Kosciusko Cares Receives 5-Year $1.25M Grant
November 8, 2022 at 11:16 p.m.
By Staff Report-
The Drug-Free Communities Support Program provides grants to community coalitions to strengthen the infrastructure between local partners to create and sustain a reduction in substance use among the youth in that community, according to a news release provided. Recognizing that local problems need local solutions, Drug-Free Communities funded coalitions engage multiple sectors of the community and employ a variety of environmental strategies to address substance use problems.
The Kosciusko Coalition will leverage this investment to establish and strengthen community collaborations in support of local efforts to prevent youth substance abuse and over time adult substance abuse.
“We are excited about the possibilities that this grant will bring to our community,” said Melanie Wilhite, director of Kosciusko Cares. “We are looking forward to expanding our existing substance use prevention efforts and growing our current efforts with community partners.”
An upstream approach will focus on delaying the use of alcohol and tobacco among young people. This effort will engage, educate and recruit teens and adults to affect community level progress in preventing youth substance abuse. A youth coalition will be organized to work with the Kosciusko Drug Free Coalition. An action plan will be developed by five individual teams who will focus on training, youth engagement, data collection, communication and branding. The coalition invites people interested in helping area youth maximize their potential to contact Drug-Free Coalition Director Heidi Blake at [email protected].
“Adolescence is a critical period to prevent the initiation of substance use when the developing brain is particularly vulnerable,” said Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of ONDCP. “Research shows that youth substance use decreased significantly in communities served by a DFC-funded community coalition. This funding for communities reinforces our commitment to preventing youth substance use by investing in evidence-based prevention strategies. We can continue to help our youth reach their full potential.”
The five-year grant will provide $250,000 per year, which includes federal funding and local contributions to impact the community norms of acceptance of youth substance use. Addressing the community norms regarding underage substance use will impact youth alcohol and tobacco, nicotine and e-cigarette/vaping use. Increasing community collaboration will be achieved by increasing adults and youth coalition membership, according to the release.
Bowen Center will serve as the fiscal agent for Kosciusko Cares and will provide clinical support and other resources for the program.
“This grant is critical, as we continue to see our communities struggling against the growing tide of addiction and overdose,” said Wayne Peterson-Stephan, Bowen Center director of addiction recovery services. “Early intervention and prevention efforts are the single best way to stop addiction before it happens. If we want to gain traction in the struggle against addiction, it needs to start with our youth. They will be the change agents for the future."
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The Drug-Free Communities Support Program provides grants to community coalitions to strengthen the infrastructure between local partners to create and sustain a reduction in substance use among the youth in that community, according to a news release provided. Recognizing that local problems need local solutions, Drug-Free Communities funded coalitions engage multiple sectors of the community and employ a variety of environmental strategies to address substance use problems.
The Kosciusko Coalition will leverage this investment to establish and strengthen community collaborations in support of local efforts to prevent youth substance abuse and over time adult substance abuse.
“We are excited about the possibilities that this grant will bring to our community,” said Melanie Wilhite, director of Kosciusko Cares. “We are looking forward to expanding our existing substance use prevention efforts and growing our current efforts with community partners.”
An upstream approach will focus on delaying the use of alcohol and tobacco among young people. This effort will engage, educate and recruit teens and adults to affect community level progress in preventing youth substance abuse. A youth coalition will be organized to work with the Kosciusko Drug Free Coalition. An action plan will be developed by five individual teams who will focus on training, youth engagement, data collection, communication and branding. The coalition invites people interested in helping area youth maximize their potential to contact Drug-Free Coalition Director Heidi Blake at [email protected].
“Adolescence is a critical period to prevent the initiation of substance use when the developing brain is particularly vulnerable,” said Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of ONDCP. “Research shows that youth substance use decreased significantly in communities served by a DFC-funded community coalition. This funding for communities reinforces our commitment to preventing youth substance use by investing in evidence-based prevention strategies. We can continue to help our youth reach their full potential.”
The five-year grant will provide $250,000 per year, which includes federal funding and local contributions to impact the community norms of acceptance of youth substance use. Addressing the community norms regarding underage substance use will impact youth alcohol and tobacco, nicotine and e-cigarette/vaping use. Increasing community collaboration will be achieved by increasing adults and youth coalition membership, according to the release.
Bowen Center will serve as the fiscal agent for Kosciusko Cares and will provide clinical support and other resources for the program.
“This grant is critical, as we continue to see our communities struggling against the growing tide of addiction and overdose,” said Wayne Peterson-Stephan, Bowen Center director of addiction recovery services. “Early intervention and prevention efforts are the single best way to stop addiction before it happens. If we want to gain traction in the struggle against addiction, it needs to start with our youth. They will be the change agents for the future."
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