Funding Opportunity:Grant Announcement

SDFSC Programs for Native Hawaiians awards grants to organizations primarily serving and representing Native Hawaiians to plan, conduct, and administer programs to prevent or reduce violence, the use, possession and distribution of illegal drugs, or delinquency.

Eligible applicants are those organizations primarily serving and representing  Native Hawaiians for the benefit of Native Hawaiians.

Click here for more information and to view the full grant announcement.

Application deadline is July 30, 2009.

Funding Opportunity:Grant Announcement

The Indian Health Service (IHS) announces competitive grant applications for the Methamphetamine & Suicide Prevention Initiative (MSPI) for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Urban Program communities.

The purpose of the MSPI-U is to expand community-level access to effective, Urban AI/AN methamphetamine and/or suicide prevention and treatment programs. Resources will enhance evidence-based or practice-based methamphetamine and/or suicide prevention or treatment programs and/or community mobilization programs.

Click here for more information and to view the official grant announcement.

Deadline is July 31, 2009

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

The grant application deadline is fast approaching for the Strengthening Communities Fund, which will award $50 million in grants to nonprofit organizations as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 — the Obama administration’s bailout legislation.

Program funding is intended to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations, whether secular or faith based, to address the broad economic recovery issues present in their communities, including helping low-income individuals secure and retain employment, earn higher wages, obtain better-quality jobs, and gain greater access to state and Federal benefits and tax credits.

SCF funding will include grants of up to $1 million to organizations that provide capacity-building training, technical assistance, and competitive financial assistance to nonprofits.

Click here for more information and to view the program’s website.

Deadline is July 7, 2009

Register for a LifeSkills Training Workshop

LifeSkills Provider Training Workshops prepare teachers, school counselors, prevention specialists, community youth educators, and other program providers to effectively implement the state-of-the-art prevention education activities and teaching strategies found in the Botvin LifeSkills Training program with confidence and fidelity.

Each LifeSkills Provider Training Workshop plays an important role in enhancing the confidence and skill capacity of participants, resulting in optimal implementation of the Botvin LifeSkills Training program.

Enhance your ability to effectively implement the Botvin LifeSkills Training Program by attending our next workshop:

July 21 – 23, 2009
National Health Promotion Associates, Inc.
711 Westchester Ave. 3rd Floor
White Plains, NY 10604

• Review the theory and research behind the LST Middle School, High School and/or Parent Program

• Practice teaching strategies using lessons from the curriculum

• Learn instructional and classroom management strategies for successful program implementation

• Enhance your skill capacity to teach the LST curriculum with program fidelity.

Training certificates awarded. Breakfast and lunch provided. Seats are reserved on a first come, first served basis. For information on cost, materials and accommodations, click here.

Space is limited! Register before July 13th!

NASADAD Call for Applications: 2009 Exemplary Award

The National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD) and the National Prevention Network (NPN) have issued a call for applications for the 2009 National Exemplary Award for Innovative Substance Abuse Prevention Programs, Practices, and Policies (2009 Exemplary Awards).

Recipients of the award will be recognized at NPN’s annual Research Conference on September 17 in Anaheim, California.

To qualify for an Exemplary Award, applicants must meet the following criteria. You must be:

• A prevention program, practice, or policy;
• Able to document success in a logical, quantifiable manner; and
• Nominated by a national organization that is familiar with your work

Click here for more information and to view the application packet.

Senate Passes FDA Tobacco Regulation Bill

Yesterday the Senate passed a bill that will empower the government to regulate cigarettes and other forms of tobacco.  The legislation empowers the FDA to regulate the tobacco industry. The bill will go to President Obama for signing. 

Under this new law, the FDA has the power to order removal of hazardous ingredients, restrict the marketing and distribution of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, clamp down on sales to young people, require stronger warning labels and stop use of characterizations such as ‘light’ or ‘low tar’ that give people the impression of lower health risks.

In addition the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act will regulate the following:

• Immediately, tobacco makers can no longer make claims that their products pose fewer health risks.

• Cigarettes marketed as “light,” “low” tar or “mild” will be banned within a year.

 • Within nine months, the FDA must publish marketing restrictions that will take effect six months later.

 • Within 12 months, new warning labels will be placed on smokeless tobacco products.

 • Within 15 months, tobacco companies must disclose the ingredients in their products.

• Within two years, the FDA must issue rules on graphic warnings for cigarettes that will cover half the pack. The labels will take effect 15 months later.

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

RARITAN TWP. — County middle schools are invited to apply for a grant-funded prevention program that teaches skills to reduce the use of alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs and violence.

Botvin LifeSkills Training will be available in the fall for grades 6-8. Students will learn and practice skills such as decision making, assertiveness and effective communication.

LST is an evidence-based substance abuse and violence prevention program with more than 25 years of peer-reviewed research. It was developed by Gilbert J. Botvin, professor of Public Health and Psychiatry at Cornell University’s Weill Medical College and director of Cornell’s Institute for Prevention Research.

Click here to view the announcement.

Funding Opportunity:Grant Announcement

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) seeks exploratory/developmental grant applications to develop collaborations integrating developmental neuroscience and adolescent drug abuse treatment.

The primary goal of this funding opportunity is to facilitate translational research that ultimately integrates findings from research on brain development, cognition and neuroscience into the development of innovative and effective, developmentally sensitive drug abuse treatments for adolescents.

$1.5 million is available to support multiple awards up to $200,000.

Click here to view the full grant announcement.

Application deadline is September 1, 2009.

Register for a LifeSkills Training Workshop

LifeSkills Provider Training Workshops prepare teachers, school counselors, prevention specialists, community youth educators, and other program providers to effectively implement the state-of-the-art prevention education activities and teaching strategies found in the Botvin LifeSkills Training program with confidence and fidelity.

Each LifeSkills Provider Training Workshop plays an important role in enhancing the confidence and skill capacity of participants, resulting in optimal implementation of the Botvin LifeSkills Training program.

Enhance your ability to effectively implement the Botvin LifeSkills Training Middle School Program by attending our next workshop:

June 2, 2009
Hampton Inn Philadelphia Airport
8600 Bartram Avenue
Philadelphia PA 19153

• Review the theory and research behind the LST Middle School Program

• Practice teaching strategies using lessons from the curriculum

• Learn instructional and classroom management strategies for successful program implementation

• Enhance your skill capacity to teach the LST curriculum with program fidelity.

Training certificates awarded. Breakfast and lunch provided. Seats are reserved on a first come, first served basis. For information on cost, materials and accommodations, click here.

Space is limited! Register before May 28!

Office Of Safe and Drug Free Schools 2009 National Conference

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) hosts “The Power of Change,” a conference to address issues related to civic and character education, crisis planning, mental and physical health, substance abuse, violence prevention, and more. There is no registration fee for the Aug. 3-5 conference in Maryland, so register early as space is limited.

Top 5 Tips for Parents from the Botvin LifeSkills Training Program

1. Make a point of talking with your children every day. Find time for both family and one-on-one talks. Plan your day so conversations can happen regularly, such as while eating family meals together.  When your child wants to discuss something, make sure you listen carefully.  If you can, stop whatever else you are doing so your child knows you are really listening.

2. Keep in mind that your habits influence your child. Research tell us that as they grow up, children tend to develop the same smoking, drinking, or drug use habits as their parents.

3. Have rules that spell out your expectations for your child. As much as possible, use “Do’s” rather than “Don’ts.”

4. Tell kids about the bad things that can happen now. Always let kids know that there are immediate and short-term risks to using substances.  Adolescents are more likely to be concerned with things that can affect their lives now, rather than the distnat future (for example, say that smoking can affect one’s performance on a sports team, rather than that smoking may eventually cause cancer).

5. Be a good listener. Ask questions to encourage your child to talk. Ask their opinion about things. Show that you are willing to listen. You do not have to agree with everything your kids say, but listen irst and give your opinion second. This way your kids will know they can talk with you about anything, including drugs and other problems.

Find us on Facebook!

Come find us on Facebook to become a fan and stay connected with Botvin LifeSkills Training!

