Graiot County Substance Abuse Coalition Drug Free Community Grant Application. - Project Abstract
The mission of the Gratiot County Substance Abuse Coalition is to collect and share data in order to develop and implement prevention strategies which will result in community collaboration to reduce the misuse and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, or other substances among youth and adults.
With this application, GCSAC aims to continue to strengthen our current collaborations we have established since forming our coalition in 2005 to minimize the risk of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drug use throughout the community with a variety of evidence-based programs and local support. The support and learning opportunities provided with the assistance of DFC funding since 2017, have been essential to expand collaborations and address local conditions of youth substance use and abuse throughout Gratiot County. GCSAC will continue to expand our reach as we aim to educate the youth of Gratiot County by embedding effective programming throughout the school systems and community that will promote protective factors and reduce the risk of substance use and abuse among youth.
GCSAC will be effective in reducing youth substance use and abuse by implementing our Not on Tobacco program, Above the Influence (ATI), monthly Coalition meetings, providing education to the community through a variety of events, and other methods that have proven successful thus far. Collaborations with key community partners will also be a key to success, as we rely heavily on our partners to fully implement programs and events.
We are confident that at the end of year 10 of DFC, GCSAC will have successfully reduced underaged drinking, marijuana, and tobacco use by 3-5% according to the Michigan Profile for Healthy Youth (MiPHY). GCSAC is also confident that youth prescription drug use will have decreased by 1-2% according to the MiPHY.
It is GCSAC’s vision to empower individuals in Gratiot County to choose a healthy safe way to work, play and live. This will be accomplished by collaboration among organizations, agencies, and government. Our Coalition demonstrates this every day in the programs that we have designed and implemented for the benefits of our youth as well as our community as a whole.
