Governor Announces Substance Abuse Prevention Grants
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: July 20, 2005
Contact: Jason Gibbs
(802) 828-3333
MONTPELIER – Governor Jim Douglas today announced that 13 local substance abuse prevention coalitions will receive New Directions grants totaling $427,783 from the Vermont Department of Health. The effort is part Douglas’ comprehensive Drug Education, Treatment, Enforcement and Rehabilitation (DETER) program, launched by the Governor in 2003.
“New Directions coalitions are made up of dedicated Vermonters working together to address substance abuse in their communities,” said Governor Jim Douglas. “Because of their hard work and commitment, more and more young people are making healthier choices.”
New Directions coalitions bring youth and adults together to design prevention strategies for their own communities based on proven best practices. The grants fund coalition development and community prevention projects like mentoring and family education programs, school curricula, and local information campaigns to discourage alcohol and drug use.
“New Directions Coalitions have been highly successful, putting proven strategies into practice to reduce underage drinking,” said Deputy Commissioner of Health Barbara Cimaglio.
In addition to providing the funding, the Health Department supports coalition efforts with training and technical assistance.
The 2006 New Directions grants total $427,783 and are awarded to:
- Addison NWSU Prevention Council - $36,100 to implement the SMART Moves program designed to teach 10-15 year olds social skills including peer resistance and decision-making.
- Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition - $28,073 to improve Guiding Good Choices, a parenting program that teach skills to parents and children to resist drug use.
- Cabot Coalition - $15,100 to implement Project Northland, a school-based program for 6-8 graders that includes social-behavioral curricula, peer leadership, parental involvement and education, and community wide activities.
- Chittenden East Community Partnership - $33,448 to implement two parent education programs Guiding Good Choices and Nurturing Parents Program and the Staying Connected with Your Teen program which has parents and teens working together in developing responses and solutions to substance abuse issues.
- Community Coordinating Council - $36,856 to implement the Nurturing Parents Program, which teaches parenting skills.
- CY - Connecting Youth in Chittenden South - $40,100 to implement Guiding Good Choices, Nurturing Parents and Mentoring.
- Deerfield Valley Community Partnership (Windham Southwest SU) - $38,100 to implement Guiding Good Choices and continue their counter advertising campaign aimed at the prevention and reduction of substance abuse among community youth.
- Essex CHIPS - $25,613 to continue to implement their mentor program for middle school youth.
- Flood Brook Community Collaborative (Windsor SWSU; Burr and Burton) - $32,121 to implement mentoring, Guiding Good Choices and Friendly PEERsuasian, which is a program that is designed for girls to acquire knowledge, skills and support systems to avoid substance abuse.
- Franklin County Caring Communities Project - $32,041 to continue to implement their mentor program.
- Ottauquechee Community Partnership - $36,331 to implement Project Toward No Drug Abuse which teaches skills to counteract risk factors for drug abuse.
- Springfield Prevention Coalition - $37,200 to continue their mentoring program.
- Windsor Area Community Partnership - $36,600 to implement Friendly Peersuasian.
ABOUT D.E.T.E.R.
The D.E.T.E.R program is Governor Douglas’ multi-faceted, multi-million dollar program to confront substance abuse in Vermont.
Passed in June 2003, D.E.T.E.R set in place a compassionate program of treatment and rehabilitation. Among other things, the program has increased resources to educate children about the dangers of drugs, funded expanded treatment options and recovery centers throughout the state and enhanced penalties for traffickers and dealers who seek to poison Vermonters for profit.
Governor Douglas proposed an increase in funding for D.E.T.E.R. in his fiscal year 2006 budget, including requests for 10 new high school substance abuse prevention counselors and four more recovery centers.
“For too long Vermont chased the problems of substance abuse. The D.E.T.E.R program has helped us make prevention our strategy of choice,” the Governor said.
More information about D.E.T.E.R. and the Health Department’s substance abuse prevention efforts is available at www.HealthyVermonters.info.