| Story Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 Grant sought to help community become drug free By Brooke Vermillion Reporter A grant application was submitted Friday that, if awarded, would put Pope and surrounding counties on the road to becoming drug-free through building a stronger coalition of prevention and treatment initiatives. The Drug Free Communities Support Program, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, would award $100,000 to the area in hopes to reduce substance abuse among youth, according to Carol Lee, grant coordinator. And through time, Lee said, by addressing the factors in the community that increase the risk of substance abuse, the coalition -- with the help of the grant -- would also try to reduce substance abuse among adults while promoting the factors that minimize the risk of substance abuse. Specific drugs the coalition would target include methamphetamine, alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs and marijuana. Starting 'small' The idea of applying for the grant came through suggestions from state and federal drug directors who recently commended Pope County and the 5th Judicial District for work accomplished through the RIVER VALLEY METH PROJECT (RVMP). Since Meth Project members voiced their support of applying for the grant at last month's meeting, Lee -- a steering committee member for the RVMP -- and the River Valley Prevention Coalition have managed to meet the grant's 100 percent match ($100,000) through in-kind donations from the community. Lee said city government officials, law enforcement officials, community organizations, professionals, hospitals, etc., have donated such things as their time, office space, meals, mileage, business services, etc. "Everyone has been wonderful to help us," Lee said, adding anyone else who would be willing to help should contact her. "This really has been a community collaboration." But Lee said even if the area is awarded the grant, the battle against drugs and alcohol would only be beginning. She explained to continue to succeed in substance abuse and violence prevention, intervention and treatment, the community must secure additional needed funding, along with supporting general healthy behaviors. "It's our hope that by obtaining this drug-free communities grant, it will help build a coalition strong enough to apply for even bigger grants in the future," she said. Tying it in Lee -- who also serves as behavioral grants coordinator for the River Valley Prevention Coalition, Child Development Inc., and the Russellville School District -- said with a coalition, the importance of all parties working together for the same purpose cannot be stressed enough. Linked committees of the prevention coalition that would benefit from the grant include: RVMP, School linkage, Home Town Health, Tobacco Grant, recent Behavioral Health grants in Russellville School District (Safe Schools Healthy Students, Grant To Reduce Alcohol Abuse), and the most recent addition -- Arkansas Tech University's Grant to Reduce Alcohol Abuse among college students. But in the first year of the grant, which could ultimately be issued on a long-term basis, the coalition plans to conduct community assessments while performing interventions for new parents and parents of young children. "There is a great need to intervene with families and to provide more intensive parenting training," Lee said. "And we want to offer that to all school districts." But Lee also clarified the grant would not provide a new organization through the prevention coalition, but would instead coordinate existing services and support current organizations. "We can't do anything by ourselves," she said. "It's only by having good, strong community coalitions that we are able to access available funds these days." Currently, the core of the coalition is comprised of the provider communities, schools, faith-based organizations and churches. Some of the organizations include: Counseling Associates, Pope and Yell County Health Departments, juvenile offices and department of Children and Family Services, Russellville School District, Community Service, Inc., Child Development, Inc., Freedom House (ARVAC), Young Life, and the Boys and Girls Club. Along with these groups, the grant project would also coordinate with the current meth assessments currently being conducted through the Arkansas Tech Behavioral Health Department. Additional needs assessments and project evaluations would be conducted by researchers from Arkansas Children's Research Institute at UAMS. Lee said if the coalition receives the grant, she should be notified by this summer. |