Department, the Poynette School District, local businesses, and other community members and organizations.

Pictured below are Brook L., Owner of Corazón Counseling and Wellness, LLC and Sara McChesney, PARCC Program Coordinator

04/21/2026

The PARCC awards were an inspiring celebration of impact. We recognized 10 individuals and organizations whose dedication to prevention, intervention, and recovery is truly changing lives and shaping futures in Columbia County. Let's celebrate them and their efforts!

Tammy Medina was nominated for PARCC’s Changing Lives and Changing Futures Award. She is the founder of Flourishing Futures, Inc., a new female sober living home in Portage that offers a unique and compassionate approach to recovery by allowing children to remain with their parents as they heal together as a family unit—something not commonly found in traditional sober living environments. Tammy’s impact extends far beyond the sober living home. She leads a variety of recovery groups and manages the Portage Café. Tammy regularly opens the space for community-building activities, such as cookie decorating events, creating a welcoming and supportive environment for all. In partnership with Public Health and PARCC, Tammy placed a Narcan overdose kit in the café and ensured that all employees were trained to recognize the signs of an overdose and properly administer Narcan. She also coordinated training for the women at the sober living home, equipping them with the same lifesaving knowledge.

Pictured below Tammy Medina, Director of Flourishing Futures Inc and Sara McChesney, PARCC Program Coordinator

04/20/2026

The PARCC awards were an inspiring celebration of impact. We recognized 10 individuals and organizations whose dedication to prevention, intervention, and recovery is truly changing lives and shaping futures in Columbia County. Let's celebrate them and their efforts!

Sgt Wesley Austin-Nash Columbia County Sheriff's Office WI for his efforts in making a positive impact in Columbia County. Wes has demonstrated a strong commitment to improving the lives and futures of young people in our community. Over the past two years, he has dedicated his time to teaching the D.A.R.E. program to 5th grade students, helping educate them about the importance of making safe and healthy choices at Pardeeville Area School District. Wes has worked directly with our students, and students in Lewiston, to promote drug-free lifestyles and build the skills they need to resist peer pressure and make responsible decisions. His work supports the broader goal of creating a healthier Columbia County with sustainable, drug-free communities.

Pictured below is Sgt. Wes Austin-Nash, Columbia County Sheriff's Office WI and Courtney Sturtevant, Pardeeville Area School District Middle School Counselor.

04/20/2026

The PARCC awards were an inspiring celebration of impact. We recognized 10 individuals and organizations whose dedication to prevention, intervention, and recovery is truly changing lives and shaping futures in Columbia County. Let's celebrate them and their efforts!

The School District of Lodi has been instrumental in shaping Prevention and Response Columbia County into a successful and viable prevention coalition. PARCC is the sister coalition of the Lodi Community Action Team. The School District of Lodi has been the fiscal agent for PARCC for 11 years.

Pictured below is Bryan Bilse, PARCC, Director, Adria Schroeder, Director of Student Services at School District of Lodi, Monica Neumann, PARCC Chair.

04/17/2026

The PARCC Awards were an inspiring celebration of impact. We recognized 10 individuals and organizations whose dedication to prevention, intervention, and recovery is truly changing lives and shaping futures in Columbia County. Let's celebrate them and their efforts!

Katy Peerenboom is the High School Social Worker at Portage Community School District. Katy was one of the first schools to join PARCC's efforts in piloting a prevention program in Columbia County! Katy is now exploring ways to expand the program's reach by utilizing it with students involved in the local municipal courts!

Pictured below is Katy Peerenboom, Portage High School Social Worker, and Sara McChesney, PARCC Program Coordinator

04/17/2026

The PARCC Awards were an inspiring celebration of impact. We recognized 10 individuals and organizations whose dedication to prevention, intervention, and recovery is truly changing lives and shaping futures. Let's celebrate them and their efforts!

Ashley S. is a 12th-grade student at the Portage High School Portage Community School District! She was instrumental in completing to***co compliance checks in Columbia County over the past two years! To***co compliance checks are completed to ensure that retailers are not selling to***co products to youth! Learn more about the project at wiwins.org

Picture below is Ashley S, student at Portage Community School District and Sara McChesney, PARCC Program Coordinator.