WeChange Community Outreach Drug-Free Communities Coalition - WeChange Community Outreach proposes to implement a comprehensive, community-level substance use prevention initiative through the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program to reduce youth alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco use, including e-cigarette vaping, in Winnsboro and surrounding communities within Franklin Parish, Louisiana. Franklin Parish is a rural, high-need community where more than 31 percent of children live in poverty and local youth substance use indicators exceed state averages, particularly for marijuana and e-cigarette use. Local survey data demonstrate low perceived harm, weak peer disapproval, limited supervision during high-risk hours, and environmental access factors that increase youth vulnerability to substance use. The primary population served is youth ages 9–18, with a focus on adolescents ages 12–18 for required DFC outcome measurement. Guided by the Strategic Prevention Framework and the DFC logic model, the WeChange Prevention Coalition will implement coordinated, evidence-informed strategies aligned with the Seven Strategies for Community-Level Change. These strategies include providing accurate prevention information to correct misperceptions of harm; enhancing youth and family skills through evidence-based programs; strengthening supervision and positive peer engagement during high-risk hours; improving awareness and coordination of existing prevention resources; reinforcing consistent consequences related to underage access; assessing and improving supervision in youth gathering areas; and supporting policy and systems-level practices that reduce youth access to substances. All activities are designed to address identified community conditions rather than provide treatment or individualized services. Implementation will occur in partnership with representatives from all 12 required DFC sectors, including schools, law enforcement, healthcare providers, faith-based organizations, youth-serving agencies, and local government, ensuring broad community reach and shared accountability. Year 1 outcomes will focus on strengthening protective factors and shifting community norms, consistent with DFC expectations. By the end of the 12-month performance period, the coalition anticipates measurable increases in youth perception of harm and peer disapproval related to alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco use; improved community awareness of prevention resources; strengthened cross-sector collaboration; and enhanced community conditions related to supervision, access, and enforcement. Progress will be measured using the Caring Communities Youth Survey, coalition performance indicators, and documented prevention activities, with findings used to guide continuous quality improvement. Population-level reductions in youth substance use are expected in subsequent years as community-level changes are sustained and reinforced.
