Above: The community coalition to prevent substance abuse has received a grant from a federal agency to help implement its campaign locally.
An organization formed last fall by Southborough and Northborough officials was awarded a $625,000 Drug-Free Communities grant. The grant will allow the towns to hire a full time coordinator to oversee their programming efforts for at least five years.
The towns have already begun recruiting for the position. (Click here for information on the position, which I posted earlier today.)
The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) awarded the grant to help the community create policies and implement the “Talk. They Hear You” public service announcement campaign. (See example PSAs right.)
The grant was awarded to the Encompass coalition.
For years, Southborough and Northborough officials and volunteers have worked together on efforts to prevent/curb youth “substance abuse” in our communities. Last fall, the towns formally renamed the Northborough-Southborough Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition as “Encompass”. The logo and communications highlight the focus, “Guiding Healthy Decision Making in Northborough & Southborough”.
Earlier this spring, Encompass issued a survey to parents of children in grades 6-12. (It appears there were only 159 respondents. You can read the reported results here.)
Here are more details from the announcement on the grant and the new position being created:
The towns of Northborough and Southborough are pleased to announce that Encompass, a community coalition serving the residents of Northborough and Southborough, was awarded a $625,000 grant from the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program. The Town of Northborough will serve as the fiscal agent administering this five-year grant. Encompass (formerly known as the Northborough-Southborough Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition) is focused on preventing and reducing substance misuse in Northborough and Southborough. The coalition consists of community members representing 12 sectors. These include youth, parents, businesses, media, school, youth-serving organizations, law enforcement, religious/fraternal organizations, civic and volunteer organizations, healthcare professionals, state, local, and Tribal governments, and other organizations involved in reducing illicit substance use.
Staff from Youth and Family Services, Health Departments, and Schools in both Northborough and Southborough cooperatively lead this coalition. Encompass plans to use its first year of funding to hire a coordinator to oversee coalition programming. The coalition will achieve its goals by implementing the SAMSHA “Talk They Hear You” campaign, teaching youth drug refusal skills, and working to create policies to reduce alcohol and nicotine availability and use. Encompass members strive to support the health of residents and families, address access to substances, and make environmental and policy changes to reduce substance misuse.
The coalition is seeking candidates for the Encompass Coalition Coordinator position. This position is full-time, grant-funded for five years, and responsible for overseeing, planning, developing, and providing oversight of the Drug-Free Communities program. The job opportunity is posted [here.]
To learn more about Encompass, click here.