We’ll be updating the page regularly with new posts, funding opportunities, prevention news and details of all the upcoming events we’ll be attending.

This continues our commitment to bring evidence-based prevention programs to schools, families, and communities just like yours! We strive to keep you informed of all the latest information and provide you with yet another way to give us feedback and stay connected.

Click the “Find Us on Facebook” button on the right and check out our page! Become a fan, and let us know what other content you’d like us to provide.

SAMHSA Announces the Winners of the 2008 Science and Service Awards

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently announced the winners of its prestigious 2008 Science and Service Awards, which recognizes exemplary implementation of evidence-based programs by community organizations and coalitions nationwide.

Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) is an integral component of several recipients in the Substance Abuse Prevention category. NY’s Broom County Mental Health Department and Ohio’s Wood County Educational Service Center have been implementing LST to prevent substance abuse and promote healthy choices among their youth. Administrators say these award winners are “blazing the trail” to show how it can be done.

Comprehensive tests and evaluations show increased knowledge about decision-making amongst youth, a reduction in risk factors and an increase in protective factors.

Cost-benefit Assesment of Delinquency Prevention in Pennsylvania

    Over the last 10 years, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) funded evidence-based prevention programs which were implemented in over 120 communities. 

The Prevention Center at Penn State examined the return on investment of seven of these research-based programs supported by the PCCD. They determinded that not only did these prevention programs pay for themselves, but actually represented a potential $317 million return to the Commonwealth in terms of reduced corrections costs, welfare and social services burden, drug and mental health treatments, and increased employment and tax revenue.

Botvin LifeSkills Training showed the highest per dollar return yielding more the $25 for every dollar invested. An estimated 20,000 Pennsylvania middle school students currently receive the Botvin LifeSkills Training program at approximately 100 sites statewide.

Federal funding for prevention has declined dramatically over the past few years and schools are finding it more and more difficult to fund prevention programs. All the more reason for communities and schools to use their prevention funds wisely. During these difficult economic times, it is important to choose programs that have the potential to pay for themselves through crucial cost savings.

Youth Smoking Rates Drop in Virginia with LifeSkills Training

Youth smoking rates in Virginia have plummeted to the lowest point in a decade according to the latest survey conducted by the Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation. VTSF funds model prevention programs such as Botvin LifeSkills Training to increase youth’s knowledge of the consequences of tobacco and substance use. The implementation of the program is part of a statewide effort to reduce and prevent tobacco use among children and teenagers.

The Botvin LifeSkills Training Program addresses the following Myths and Realities of Smoking:

Myth: Cigarette smoking is not as dangerous as some people say.

Reality: Most health experts agree that cigarette smoking is one of the most serious causes of death and disability in this country.

Myth: It’s easy to quit smoking.

Reality: Most people are unsuccessful at quitting smoking, even though 1/2 of all smokers have tried to quit at least once.

Myth: Smoking is not something I will have to worry about until I’m old.

Reality: Smoking is something that hurts you now. It hurts you physically by decreasing your ability to perform strenuous activities, elevating carbon monoxide levels and decreasing endurance, staining teeth and fingers, affecting your sense of taste, causing you to smell like smoke and costing over $1,000 a year.

Myth: Most people smoke cigarettes.

Reality: Relatively few people smoke cigarettes and even fewer are likely to smoke in the future.

Myth: Smoking is cool and sophisticated.

Reality: Smoking has become socially unacceptable in most places.

Effective Communication Skills from Botvin LifeSkills Training

 

-as taken from the Botvin LifeSkills Training High School program

Effective communication is the respectful exchange of thoughts, feelings, and beliefs between a speaker and a listener in such a way that the listener interprets the message the same way the speaker intended it.

 

 Non-Verbal

Speaker and Listener 

• Maintain Eye Contact.
• Facial Expressions, such as smiling and nodding should show interest. 
• Your body language and gestures should be confident but inviting.   
• Find a physical distance that has you near enough to talk to each other easily but not so close that you feel crowded.

Verbal

Speaker   

• Your words should match your body language.  
• Ask both specific and open-ended questions.    
• Don’t monopolize the conversation.      
• Keep your tone of voice clear and respectful.                               

Listener      

• Use Active and passive listening.                                                                                                                                  
• Let the other person finish sentences; don’t interrupt.
• Summarize what you have heard and check for understanding.
• Keep your tone of voice clear and respectful.                                                                                                

ONDCP Letter Warns Parents About Teen Abuse of OTC Medicine

Many parents have no idea that teens today need only look to their local supermarket, pharmacy, or home medicine cabinet to get high using over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold remedies.  To help warn parents of this risk, ONDCP’s National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign has developed a new customizable Open Letter that you can use in your community to educate parents and encourage them to both monitor their teens and look for signs of abuse.

Although overall teen drug use has declined over the last several years, parents are often unaware of this latest threat.  Many of these medications contain Dextromethorphan (DXM), a cough suppressant, which when taken in excessive amounts can cause delusions, loss of consciousness, and even death.  Even more startling is that some teens consume these drugs along with alcohol, making the effects even more dangerous.

But parents can help stop the abuse by safeguarding OTC drugs (and showing extra vigilance during cold and flu season), properly concealing and disposing of old or unused medications, and setting clear rules for teens about all drug and alcohol use. 

NOTE:  The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy selected Botvin LifeSkills Training  for excellence as a Model Evidence-Based Substance Abuse Prevention Program.

Funding Opportunities: New Grant Announcements

Below is a listing of NEW funding opportunities that may be applicable for the Botvin LifeSkills Training program.

CDC Youth Violence Prevention Grants

The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will award a pair of $500,000 grants to assess the efficacy of community policy, economic and environmental changes aimed at reducing youth violence. For more information see the Youth Violence Prevention though Economic, Environmental Policy and Change grant announcement on the CDC website.

Non-profit and public agencies are eligible to apply. Letters of intent due 1/26/09; applications due 2/23/09.

Ed Dept. Grants Help to Curb Substance Abuse, Violence on Campus

The Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools has announced applications for its Grant Competition to Prevent High-Risk Drinking or Violent Behavior Among College Students.

Awards are are given for those who develop or enhance, implement, and evaluate campus-and/or community based strategies to prevent high risk behavior among students.

Click here to view full grant announcement and requirements.

Deadline for transmittal of applications is 1/30/09.

Botvin LifeSkills Training Now On TeacherTube.com!

In an effort to provide you with the most up-to-date information regarding all things LifeSkills, LST can now be seen on TeacherTube.com!

TeacherTube is an educationally focused online community for sharing instructional videos.  As well, it is a site where teachers can post videos designed for students to view in order to learn a concept or skill.

Click on the TeacherTube logo to view LST’s videos and check back regularly as updates are always being made!

Take the next step in becoming part of the TeacherTube education community and sign up to become a member. As a member, you can become a friend of Botvin LifeSkills, rate educational videos, leave comments, and upload videos to the site.

Funding Opportunities: New Grant Announcements

Below is a updated list of  NEW funding opportunities that may be applicable for the Botvin LifeSkills Training program.

The Partnerships in Character Education Program

The Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools has announced proposals for their Partnerships in Character Education Project Program.

Program Description: An eligible entity may apply for a grant to design and implement a character education program that will be:

(1) integrated into classroom instruction and is consistent with state academic content standards and
(2) carried out in conjunction with other education reform efforts.

Click here for more information and to view the official announcement.

Captain Planet Foundation Healthy Environment Grants

The Captain Planet Foundation’s Healthy Environment Grants focus on hands-on involvement to build a healthy environment and promote an understanding of environmental issues.

The Kids Fund directs its grant-making to four general areas:

(1) encouraging and strengthening positive development of children and families through constructive learning and recreational activities;

(2) assisting children and families dealing with challenges such as alcohol or drug abuse and mental illness;

(3) helping families meet the needs of children with disabilities; and

(4) supporting families, children, and youth by bringing services and activities to local neighborhoods and communities

Click here for more information and to view the full announcement.

