CAMA Coalition

Kristin Chittick is the Community Coalition Director for CAMA, Inc of Edgar and Clark Counties. She has held this position for 6 years. CAMA began in 2001 as a discussion group with just three concerned citizens focusing on the direct impact of methamphetamine manufacture and abuse in the community of Paris, IL. In just three short years, CAMA had established themselves as a bi-county community coalition with over 75 members. In 2004 CAMA, led by retired fifth Judicial Circuit Judge Richard Scott, the chairman of CAMA's Law and Policies team, testified in Springfield to the Judicial committee in the House of Representatives on behalf of HB3978. In 2005, CAMA, after extensive research and data gathering broadened their focus targeting all drugs. That fall, CAMA was awarded federal funding from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration) for the Drug-Free Communities Support Program.

By 2007, CAMA had testified on the behalf of over 10 House and Senate bills of which three have become Illinois State laws and CAMA's Youth program, "The CAMA Teens," was incorporated in four school districts. CAMA is currently pursuing sustainability efforts to address the culture of substance abuse. CAMA's philosophy, as a community coalition, has always been to provide resources to the communities it serves. CAMA's future plans include working to expand the CAMA Teens program to a fifth school district in 2008.

Kristin has been married for sixteen years and is the mother of three.