ABSTRACT
The fiscal agent and applicant for the Washington Park Community Partners is Grand Boulevard Prevention Services, Inc., hereafter referred to as GBPS. The mission of GBPS is to integrate collective perspectives strategically to implement community based educational, intervention, prevention, and focused solutions to build healthy youth, informed individuals, and resilient communities. The mission of Washington Park Community Partners, hereafter referred to as WPCP, is to reduce illegal drug use and misuse of legal substances by youth and over time adults in the Washington Park Community through a community organizing Coalition mechanism with a shared leadership, trauma-informed, and community-based participatory approach. WPCP conducts coalition-building and capacity building to achieve collective impact that will create the conditions, norms, climate, and policy changes to achieve the goal of decreasing alcohol and marijuana use and opioid misuse by youth (12-20) and overtime adults.
The Coalition work is accomplished by an active volunteer-led Steering Committee that is supported by Coalition staff and includes representation from each of the 12 required sectors for a Drug-free Community Coalition. The Steering Committee meets quarterly and focuses on coalition development, sustainability, and policy advocacy. Coalition development includes the development of Bylaws, policies and procedures, ongoing needs assessment, capacity building, strategic planning, implementation of Action Plans, volunteer recruitment and retention, and evaluation of the Coalition’s performance.
Each of the Steering Committee Members leads a Subcommittee which includes additional volunteers who have relevant expertise or a passion to reduce illegal drug use and misuse of drugs by youth. The Subcommittees meet monthly and consist of the 1) Youth Advisory Council to engage youth; 2) Parent Engagement Subcommittee to engage parents; 3) Public Relations Subcommittee to raise public awareness and disseminate prevention messaging; 4) Fund Development Subcommittee to secure resources for coalition operations and financial support of goals and objectives; 5) Public Policy Subcommittee to change policies and practices; 6) Action Planning Subcommittee to plan events and engage neighborhood leaders and neighborhood associations; and 7) Data Workgroup to measure progress and outcomes achieved. The Subcommittees meet monthly and as needed to accomplish their objectives. A report on their activities is provided to the Steering Committee at the quarterly meeting.
By 9/2024, there will be a 10% increase in capacity and participation to identify local youth substance use problems focused on youth under 18 and/or in grades 7th through 12th through the Illinois Youth Survey
By 9/2024, there will be a 20% increase in Coalition capacity as demonstrated by a recruitment plan, expanded membership roster, sustainability plan and succession plan as measured by pre/post surveying
By 6/2024, there will be an 10% increase in the effectiveness of the Coalition as demonstrated by a 5- Year Strategic Plan.
By 9/2024, there will be a 10% reduction in 30-day use as measured by approved surveys on the number of youths reported to be “clean and sober” by the juvenile justice system and treatment agencies.
By 9/2024, there will be a 10% increase in perception of peer disapproval and 10% increase in perception of parental disapproval of use through implementation of the evidence-based Seven Strategies for Community-level Change that will facilitate changing the culture and context as measured by the Illinois Youth survey, Pre and Post testing, and approved Community Surveys.
By 9/2024, there will be a quantitative/qualitative analysis on operations, implementation of strategic activities, and progress/impact for quality improvement as measured by Completion of an Evaluation Report.