Sprint Foundation Character Education Grant Program

The Sprint Foundation will award grants to school districts and individual schools to fund the purchase of resource materials, supplies, equipment and software that facilitates and encourages character education among K-12 students.  With a national reach, the program is open to all US public schools (K-12) and US public school districts.

The Sprint Character Education Grant program will accept applications for Character Education programs that promote youth leadership, youth volunteerism, school pride and a positive school culture.

Click here for more information and to view the official announcement.

LST Helps Kids Make the Right Decisions

As reported by:

Thanks to the Botvin LifeSkills Training program, which is currently taking place at all five Comal ISD middle schools in Texas, students are developing the necessary skills to resist the peer pressure to smoke, drink and use drugs. 

The program, purchased through a $6 million Keystone grant awarded to the Comal Independent School District, has students in grades six through eight meet with their LifeSkills Training teacher once a week. Sixth-grade students meet for 18 weeks, seventh graders 12 weeks and eighth graders for seven weeks during the school year.

“I have had more than one student come up and tell me how they used the decision-making skills they learned in the LifeSkills Trainingto make a good choice,” said Church Hill Middle School LST Trainer Rosie Rodriguez. “That lets me know we’re getting through to them and as a teacher, that always makes me feel good.”

CASA Report Identifies Characteristics of “Problem Parents”

According to a report by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA), although virtually all parents are concerned about the challenges of raising kids in today’s world, many fail to take essential actions to prevent their kids from smoking, drinking or using drugs. The report Identifies 4 characteristics of ”Problem Parents:”

 

Failure to Monitor School Night Socializing

•Nearly one-half (46%) of teens say that they typically go out with friends on school nights, while only 14% of parents say that their teens do so.

•Once out, 53% of teens come home between 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. and 15% come home later.

•The later teens stay out, the more likely they are to use alcohol or other drugs-even among older teens. Nearly one-third (29%) of those who come home between 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. and 50% of those who come home after 10:00 p.m. say there’s alcohol or drug use among the kids they are with.

 

Failure to Safeguard Prescription Drugs

•One-third of teens who know someone who abuses prescription drugs say that person gets the drugs from parents, home, or medicine cabinets.

 

Failure to Address Drugs in School

•One-third of parents think that the presence of drugs in school does not make it more likely that their child will use drugs. Yet previous CASA surveys have found that teens attending schools where drugs are used, kept, or sold are 5 times more likely to use marijuana, 15 times more likely to use prescription drugs, and 16 times more likely to use an illegal drug (other than marijuana or prescription drugs).

 

Failure to Set a Good Example

•One-fourth of all teens know a parent of a classmate or friend who uses marijuana-and 10% say that this parent smokes with people the teens’ age.

 

The Botvin LifeSkills Training Parent Program  can help!  The program is designed to help parents strengthen communication with their children and prevent them from using drugs. This powerful prevention tool contains materials and exercises that help parents keep their kids away from threats of tobacco, drugs, and violence. These tools help parents prepare their children for a successful transition from adolescence to early adulthood.

Funding Opportunities: New Grant Announcements

Below is a updated list of  NEW funding opportunities that may be applicable for the Botvin LifeSkills Training program.

Gang Prevention Coordination Assistance Program

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is currently taking applications for the 2009 Gang Prevention Coordination Assistance Program.

The program provides funding for localities to enhance coordination of Federal, state, and local resources in support of community partnerships implementing the following antigang strategies: primary prevention, secondary prevention, gang intervention, and targeted gang enforcement.

Click here for more information and to view the official announcement.

Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools Initative

The Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools is accepting applications for it’s Safe Schools-Healthy Students Initiative.

The program supports the implementation and enhancement of integrated, comprehensive community-wide plans that create safe and drug-free schools and promote healthy childhood development.

Click here for more information and to read the official announcement.

New Provider Training Schedule for 2009

LifeSkills Provider Training Workshops prepare teachers, school counselors, prevention specialists, community youth educators, and other program providers to effectively implement the state-of-the-art prevention education activities and teaching strategies found in the Botvin LifeSkills Training program with confidence and fidelity.

Each LifeSkills Provider Training Workshop plays an important role in enhancing the confidence and skill capacity of participants, resulting in optimal implementation of the LifeSkills Training program.

LifeSkills Provider Training workshops are designed to:

1. Review the background theory, research and rationale behind the LifeSkills Training program
2. Familiarize participants with the LifeSkills curriculum
3. Teach participants the skills needed to successfully conduct the LifeSkills Training program
4. Discuss practical implementation issues
5. Provide an opportunity to practice teaching selected portions of the LifeSkills curriculum.

LifeSkills Provider Training workshops can be delivered on-site or through open training workshops sponsored by NHPA.  Click here to learn more about training opportunities in your area.

NASADAD Urges Congress to Include Block Grant in Stimulus Package

As reported by:

The economic stimulus package being considered by Congress should include an increase of at least $100 million for the federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant as well as more funding for addiction services under the Medicaid program, according to a letter sent to Congressional leaders by the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD).

The letter, sent on Dec. 18 to the House and Senate leadership as well as members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, noted that states are facing major fiscal challenges and said that investing in the block grant and Medicaid treatment would foster economic growth.

NASADAD reported that nearly 70 percent of state substance-abuse agencies are facing either a hiring freeze or laying off staff, about half have cut services, and 42 percent expect budget cuts in the future.

“An investment in the SAPT Block Grant ensures that resources will reach all states and territories in an effective and efficient manner,” said Rob Morrison, interim executive director of NASADAD. “[I]ndividuals receiving services from SAPT Block Grant funded programs demonstrated high abstinence rates at discharge from both illegal drug (68.3 percent) and alcohol (73.7 percent) use. The SAPT Block Grant also ensures accountability given that providers, counties and States work together to report how services affect people’s lives — including the impact services have on alcohol and other drug use; employment; criminal justice activity; housing; and more. Thus, strong investments in federal-State programs, like the SAPT Block Grant, are a valuable way to foster economic growth and help those most in need of services.”

Botvin LifeSkills Training offers several grant application tools to help you in applying for local, state, and federal funding.  Check out the website for more funding opportunities as they become available.

LifeSkills Tips for Middle Schoolers

Tips from the Botvin LifeSkills Training Middle School Level 1 Program

• Sometimes people develop low self-esteem because they think they cannot do anything. However, many people take what they can do for granted. Taking time to reflect and think about what you can do can help you feel better about yourself.
• It’s important to learn what kinds of situations cause us stress, because being aware of those situations is the first step in learning to cope with them.
• Even though we may not be able to prevent all stress from affecting us, relaxation techniques can help us to calm down if we do get “stressed out.”
• Assertiveness means being able to stand up for yourself calmly and firmly. Part of the trouble that children have when they are growing up is that they do not feel comfortable telling their friends they do not want to do something.

The Botvin LifeSkills Training Middle School Program is a groundbreaking substance abuse prevention program based on more than 25 years of rigorous scientific research and is one of the most effective evidence-based programs used in schools today. In addition to helping kids resist drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, the LifeSkills Training Middle School program also effectively helps to reduce violence and other high-risk behaviors.

Today is Thank Your Mentor Day

As a highlight of National Mentoring Month 2009, Thank Your Mentor Day (1/22) is when many Americans reach out to thank or honor those individuals who encouraged and guided them, and had a lasting impact on their lives. Thank Your Mentor Day promotes “Four Ways to Honor Your Mentor”:

1) contact your mentor directly to express your appreciation

2) pass on what you received by becoming a mentor to a young person in your community

3) make a financial contribution to a local mentoring program

4) write a tribute to your mentor for posting on www.WhoMentoredYou.org.

By focusing national attention on the need for mentors, individuals, businesses, government agencies, schools, faith communities and nonprofits  can work together to increase the number of mentors and assure brighter futures for today’s youth.

Research has shown that programs that rely on volunteer mentors can play a powerful role in reducing drug abuse and youth violence while greatly enhancing a young person’s prospects for leading a healthy and productive life.

