Communities That Care

Posted on September 1, 2010

Five Town CTC Among Awardees as White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Gives Out $85.6 Million

Five Town Communities That Care was one of the 16 new DFC Mentor Grant awardees across the nation, and is also among the 549 DFC Coalitions awarded continuation funding.  The DFC Mentor Grant will provide supplemental funding for Five Town Communities That Care to work with Greater Old Town Communities That Care to rebuild, retrain, and institutionalize their prevention coalition.  The end goal of this supplemental grant program is to enable Greater Old Town Communities That Care to be successful at landing its own DFC Support Program grant in two years.  The DFC Mentor Grant will provide $75,000 per year for two years, with funds first becoming available in October.

“The Drug Free Communities program embodies the Obama Administration’s dedication to evidence-based community prevention efforts that protect the health of our young people,” said Director Kerlikowske. “Data show that communities receiving DFC funding have seen significant reductions in past 30-day use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana among middle and high school students. I applaud the hard work of local community leaders, youth, parents, educators, healthcare professionals, faith-based leaders, law enforcement officials, and others who are working together daily to strengthen communities and save kids’ lives.”

“Action at the community level—in school rooms, community centers, churches and at kitchen tables—can help drive rates of substance abuse down,” said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. “SAMHSA is pleased to join the Office of National Drug Control Policy in supporting communities that are bringing people together to create healthy and drug free environments for children.”

The Drug Free Communities program is directed by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The DFC program provides grants of up to $625,000 over five years to community coalitions that facilitate citizen participation in local youth drug prevention efforts including prescription drug diversion and prevention initiatives and underage drinking programs. Coalitions are comprised of community leaders, parents, youth, teachers, religious and fraternal organizations, health care and business professionals, law enforcement, and the media.

Five Town Communities That Care will begin its third year as a DFC funded coalition in October.  The DFC Support Program grant will provide the coalition with an opportunity for non-competitive renewal for an additional two years ($125,000 per year).  At that time Five Town CTC will be eligible to reapply for another five-year cycle of funding.  There are currently ten other DFC funded coalitions in Maine; one of these was also funded as a DFC Mentor Grantee this year.

For More information about ONDCP and its programs visit: www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov. For more information about Five Town Communities That Care, visit www.fivetownctc.org, email info@fivetownctc.org, or call (207) 236-9800.

(Portions of this article were taken directly from a press release by ONDCP dated August 31, 2010 and published on the ONDCP website at http://www.ondcp.gov/news/press10/083110.html.)

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