Partnership For Ontario County Inc

DRUG FREE COMMUNITIES SUPPORT PROGRAM

DRUG FREE COMMUNITIES MENTORING PROJECT FOR ONTARIO COUNTY WITH STEUBEN COUNTY

HOPE AND HEALING NETWORK ONTARIO COUNTY NY 2026 CDC DRUG FREE COALITION GRANT FOCUSED REDUCING YOUTH MARIJUANA AND ALCOHOL USE IN GENEVA AND BLOOMFIELD NEW YORK - ABSTRACT THE PARTNERSHIP FOR ONTARIO COUNTY IS REQUESTING DRUG-FREE COMMUNITIES (DFC) SUPPORT PROGRAM FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE HOPE AND HEALING NETWORK OF ONTARIO COUNTY, A COMMUNITY COALITION WORKING TO PREVENT AND REDUCE YOUTH MARIJUANA AND ALCOHOL USE IN GENEVA AND BLOOMFIELD, NEW YORK. GENEVA AND BLOOMFIELD NEW YORK ARE TWO COMMUNITIES IN A RURAL COUNTY IN THE FINGER LAKES REGION WHERE YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE IS A VISIBLE AND GROWING CONCERN. SOME STUDENTS SMELL OF MARIJUANA AFTER SCHOOL. CANNABIS DISPENSARIES SIT WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF SCHOOLS AND AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS. UNDERAGE ALCOHOL ARRESTS MORE THAN DOUBLED IN A SINGLE YEAR. NEARLY ONE IN FIVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS REPORTED PAST 30-DAY USE OF MARIJUANA OR ALCOHOL IN THE MOST RECENT COUNTYWIDE YOUTH SURVEY. IN GENEVA, NEARLY 22% OF RESIDENTS LIVE BELOW THE POVERTY LINE AND TWO-THIRDS OF PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED. THESE ARE CONDITIONS THAT RESEARCH CONSISTENTLY LINKS TO INCREASED SUBSTANCE USE RISK. THE HOPE AND HEALING NETWORK IS A ROBUST COALITION WHICH BRINGS TOGETHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL 12 SECTORS REQUIRED BY THE DFC PROGRAM INCLUDING YOUTH, PARENTS, SCHOOLS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, HEALTHCARE, BUSINESS, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT. TOGETHER THEY ARE WORKING COORDINATE A COMMUNITY-WIDE RESPONSE. IN YEAR 1, THE COALITION WILL DELIVER EVIDENCE-BASED PREVENTION PROGRAMS AT AFTER-SCHOOL YOUTH CLUBHOUSES TEEN DROP IN CENTERS IN BOTH COMMUNITIES, TABLE MONTHLY AT SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY EVENTS, WORK WITH CANNABIS DISPENSARIES AND ALCOHOL RETAILERS ON YOUTH ACCESS PREVENTION MATERIALS AND RESPONSIBLE RETAIL PRACTICES, AND ENGAGE BOTH SCHOOL DISTRICTS ON DISCIPLINARY POLICIES THAT KEEP YOUTH CONNECTED TO PROTECTIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND ACTIVITIES. OVER FIVE YEARS, THE COALITION AIMS TO INCREASE YOUTH PERCEPTION OF THE RISKS OF MARIJUANA AND ALCOHOL USE, REDUCE YOUTH ACCESS TO THESE SUBSTANCES THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES, AND ACHIEVE MEASURABLE REDUCTIONS IN PAST 30-DAY MARIJUANA AND ALCOHOL USE AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. THE COALITION TARGETS A 2% REDUCTION IN PAST 30-DAY MARIJUANA AND ALCOHOL USE AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BY 2031, MOVING MARIJUANA BASELINE FROM 14.16% TO 12.16% AND MOVING ALCOHOL BASELINE FROM 10.95% TO 8.95% RESPECTIVELY. THE PARTNERSHIP FOR ONTARIO COUNTY, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FOUNDED IN 1998, SERVES AS THE FISCAL AGENT AND HAS PREVIOUSLY ADMINISTERED DFC FUNDING FROM 2005 TO 2014. THE COALITION HAS BEEN ACTIVELY MEETING SINCE DECEMBER 2024 WITH FULL SECTOR REPRESENTATION AND BROAD COMMUNITY SUPPORT. NON-FEDERAL MATCH OF $148,424 IN YEAR 1 REFLECTS THE DEPTH OF THAT INVESTMENT.