Connecticut Cracks Down on Teen Smoking

Under a new law that went into effect this month, it is now unlawful for anyone in CT under the age of 18 to use, smoke or possess smoking products in a public place, including chewing tobacco. The violation carries a fine of $50 for the first offense and a $100 fine for further offenses. Minors who purchase or misrepresent their age to purchase tobacco can be fined $50 for the first offense and $100 for further offenses.

According to the Connecticut Department of Public Health and the American Lung Association (ALA), almost 90 percent of adult smokers start before age 18. It’s crucial to reach potential smokers in grade school and middle and high school with stricter laws and prevention programs.

Substance Abuse Prevention and the New Administration

The Obama Administration has made an effort to ensure that the public has the ability to provide input as it develops its policies.  Community coalitions can post comments on the Citizen´s Briefing Book to help ensure that substance abuse prevention issues are at the top of the Administration’s list.

The Citizen’s Briefing Book allows users to share their ideas on the issues facing the new administration. Over 125,000 users submitted over 44,000 ideas and cast over 1.4 million votes. The best rated ideas are being gathered into a book and delivered to President Obama.  

CADCA formally submitted white papers to the Presidential Transition Team regarding the Drug Free Communities program, the State Grants portion of the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities program, and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Information contained in these papers can be used to help coalitions develop their comments for the Citizen’s Briefing Book.

Help ensure the new Administration understands the need to enhance substance abuse prevention funding and programs. Check out the website and leave your comments.

Funding Opportunity: New Grant Announcement

Below is a funding opportunity that may be applicable for the Botvin LifeSkills Training program. 

Friday is the last day to apply for substance-abuse-prevention grants through the 24-Hour Relay Grant Committee.

Funds will come from September’s 24-Hour Relay Challenge and the 2008 Independence Hop & Heritage Festival.

They are administered through the Community Fund of the Monmouth-Independence Community Foundation of Oregon.

The 24-Hour Relay Challenge’s mission is to encourage a drug- and alcohol-free lifestyle for youths in the Monmouth-Independence community in Oregon. Grant preferences will be given to groups and activities that share the principles of the 24-Hour Relay Challenge mission.

Qualifications include programs, projects or activities that address the problem of drug and alcohol use among youths and/or promote positive choices. Some programs benefit select groups, but others will benefit the community as a whole. Both types of projects are welcome, but preference is given to those that benefit more people.

Application deadline: Friday, 1/30/09

For information, contact:

 Bob Archer or Marilyn Morton

24-Hour Relay Committee

194 S Main St., P.O. Box 535

Independence, OR 97351

 e-mail farreacher@minetfiber.com or mortons@minetfiber.com

Funding Opportunity: New Grant Announcement

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will award $10 million to enable national organizations to provide mentoring services to special high-risk youth populations.

The goal of the program is to reduce juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, truancy, and other problem and high-risk behaviors.

Funding priority will go to groups that have mentoring programs ready for implementation. Only national programs may apply.

Deadline is February 25, 2009

Click here to for more information and to view the full grant announcement.

Middle School Hosts LST Awards Ceremony

On Thursday, Demopolis Middle School located in Marengo County, Alabama hosted its first awards ceremony for their students who participated in the Botvin LifeSkills Training program.

 

Almost 200 students took part in the LST Middle School program which promotes healthy alternatives to risky behavior through activities designed to teach students how to resist peer pressures, develop greater self-esteem and cope with anxiety. Throughout the program, students learned a series of skills such as decision making, assertiveness and effective communication to help them make healthy choices and avoid risks.

 

While the program is now in its second year in Demopolis, this is the first year that all sixth-graders took part in the program, which will soon be brought to John Essex School and the Linden City Schools system.

 

The Botvin LifeSkills Training program is a part of the Tombigbee Healthcare Authority’s GROWestAL program that is available through the $25,000 grant provided by the Alabama Department of Public Health in October.

Funding Prevention Makes Economic Sense, Researchers Say

 

As reported by

 

 

Every dollar invested in substance-abuse prevention yields $10 in savings, according to researchers from Iowa State University who recently presented their findings to the United Nations.

Researchers Richard Spoth, director of the Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute at Iowa State, and colleague Max Guyll told attendees at the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime/World Health Organization meeting in December that studies of PPSI’s Iowa Strengthening Families Program (ISFP) and Life Skills Training Program (LST) demonstrated significant cost benefits.

The research estimated how many cases of drug use each intervention prevented, then compared the cost of each successful intervention to the cost savings to the community. Spoth and Guyll said that ISFP yielded a $9.60 return for each $1 invested in preventing alcohol disorders, while LST has a $9.98 return on investment in terms of preventing methamphetamine use.

The International Narcotics Control Board has asked Spoth to help develop a report on the state of the art of prevention. The reports on ISFP and LST are available online.

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

Effective July 1, 2009, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control will award grants up to $100,000 to local law enforcement agencies. These grants will enable the selected agencies to expand their present efforts in addressing alcohol-related problems through a comprehensive ABC program that will encompass a wide range of strategies.

If your agency is selected, your sworn officers assigned to the project will work closely with ABC investigators and receive training in ABC law, alcohol enforcement strategies, and community resources.

Click here for more information and to read the official grant announcement.

New Bill Aims to Prevent Underage Drinking

Recently, Congresswomen Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) and Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) introduced the Support 21 Act of 2009, a bill that would strengthen local and national efforts to prevent underage drinking. Rep. Roybal-Allard announced the bill during CADCA´s 19th annual National Leadership Forum, the nation´s largest conference for community alcohol and drug prevention advocates and substance abuse professionals.

The Support 21 Act of 2009 (HR 1028) authorizes a new highly visible media campaign to educate the public about underage drinking laws and build support for their enforcement. It asks the National Academy of Sciences to provide a report to Congress about the influence of drinking alcohol on the development of the adolescent brain. The bill also authorizes supplemental grant funds to current and former Drug Free Community grantees to work with pediatric health care providers and parents to reduce underage drinking. Additional grants would also be provided to assist pediatric medical organizations in educating providers on best practices for screening their adolescent patients, doing brief interventions, and making appropriate referrals. Finally, the bill will establish a new focus in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on underage drinking surveillance and prevention.

Find Information About Applying for Grants

The U.S. Department of Education’s Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives is a great place to find information and resources to help faith-based and community organizations navigate the application process for federal grants. While there are no special grant programs dedicated solely to faith-based or community organizations, the center describes the grant programs open to them and updates information on grant announcements, workshops, and partnership ideas.  Check the center’s materials and their guide to funding. 

These funding opportunities may be applicable to the Botvin LifeSkills Training program, an evidence-based substance abuse and violence prevention program with over 25 years of peer-reviewed research behind it. 

While preparing grant applications can sometimes be a bit challenging,  LifeSkills Training offers several grant application tools to help you in applying for local, state, and federal funding.

ONDCP Will Award $17 Million in Drug Prevention Grants

The White House Office of National Drug Control (ONDCP), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently announced the availability of new, Drug Free Communities (DFC) Support Program funds. ONDCP expects to award approximately $17 million – 130 new grants – to community drug prevention coalitions throughout the United States. The grant awards are subject to the availability of funds. The deadline to submit DFC grantee applications is Friday, March 20, 2009.

The DFC support program is a collaborative Federal program sponsored by ONDCP, and administered in partnership with SAMHSA. The program aims to establish and strengthen communities to prevent, reduce, and eliminate youth substance use and abuse. The DFC program was created in 1997 under the Drug Free Communities Act, and was reauthorized in 2001, and again in 2006. The latest reauthorization extends the DFC program for an additional five years, until 2012.

Applications for the Drug Free Communities (DFC) Support Program (No. SP-09-002) are available by calling SAMHSA’s Health Information Network at 1-877-SAMHSA7 or by downloading http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/2009/fy2009.aspx or www.grants.gov.

For Botvin LifeSkills Training Grant Writing Tools and Templates, visit us our website at www.lifeskillstraining.com.

