Stable funding needed to maintain DFC program

Congress is currently working on the 2012 budget and in order for the Drug Free Communities (DFC) program to support approximately 70 new grants next year (which is roughly comparable to the number that is expected to be awarded in 2011) the funding level of $95 million needs to be maintained.  If less than $95 million is appropriated for 2012 the program will stall out and fund only a small fraction of those who apply. 

Learn how you can advocate for DFC funding at the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America's (CADCA) website.  Prevention WINS receives DFC funding. 

DFC funding may be reduced

The Prevention WINS coalition is funded by a Drug Free Communities (DFC) grant.  Money for new grants is in jeopardy of being significantly reduced in the federal budget. 

The House of Representatives recently passed its version of the FY 2011 Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the federal government for the rest of this fiscal year. The House-passed CR cuts the DFC program by $9.5 million, from $95 million to $85.5 million. If this cut becomes a reality, it means there will only be enough funding to support 7 new grants from the current grant solicitation that closes on March 18. The Senate has not yet passed its version of the CR.

Originally, funding for the DFC program was appropriated at $95 million to allow at least 75 new grants to be awarded in this current grant year.

For more information, visit the CADCA website.

Rates of youth substance abuse decline in DFC communities

According to a recently released report, past 30-day use rates of alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco declined significantly and at all grade levels (middle and high schools) between Drug Free Communities (DFC) coalitions' first and their most recent data reports.  Moreover, prevalence of 30-day use was lower across all substances for DFC high school students than among a nationally-representative sample of high school students taking the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). 

The DFC grant program supports community coalitions in preventing and reducing youth substance abuse.  Coalitions are a significant catalyst for creating local change.  Prevention WINS is in its first year of DFC funding.    

Positive community norms

Jeff Linkenbach from Montana State University gave the opening plenary and provided a workshop about the Positive Community Norms Model for prevention during the DFC New Grantee Training last week. Below I touch on a few of the ideas he shared.

At the beginning of both sessions, Dr. Linkenbach asked everyone, "Are we busy or are we effective?" Are we changing our communities or are we transforming them?

He talked about prevention as an act of leadership and presented seven core actions of positive leadership:

Be positive

Be present

Be perceptive

Be purposeful

Be perfected (learn from mistakes and share what was learned)

Be proactive

Be passionate.

Dr. Linkenbach is well-known for the Most of Us campaigns using the Positive Community Norms Model. A message that these campaigns promote is: most kids make healthy choices but exceptions do exist.

He also spoke about bringing together spirit, science, and action when communities work to reduce youth substance abuse. Together, they create synergy that can lead to community transformation.

He provided several examples of "spirit" and shared the following negative ad:

Though they are not videos for substance abuse prevention, he shared the following with us to provide examples of spirit:

Where is Matt? (as an example that good already exists in all of our communities)

Embrace Life

Substance abuse prevention ads using positive social norms may be viewed on the Most of Us website.

Environmental prevention: policy

Earlier today my blog topic was environmental prevention. During the DFC New Grantee Training, I attended a workshop about promoting policies that are proven to reduce youth substance abuse. Policy advocacy is considered an environmental prevention strategy.

The session started off with the question, "What policies (at what level?) can help make the population-level change you want to make in your community?" There are many settings within a community in which policy can make a difference.

When planning to advocate for policy change, it's important for coalition's to also ask themselves:

-- Is this winnable?

-- Is there energy behind it?

-- Is it worth the effort?

At least in the beginning of policy advocacy work, it is essential that coalition's find success to keep and build momentum.

The workshop went on to discuss different policies to address different factors contributing to youth substance abuse. Below are two factors present in northeast Seattle.

The last part of the workshop dealt with the steps to take when advocating for policy.

Policy advocacy is best when many voices are heard. A high level of support behind a policy is extremely important and it needs to be seen and recognized by the community and policy-makers.

The entire handout from the workshop if available on the coalition's website.

Sharing: DFC New Grantee Training

Earlier this week, I spent three days in Washington, DC participating in the 2010 Drug Free Communities New Grantee Training. The Prevention WINS coalition is one of 169 coalitions that were awarded DFC grants this year. Nationwide, 741 coalitions receive DFC funding and there are now 30 DFC coalitions in Washington!

In addition to the workshops about managing the grant, I was fortunate to participate in other sessions that are of interest to many coalition members. I will blog about them over the next few days.

Here are a few things I took away from the training:

-- Coalitions across the nation have been successful in reducing youth substance abuse. Coalitions that include all community sectors are the most successful. Everyone has a role to play. Help individuals and organizations recognize their role.

-- Infuse prevention into all conversations about public health and safety.

-- Coalition coordinators are community facilitators and barrier removers whose job it is to support community members and their prevention activities.

-- Tell your community's story. Don't rely only on data but share with others what you see in our community.

-- Take advantage of CADCA materials and trainings.

-- Take advantage of the Above the Influence campaign materials.

-- Sugarland's Stand Up is catchy. Jack Claypool, the federal administrator for the DFC program, played it several times during the training and it didn't leave my head until I got on the plane back to Seattle.

We did it!

Prevention Works in Seattle (WINS), the community coalition serving northeast Seattle, was awarded a 2010 Drug Free Communities grant! This five year award will enable us to continue our community-based youth substance abuse prevention work.

From 2006 - 2010, the coalition's grantee was Seattle Public Schools. The DFC grant was written in collaboration with Seattle Children's Hospital which will now act as the coalition's grantee.

Thanks goes out to all who have built the coalition over the past few years and who contributed to our successful grant proposal.