COALITIONS
The science of substance abuse prevention has come a long way in the last 50 years. Over time, it became clear that the best way to create real substance abuse prevention is to bring a community together to work on the concerns through a volunteer organization, often referred to as a coalition. These community-based groups are made up of volunteers from different areas of the community to focus on youth substance abuse prevention. The coalitions recruit volunteer members to include youth, parents, other interested individuals such as young adults, grandparents, businesses, faith and fraternal organizations, schools, media, law-enforcement, organizations that serve youth, healthcare professionals, and agencies and organizations with expertise in reducing substance abuse. Wayne County is fortunate to have four such groups currently serving their communities and helping to influence substance abuse prevention throughout the county.
Local coalitions, with support from STEPS at Liberty Center, have been working for more than 10 years to decrease alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse among Wayne County youth. The coalitions work for community-wide solutions and seek to ensure the causes of substance abuse are identified and addressed. Their work is accomplished by the volunteer members in the coalitions.
Community volunteers and partners are essential to the success of these coalitions. If you or someone you know would like to learn more, please contact Eileen Keller, Community Coalition Coordinator, with STEPS at Liberty Center at 330-264-8498, Ext. 206 or [email protected].