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

CA Dept of Education Funding

 

Funding Name: Tobacco-Use Prevention: Grades Six through Twelve

 

Eligible Applicants: local educational agencies

 

Tobacco-Use Prevention Education (TUPE) funds support health education efforts aimed at the prevention and reduction of tobacco use. TUPE in grades six through twelve is funded through a competitive application process. Funds are awarded to local educational agencies that propose to replicate scientifically research-proven, effective programs.

Local educational agencies must be certified tobacco-free by July 1, 2008. Funding is available to districts, charter schools, consortium leads, and county offices of education that serve students in grades six through twelve.

Botvin LifeSkills Training is a California Healthy Kids Resource Center Research-Validated Program for grades 3-10.

Click here for more information.

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) – Youth Program Grant

The ESA Foundation supports positive programs and opportunities that make a difference in the quality of life, health and welfare of America’s youth. The Foundation strives to use the collective power of the interactive entertainment industry as a means of creating positive social impact in communities. The Foundation is currently accepting applications from organizations that provide youth programs in one or more of the following areas:

• skills and personal development
• general health and welfare
• risk behavior prevention
• education and/or multimedia arts/technology related or applied

Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations that have
or will have projects/programs in two or more states in the US and serves youth between the ages of 7 and 18.

Contact The ESA Foundation for more grant- and program-specific details: http://www.theesa.com/foundation/application.asp

Deadline is April 15, 2009

New Director of ONDCP Announced Today

The White House formally announced today that Seattle police chief Gil Kerlikowske has been nominated as the new director of the ONDCP.  While the position, more commonly known as the “drug czar” is no longer a part of the Cabinet, it still requires Senate confirmation.

The White House Release:

Gil Kerlikowske has been the Chief of Police for Seattle for 9 years where he has been credited publicly with bringing down crime rates to record lows.  He is the current president of the Major City Chiefs Association, which is composed of the 56 of the largest enforcement agencies in the United States.  He also served as Police Commissioner for the City of Buffalo, where he served until 1998, when he left to become the Deputy Director of the COPS program for the Department of Justice.

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

 The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced the availability of up to $1.2 million for new Drug-Free Communities Support Mentoring Program (DFC Mentoring) grants.

An estimated 16 new Mentoring grants will be awarded (approximating $75,000 per grant for up to two years) to drug and alcohol prevention community coalitions representing a cross-section of rural, urban, suburban, and tribal communities. The actual award amount may vary, depending upon the availability of funds and the progress achieved by the awardees.

The purpose of the DFC Mentoring Program is to provide grant funds to effective current DFC grantees (mentors) to facilitate the development and/or expansion of new community drug prevention coalitions (mentees) which seek to prevent substance abuse amoung youth. By building the capacity of drug free community groups to assess the unique challenges facing their communities and assisting in the organization of a coalition-based response to those challenges, the mentoring system better prepares mentee groups to implement effective prevention strategies.

To be eligible for a DFC Mentoring grant, interested drug prevention community coalitions must have been in existence for five years; be a current DFC grantee or grantee applicant; have achieved measurable results in youth drug and alcohol prevention; have dedicated staff, volunteers, or members to assist the mentee coalitions; and must demonstrate consensus and community support from local key sectors and stakeholders, including youth, parents, businesses, media, law enforcement, government, and religious and civic organizations, among others.

To review the grant application or its requirements, or to learn more about the Drug Free Communities Support Program, click here. Mentoring grants are awarded through a competitive peer review process.

Application deadline is April 24, 2009

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in the U.S. Justice Department will award funds from the 2009 Recovery Act to support local youth mentoring programs.

The OJJDP FY 09 Recovery Act Local Youth Mentoring Initiative is currently accepting applications from nonprofits, government entities, schools and others for the program. Grants will support “local organizations that develop, implement, or expand local mentoring programs leading to measurable, positive outcomes for at-risk youth.”

Application deadline and funding amount have not yet been determined.

For more information, contact Kerri Strug, Program Manager, at (202) 305-0702 or Kerri.Strug@usdoj.gov or Gwendolyn Williams, Program Manager, at (202) 616-1611 or Gwendolyn.Williams@usdoj.gov.

Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin Presents at Conference Addressing Substance Abuse among Military Personnel

Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin, developer of the highly acclaimed Botvin LifeSkills Training substance abuse and violence prevention program, was an invited speaker at a scientific meeting sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in collaboration with the U.S. Army and other national organizations. The two-day meeting, titled “Addressing Substance Abuse and Co-morbidities Among Military Personnel, Veterans and Their Families:  A Research Agenda,” was held in Bethesda, MD, on January 6 – 7, 2009.  Dr. Botvin described the LifeSkills Training program, summarized the 25 years of research supporting its effectiveness, and discussed the potential application of the LST approach for military personnel and their family.

 

The meeting focused on understanding the intervention needs of military personnel, veterans, and their families regarding substance abuse, as well as the potential of current prevention and treatment approaches for the military. Recent reports indicate that military personnel returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq experience serious challenges including traumatic brain injury (TBI), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and alcohol abuse. “The stress that these service members and their families are under can unfortunately lead to substance abuse problems,” Dr. Botvin noted. “This conference was an extremely important first step in applying the advances in prevention and treatment to this population,” he continued. The LST approach offers considerable potential. In addition to the school-based LST program, similar approaches have been developed for families and young adults in the workplace. Application of the LST model to the military would be an important new adaptation of this successful prevention model.

 

Participants reviewed existing prevention interventions to understand how to successfully conduct research in military and veteran settings. In a recent study of soldiers who had returned from Iraq, those screened several months after their return reported more mental health concerns and were referred at significantly higher rates for treatment than those at the initial post-deployment screening. Alcohol problems were frequently reported, but very few personnel were referred to alcohol treatment. Military operations have been described as particularly difficult for those in the reserve and National Guard. Deployed reserve and National Guard personnel with reported combat exposures are at increased risk of new-onset heavy weekly drinking, binge drinking, and alcohol-related problems. The National Institute on Drug Abuse plans on developing a new grant initiative to address the problem of substance abuse and related co-morbidities in the military.

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

The Build-A-Bear Workshop Bear Hugs Foundation is a direct funding supporter for children in the areas of health and wellness such as childhood disease research foundations, child safety organizations, and organizations that serve children with special needs.

The type of grants funded are:

• Individual Project grants – These grants are generally for one-time purchases or to fulfill a short-term need, such as the purchase of materials or equipment.
• Organization Program grants – These grants fund start-up or operational costs for ongoing programs. Examples include funds for research, health and wellness educational programs, or financial assistance for children and families in-need.

Grants will be a one-time contribution and generally range from $1,000 USD to $10,000 USD, but the average grant is $1,500. Grant requests should be in line with an organization’s overall budget.

Grants are reviewed several times during the year. The application deadlines for 2009 are at the end of April, July, and October, and January 31, 2010.

Click here for more information.

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

The Nationwide Foundation is dedicated to making strategic philanthropic investments to meet the critical needs of communities.

The Foundation seeks applications from organizations that address emergency and basic needs (food banks, disaster relief, and emergency), stabilization needs (rehabilitation programs and organizations that provide safety programs), individual development needs (youth mentoring) and community enrichment needs (higher education, civic improvement, arts and culture).

Ineligible applicants include organizations that are not 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, fundraising events, individuals, athletic teams, research, public/private primary/secondary schools, or lobbying activities. The Nationwide Foundation generally supports organizations located in areas with Nationwide associate populations.

Please contact The Nationwide Foundation directly for program and grant specific information: http://www.nationwide.com/about-us/apply-now.jsp

Deadline is: 9/1/2009

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

The Tiger Woods Foundation strives to help young women and men reach their full potential by supporting community and family development efforts.

The Foundation is seeking grant applicants that focus on providing opportunities to underserved youth, ages 5-17, with the average grant range between $2,500 and $25,000. The Foundation is particularly interested in programs that enhance the learning process for youth, enhance youth development, and that focus on youth in urban American cities.

Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations that have been in place for at least one year and non-salary programmatic support for year round programs are eligible to receive this grant.

