The Prevention
Partnership
Prevention Works...in Alachua County
Funded by a grant from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
(CSAP) in Washington, D.C., the
Partnership includes
community-based Substance Abuse Prevention Councils (SAPCs)
driven by volunteer members of Alachua County's outlying
communities of Alachua, Archer, Hawthorne, High Springs,
Micanopy, Monteocha/LaCrosse, Newberry, and Waldo.
These Councils, representing all aspects of the community --
black and white, young and old, business people and government
officials, homemakers and law enforcers -- work together to
develop a grassroots approach to substance abuse prevention that
is tailored to fit their communities.
CSAP funds have been used to implement such diverse SAPC activities as
drug-free youth dances, parenting classes, Crime Watch programs,
neighborhood marches, health fairs, scholarships, employment
training, and community education.
ABOUT PREVENTION
Prevention is a process, not a single activity. Its focus is to
promote healthy choices, reduce risk factors within the
community, and develop protective factors that help guard against
substance abuse. The Prevention Partnership's efforts are:
- Directed primarily toward school-age youth, housing authority
residents, church members, and employers.
- Designed to reduce the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other
drugs; and designed to prevent alcohol and other drug-related
problems from happening in the future.
The Prevention Partnership is interested in efforts that:
- Work with individuals, especially youth, who have not started
using alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.
- Focus on reducing the rate of use of drugs by new users.
- Prevent the development of drug use and
problems.
- Build individual strengths as a protection against alcohol,
tobacco, and other drugs.
Some examples of the Partnership's primary prevention efforts
are:
- Raising awareness and involvement in communities.
- Increasing knowledge of
teachers, parents,
and students.
- Changing norms and expectations about alcohol and other drugs.
- Improving parenting and positive family influences.
- Improving skills among youth and adults.
- Increasing involvement in schools, churches
and other religious centers,
neighborhoods,
and businesses by teachers, ministers, community members, and
employers.
- Increasing involvement in health or legal activities.
- Improving support services for students, teachers, and kids.
- Developing better regulatory and legal actions.
The Prevention Partnership joins Community Action Agency in developing
WHOLE
VILLAGE Living and Learning Centers, introducing CALL-IN:
Community
Action Living and Learning Information Network
Latest update 6/23/96