The SHARE Foundation's Violence Intervention Plan (VIP) has several coalitions that serve the community, one of which -- the Mental Health, Substance and Drug Abuse (MHSDA) Coalition -- was recently awarded a five-year grant totalling $625,000.
The DHHS-CDC (Department of Health and Human Services-Centers for Disease Control Drug-Free Communities (DFC) grant award is $125,000 annually from 2021 through 2026.
The MHSDA Coalition and eXtreme Youth Programs will be working together with 12 community sectors for the principal mission to reduce and prevent youth substance abuse in Union County.
More specifically, and through DFC Support Program funding, the MHSDA Coalition plans to establish and support collaboration among communities, public and private nonprofit agencies and government agencies to increase community services and their impact on preventing and reducing substance abuse among youth.
It will also reduce substance abuse among youth and, over time, reduce substance abuse among adults by addressing the factors in Union County that increase the risk of substance abuse and promoting the factors that minimize the risk of substance abuse.
The coalition's objectives are to provide three community-wide prevention education/assessment activities, increase membership satisfaction with collaborative partners and reduce youth alcohol, marijuana and nicotine use in Union County.
Additional objectives are to increase the perception of harm for substance use and decrease the lifetime use for youth who have reported substance use.
Cost-share matching requirements will gradually increase each year. After five years, the SHARE Foundation and the MHSDA Coalition can reapply for the grant for an additional five years.