Please contact the Tiger Woods Foundation for more program and grant information:http://www.tigerwoodsfoundation.org/grant_requirements.php

Application deadline is: 5/1/2009

$1 Spent on Prevention Saves $10, Study Says

As reported by:

 

 

Investing in addiction prevention programs yields a 10-1 return for society, according to researchers from Iowa State University (ISU) who studied the Iowa Strengthening Families Program and the LifeSkills Training Program.

Researchers Richard Spoth, Ph.D., and Max Guyll, Ph.D. detailed findings from the “Prevention’s Cost Effectiveness: Illustrative Economic Benefits of General Population Interventions” and “Prevention of Substance-related Problems: Effectiveness of Family-focused Prevention” studies for a conference sponsored by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the World Health Organization.

“Effective and efficient prevention promises to save possibly billions of dollars per year, provided we can learn how to effectively implement it on a larger scale,” said Spoth, director of ISU’s Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute (PPSI).

Discussing Drugs with Your Children

According to a recent study from the 2008 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS), the majority of teens reported that their parents had discussed the risks of alcohol or marijuana with them. However, significantly less teens reported speaking with their parents about inhalants or prescription drug abuse.

 

Need help opening up the lines of communications with your children? The

Botvin LifeSkills Training Parent Program is designed to help parents strengthen communication with their children and prevent them from using drugs. This powerful prevention tool is ideal for parenting workshops or individual use at home. The comprehensive guide and DVD included in this program contain materials and exercises that help parents keep their kids away from threats of tobacco, drugs, and violence. These tools help parents prepare their children for a successful transition from adolescence to early adulthood.

Click here for a sample lesson.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

Alcohol Awareness Month (AAM) began in 1987 and encourages the public to focus on alcohol-related issues. Evidence-based programs can help schools, families and communities prevent and reduce underage drinking.

The results of over 20 studies published in major scientific journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association consistently show that the Botvin LifeSkills Training program dramatically reduces alcohol use among other substances. These studies further show that the program works with a diverse range of adolescents, produces results that are long-lasting, and is effective when taught by teachers, peer leaders, or health professionals.

Click here to view a list of all studies for the LST program.
 

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

The National Institute on Drug Abuse seeks partnerships to implement and evaluate proposed systems-level changes to facilitate the dissemination, adoption, implementation, and sustainability of proven, innovative drug abuse prevention, treatment, and business policies and practices.

The goal of this initiative is to enhance the quality of drug abuse prevention and treatment services through the implementation of evidence-based practices in ways that are likely to have replicable, sustainable, systemic impacts.

Click here to read the full grant announcement and view the multiple deadline dates

How to let the Media Know about Your School’s Prevention Efforts

 

 

 

Are you implementing the substance abuse and violence prevention program Botvin LifeSkills Training in your schools? Then spread the word about you organization’s efforts to keep kids drug-free! Local media are always looking for success stories in the community.

 

Not sure how to get the word out?

Let your local news organizations, PTAs or government officials know about your dedication to substance abuse and violence prevention by sending them a press release.

It’s easy!  Simply click here for a customizable press release that you can send via email or fax. Just upload your school’s logo, fill out your information and send.

 

 

  

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

The city of Kannapolis, NC  is seeking applications from nonprofits with programs that would qualify for its 2009-2010 Community Development Block Grant fund allocation.

Funds are designated for activities that benefit low- and moderate-income residents in the city. These typically include programs that provide housing, child care, employment services, health services, drug-abuse prevention, mental-health services and education programs.

“We use these funds to help support nonprofits that provide services that fit within the city’s and HUD’s mission,” said Irene Sacks, director of business and community affairs. “These groups provide important services, from delivering hot meals to homebound residents to providing housing assistance to helping battle literacy issues in our community.”

Applications will be reviewed by the Community Development Commission and by city staff. The maximum grant amount is $5,000.

For more information or to request an application, contact Sherry Jones, the city’s community development program administrator, at sjones@ci. kannapolis.nc.us or 704-920-4332. Applications are also available to download from www.cityofkannapolis.com.

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention is accepting applications to fund Partnerships for Success: State and Community Prevention Performance Grant (short title: Partnerships for Success).

This grant program is designed to provide eligible States and U.S. Territories with grant funds to achieve a quantifiable decline in State-wide substance abuse rates, incorporating a strong incentive to grantees that have met or exceeded their prevention performance targets by the end of Year 3.

Grant awards will be made to applicants with the established infrastructure and demonstrated capacity to reduce substance abuse problems and achieve specific program outcomes, as outlined in the RFA.

SAMHSA/CSAP intends to offer a performance incentive of $500,000.

Click here for more information and to view the official announcement

39th Anniversary of Ban on Cigarette Advertising

On this day in 1970, President Richard Nixon signed the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act which banned cigarette ads on TV and radio. It was one of the major bills passed by the U.S. Congress in response to the Surgeon General’s report that found cigarette smoking caused lung cancer and bronchitis.

The tobacco industry uses a variety of other marketing tools and strategies to influence people and attract new customers.  The Botvin LifeSkills Training program addresses media influences and offers students techniques to identify, analyze and resist these influences. Here are some tips from the middle school program on how to resist media influence.

When you see or hear an ad that makes you want to go out and buy the product, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Did the ad convince me that I would be a better or happier person or improve myself in some way by using that product?

2. Do I feel that I would be more attractive if I followed the ad’s advice?

3. Do I feel that if I ignore the ad I will lose status with my friends or that something bad will happen?

Funding Opportunity:Grant Announcement

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention is accepting applications for fiscal year 2009 for Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act (STOP Act) grants.

The purpose of this program is to prevent and reduce alcohol use among youth in communities throughout the United States. It was created to:

• strengthen collaboration among communities, the Federal Government, and State, local and tribal governments
• to enhance intergovernmental cooperation and coordination on the issue of alcohol use among youth
• to serve as a catalyst for increased citizen participation and greater collaboration among all sectors and organizations of a community that first demonstrates a long-term commitment to reducing alcohol use among youth
• to disseminate to communities timely information regarding state-of-the-art practices and initiatives that have proven to be effective in preventing and reducing alcohol use among youth.

Up to $50,000 award per year.

Click here for more information, eligibility requirements, and to view the full announcement.

Deadline is May 26, 2009

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

Fifteen grants of up to $1,000 each will be awarded to service-learning projects focused on underage drinking prevention and vehicle safety, via a partnership between the State Farm insurance company and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Grants will go to teachers, school service-learning coordinators and community-based organizations that facilitate projects involving youths ages 5-25.

Applications for the Good Decisions program are due April 20, 2009.

For more information, see the Protecting You/Protecting Me website, a joint project of State Farm and MADD.

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

The Office of Juvenille Delinquency Prevention has announced grants as part of their Tribal Youth Program.

OJJDP’s TYP supports and enhances tribal efforts to prevent and control delinquency and strengthen the juvenile justice system for American Indian/Alaska Native youth.

Since  1999, OJJDP has awarded 314 TYP grants to tribes throughout the country to develop and implement culturally sensitive delinquency prevention programs, interventions for court involved youth, improvements to the juvenile justice system, alcohol and substance abuse prevention programs, and mental health program services.

Award amount up to $450,000 each.

Click here to view the full grant announcement.

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

The Office Depot Foundation focuses on making a difference in children’s lives by supporting activities that serve, teach and inspire children, youth and families. The Foundation strives to enhance communities by supporting civic organizations and activities that address community needs.

Selected applicants will receive a minimum of $50 and a maximum of $10,000. The average award grant is apporximately $1,000. Eligible applicants include schools, libraries, government agencies or established 501(c)(3) organizations whose efforts make a differnce in children’s lives and/or build communities.

Please contact The Office Depot Foundation for specific grant information and application material: http://www.officedepotfoundation.com/funding.asp

Deadline is April 30, 2009

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

The Intel Corporation is committed to maintaining and enhancing the quality of life in the U.S. communities where the company has a major presence, through grants, donations, sponsorship, and other forms of philanthropy and giving.

Education Grants:

• Intel has a strong interest in supporting K-12 and higher education, and community programs that deliver the kind of educational opportunities that all students will need to prepare themselves to succeed in the 21st century.

