Ohio Co. Coalition Receives 2nd Year of Drug-Free Communities Funding

A second year of the federal Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program grant funding though the Office of National Drug Control Policy has recenntly been awarded to the Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (via Youth Services System, Inc.). This grant is one of $63 million in Continuation grants simultaneously released to 549 currently funded DFC coalitions and seven DFC Mentoring Continuation coalitions. These grants provide community coalitions needed support to prevent and reduce youth substance use.

"Action at the community level—in school rooms, community centers, churches and at kitchen tables—can help drive rates of substance abuse down," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. "SAMHSA is pleased to join the Office of National Drug Control Policy in supporting communities that are bringing people together to create healthy and drug free environments for children."

The Drug Free Communities program is directed by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The DFC program provides grants of up to $625,000 over five (5) years to community coalitions that facilitate citizen participation in local youth drug prevention efforts including prescription drug diversion and prevention initiatives and underage drinking programs. Coalitions are comprised of community leaders, parents, youth, teachers, religious and fraternal organizations, health care and business professionals, law enforcement, and the media.

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Obama Drug Strategy Stresses Evidence-Based Prevention

Obama Drug Strategy Stresses Evidence-Based Prevention

The newly released national drug strategy focuses on keeping science-based prevention as a key component of the effort to address substance abuse in the United States. Our coalition (along with over 700 community anti-drug coalitions across the country) uses a nationally recognized "Strategic Prevention Framework" (SPF) to carry out our prevention activities in Ohio County. The main components of the SPF are:

• Assessment: using local data to determine our community's assets and needs
• Capacity Building: improving our coalition's ability to collaborate & carry out prevention efforts
• Planning: selecting evidence-based strategies to match our assessed needs
• Implementation: putting our strategies into action
• Evaluation: documenting outcomes of our actions
• Sustainability: ensuring that our work will continue, with our without grant funding!
• Cultural Competence: incorporating appropriate ethnic/cultural considerations based on our community's demographics

Want to learn more about what's happening nationally? You can read the 2010 White House Drug Policy here: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/strategy/