Community Site Grants:

• Intel will provide grants, donations, and philanthropic support to additional programs that improve the quality of life in its site communities. Each request will be evaluated on the basis of the services offered and the program’s impact on the community, its focus on diversity and multiculturalism, its impact on the youth of our community, the cost-effectiveness of the program and its ability to be effectively measured and replicated, and the potential for Intel employee involvement.

Deadline: Rolling

Click here for more information on all Intel Grant opportunities.

Plymouth, Indiana Schools Use LST to Battle Meth

In an effort to fight the meth epidemic in Plymouth, Indiana, the Bowen Center is implementing the Botvin LifeSkills Training program. Throughout the school year, students in 13 elementary, middle and junior high schools will receive four to eight LST sessions which teach personal self management skills, general social skills and drug resistance skills. Rather than merely teaching information about the dangers of drug abuse, Botvin LifeSkills Training promotes healthy alternatives to risky behavior. Studies testing its effectiveness show that LST cuts methamphetamine use by 68%.   

While the program is initially being implemented in elementary and middle school, the program has the potential to continue into high school and there is even a Parent Program which is designed to help parent and guardians strengthen communication with their children and prevent them from using drugs.

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) will award R34 research grants to support projects that facilitate the implementation of evidence-based practices in addiction treatment and prevention.

The Building System Capacity for Implementing Evidence-Based Practices in Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention grants provide “resources to facilitate research on the adoption, implementation, and sustainability of evidence-based clinical treatment practices, prevention approaches, and business practices in community-based service delivery settings,”.

NIDA is especially interested in projects that “advance the field of implementation science while simultaneously building the capacity of systems and service providers to conduct process improvement research.”

Nonprofits, for-profit entities, schools, government agencies, and others may apply.

Application deadline is May 7, 2012.

Click here to view the full grant announcement.

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Funding Opportunity-Grant Announcement

Through the Community Grants Program, Best Buy seeks to support non-profit organizations that provide opportunities to young teens related to education, life skills, leadership skills or relationship development.

Special consideration will be given to programs that are high quality and serve a diverse population, build social, academic, leadership and/or life skills in early adolescents (primarily ages 13-18), show positive results against a community need and reach at-risk children in working families.

This year, Best Buy Children’s Foundation will give $1 million through the Community Grants Program. Administered grants will average $5,000-$7,000. Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations that are located within 50 miles of a Best Buy store or Distribution Center.

Please contact the Best Buy Children’s Foundation for more specific grant information: http://www.bestbuyinc.com/community_relations/local_donations_rfp.htm

Deadline is June 15, 2009

LST Earns Top NREPP Ratings

The Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) program has been awarded top ratings from the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).

Out of a perfect score of 4.0, LST received a near-perfect score of 3.9 for Quality of Research (the quality of the research evidence supporting the effectiveness of LST) and a perfect 4.0 for Readiness for Dissemination (the quality of the LST curriculum materials, web site, training, technical assistance, and overall support infrastructure).    

NREPP is part of SAMHSA’s efforts to help community organizations and state and local officials make informed decisions about evidence-based interventions for the prevention and treatment of mental and substance use disorders.

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

Community-based nonprofits can tap into an extra $1 billion in funding for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) — part of the funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The money is intended to be used to boost the economy by reducing poverty, revitalizing low-income communities, and helping families become self-sufficient. Funds can be used to address needs like housing, education, employment, nutrition, and emergency services.

For more information, see the CSBG website or the state-by-state breakdown of CSBG Recovery Act funding.

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

The Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will award grants of up to $500,000 under its 2009 Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws Discretionary Program: Initiative to Reduce Underage Drinking.

The program “seeks to reduce the availability of alcoholic beverages to and the consumption of alcoholic beverages by persons serving in the U.S. Air Force who are younger than 21 years old,” according to the grant announcement. “The initiative will provide funds to local civilian communities to implement research-based and promising practices to enforce underage drinking laws and prevent underage service personnel from consuming alcohol in collaboration with active duty bases implementing the underage component of the Air Force’s Culture of Responsible Choices program.”

Application deadline is May 21. Only state agencies that administer the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws block grant may apply; a list of eligible agencies is posted online.

For more details, see the full grant announcement.

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is seeking to partner with local grantmakers to fund projects that reduce violence in specific racial, ethnic, tribal, gender or sexually based, or rural/frontier communities.

The Local Funding Partnerships Program to Reducing Exposure to Violence, part of the foundation’s Vulnerable Populations program, is seeking “new, community-based, and culturally appropriate” programs “reflecting how language skills, significant cultural differences, education, income, and discrimination affect health outcomes.”

Applicants must be nominated by a “diversity-focused funder that is principally concerned with the population to be served.” A dollar-for-dollar matching grant is required, although 25 percent may come in the form of in-kind services.

Up to $1 million in grants is available in the 2009 grant cycle. Up to eight matching grants of between $50,000 to $200,000 each will be awarded.

Proposals may be submitted at any time throughout 2009 for consideration on May 1, 2009; September 1, 2009; and January 5, 2010.

For more details, see the complete call for proposals on the RWJF website.

LifeSkills Training Workshops

To achieve optimal results, the Botvin LifeSkills Training program must be implemented carefully and completely. Just as important as what is taught is how the program is taught. The teaching techniques of facilitation and feedback, coaching of cognitive and behavioral skills, and behavioral rehearsal ensure that students fully understand and can demonstrate the key skills taught in the curriculum.

LifeSkills Provider Training Workshops prepare teachers, school counselors, prevention specialists, community youth educators, and other program providers to effectively implement the state-of-the-art prevention education activities and teaching strategies found in the Botvin LifeSkills Training program with confidence and fidelity.

Each LifeSkills Provider Training Workshop plays an important role in enhancing the confidence and skill capacity of participants, resulting in optimal implementation of the Botvin LifeSkills Training program.

Call 800-29304969 to find out more about training workshops or to request a training.

 click here for a list of scheduled trainings in your area

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has announced a Field Initiated Demonstration Program.

The purpose of the program is to foster innovations and advancements in juvenile justice-related practice at the local, state, and tribal government levels. The program’s goal is to demonstrate the practical implications for policy and practice of innovative programs that enhance juvenile justice and delinquency prevention.

Click here to view the full grant announcement

The deadline to register on OJP’s Grants Management System and to apply for funding under this announcement is May 26, 2009.

Non-Profit Receives CADA Award Nomination for Implementing LST

Healing Hearts for Community Development (HHCD), a non-profit organization in New Orleans was nominated by the Governor’s Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities to receive the Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (CADA) Annual Excellence in Prevention Award. HHCD was recognized for providing Botvin LifeSkills Training classes at Clark High School and Lafayette School in Orleans Parish, as well as at the Hume Child Development Center and Building Better Communities.

HHCD is also actively involved in the Prevention Systems Committee of the Louisiana Drug Policy Board and the New Orleans Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition. The organization works to transform communities in New Orleans by providing help, hope and healing to individuals and families so they can live healthy, productive and contributing lives.

Fairfield, CA Launches LifeSkills Parent Program

The City of Fairfield, CA put on a special Botvin LifeSkills Training workshop for parents who want to keep their kids out of trouble and away from controlled substances.

The workshop consists of three sessions from the LifeSkills Training Parent Program. In addition to a short orientation, sessions also cover family communication, parental monitoring and being a good role model.

“The sessions that we do in the parent project, we talk about what parents need to raise children and what support they need,” said Heather Sanderson, a program coordinator for the city.

The workshop, held at City Church in Fairfield, was advertised with a Mother’s Day theme, however it was open to mothers, fathers and adults of all ages who want to make a difference to children. The workshop included lessons on communicating effectively with kids, including techniques for non-verbal communication “and how to avoid misunderstandings and assumptions,” Sanderson said.

It is a spin-off of the Botvin LifeSkills Training program that the city holds for area kids. The traditional LifeSkills program incorporates science-based teaching to give kids the skills to resist using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD). Sanderson said between 600 and 700 kids graduated from the most recent LifeSkills program.

CADCA’S 2009 GOT OUTCOMES! Coalition of Excellence Awards

CADCA’s GOT OUTCOMES! Coalition of Excellence Awards are for coalitions that are effective change agents in their community – they have contributed to community-wide declines in their substance abuse problems.  These model coalitions have undergone a comprehensive community assessment, used these data to develop a community-wide plan, implemented a truly comprehensive response to their local substance abuse problems, and as a result, can document the community changes they have helped bring about and their contributions to population-level substance abuse outcomes.  If you think your coalition has what it takes, apply for the GOT OUTCOMES! Coalition of Excellence Award. 

 Awards will be given out in the following categories:

 Milestones Award (community-level changes in intermediate outcomes)

This award is for newer coalitions (in existence for less than 5 years) that can demonstrate they are making progress toward long-term outcomes as indicated by measurable, population-level changes in intermediate outcomes (i.e., community risk and protective factors).  Coalitions in this category have not yet achieved reductions in their long-term outcomes but can show that they are on the right path to success.  Coalitions must demonstrate that their community plan is feasible and that the dominoes are falling down (e.g., reduction in perceived availability of marijuana as an intermediate outcome linked to the long-term outcome of reduction of 30-day marijuana use). 

 Coalition in Focus Award (multiple strategies toward reducing use for a single substance)

This category is for coalitions that have successfully focused in on addressing a SINGLE substance abuse problem.  These coalitions can show how they have contributed to community-wide declines for a specific substance.  Applicants may be coalitions with a single focus (e.g., underage drinking coalition or a meth coalition) OR coalitions focused on addressing multiple substances but have had particular success at addressing a specific substance.  Coalitions must show how they have implemented multiple strategies to address the targeted substance or substance-related problem (e.g., reduced teen drunk driving accidents by conducting server stings using youth, implementing a conditional use permit ordinance, implementing an evidence-based alcohol education program in the schools, and “stepping up” enforcement of underage drinking policies).

 Coalition of the Year Award (multiple strategies toward multiple aims)

This is the premier award for anti-drug coalitions.  This category is for advanced coalitions that can demonstrate their contribution toward population-level reductions in substance abuse rates for multiple substances (e.g., underage drinking, meth use, prescription drug abuse, etc).  These coalitions are targeting multiple substances and/or substance-abuse related problems in their community and have developed community-wide plans to address each of the targeted problems.  Coalitions have implemented a comprehensive set of evidence-based strategies that include program, practice and policy changes and can show measurable community-wide declines in targeted substance abuse problems over time.

For questions, contact Evelyn Yang, Acting Deputy Director for Evaluation and Research at CADCA’s National Coalition Institute, at 1-800-54-CADCA (1-800-542-2322), ext. 243, or e-mail eyang@cadca.org.

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

The federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will award grants of up to $500,000 to support family drug court programs.

The OJJDP FY 09 Family Drug Courts Program supports efforts to “build the capacity of states, state and local courts, units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments to develop and establish drug courts for substance-abusing adults involved with the family dependency court as a result of child abuse and neglect issues.”

The program must provide services to the children of the parents in the program as well as to the parents.

States, state and local courts, units of local government, and federally-recognized tribal governments acting directly or through agreement with other public or private entities may apply for funding.

Click here to view the full grant announcement

Botvin LifeSkills Training Congratulates New Drug Czar

WHITE PLAINS, NY – Top-rated substance abuse and violence prevention program Botvin LifeSkills Training congratulates new drug czar Gil Kerlikowske on his position as Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

The Senate voted 91-1 to approve Kerlikowske’s nomination as director of the ONDCP. During his confirmation hearing, Kerlikowske promised a balanced, science-based approach to fighting illicit-drug use and faced few difficult questions from lawmakers.

“We are very optimistic that Director Kerlikowske will support President Obama’s prevention efforts as a way to combat not only drug abuse but also unemployment and crime,” said Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin, an internationally known expert on drug abuse prevention and developer of the highly effective LifeSkills Training prevention programs. “Now more than ever, it is imperative that we focus our efforts on science-based prevention, which has been proven to reduce drug use and offers the potential for significant cost savings over time.”

Kerlikowske will not serve as a member of the presidential Cabinet but rather, he will have a strong ally in Vice President Joseph Biden, who helped shape federal drug policy while in the Senate. Kerlikowske who was the Chief of Police for Seattle for 9 years, supports combating drug use and crime with enforcement, prevention and treatment.

Historically the ONDCP has focused its prevention efforts on comprehensive drug policies and activities that include evidence-based prevention and early intervention programs.  These programs have resulted in fewer first-time illicit drug users, significant reductions in youth drug use, and an increased perception of the adverse health and social consequences associated with drug use.  Recently, the ONDCP announced plans to award $17 million in grants to community drug prevention coalitions across the country.

Cutting Prevention Funds Could Prove Too Costly

For more than a decade, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency has helped communities implement evidence-based initiatives, such as Botvin LifeSkills Training, to encourage healthy youth development.

Now,  as a result of a budget bill passed by the Pennsylvania Senate that would slash state funding, these programs could be in danger.  The state Senate budget bill, would cut $4.7 million for evidence-based prevention and intervention programs, $3 million for research-based violence prevention programs, and $3.13 million in state support for Weed and Seed.

This action could mean fewer support services for at-risk youth and their families, an alarming increase in problem and risk behaviors among youth, and ultimately, more youth entering an already stressed criminal justice system.

Citizens are encourage to contact their local member of the House of Representatives and vote ”no” on Senate Bill 850.

Help Restore the State Grants Portion of the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Program

Action Alert from CADCA- 

“Last week CADCA sent a legislative alert encouraging you to fax letters to your members of Congress to ask them to make a minimum funding level of $294.8 million for the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities (SDFSC) program, which is the FY 2009 enacted level, a top appropriations priority. If you have not already responded to this alert, please click here to use CADCA’s Capwiz system and fax your legislators.

In his fiscal year 2010 budget request, President Obama recommended eliminating the entire State Grants portion of the SDFSC program. His budget also proposes adding $100 million to the National Programs portion of SDFSC for competitive grants to LEAs. This new program would result in a limited number of Local Education Agencies (LEAs) being funded.

If Congress implements this draconian cut, the current school based prevention infrastructures would be decimated in almost every LEA in the nation. Eliminating this program also has major implications for the field at large, because it serves as the portal into schools for other substance abuse prevention programs, as well as helping LEA data collection efforts through student surveys.

Our field cannot afford to see the SDFSC program zeroed out or cut below the current funding level of $294.8 million. Although we have faced similar cuts in the past, if this program is going to survive, we cannot be complacent. Without sustained and aggressive advocacy from the field, this program could be lost forever. Both Congress and the Administration must hear from the field en masse if we have any hope of restoring the program.

As the appropriations process moves forward, CADCA will send out legislative alerts at key points to have the maximum influence. No two alerts will be the same, so it is critical that the field responds to every alert.”

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

The U.S. Department of Justice will award competitive grants of up to $150,000 to Weed and Seed Communities to support efforts to fight crime, drugs and gangs.

The Justice Department’s Community Capacity Development Office’s FY 10 Weed and Seed Communities Competitive Program provides discretionary grant funding to nonprofits and government agencies in communities that were not previously approved Weed and Seed sites but have been so designated by Congress.

Weed and Seed communities must “work to reduce crime and improve the quality of life for residents in a community primarily through the redeployment of existing public and private resources, addressing both crime and social related problems that without proper intervention often lead to violent crime, drug abuse, and gang activity,” according to the Justice Department.

Click here to view the full announcement

Deadline is December 1, 2009

Funding Opportunity: Grant Announcement

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) announces the availability of supplemental funds to support the expansion of methamphetamine prevention services and grant activities.

The purpose of this program is to allow the current 12 Prevention of Methamphetamine Abuse grantees to continue working and building on their previous activities and programs funded in announcement SP-06-005.

Eligibility for this funding opportunity is limited to the 12 methamphetamine prevention grantee funded under the FY 2006 Prevention of Methamphetamine Abuse RFA.

Click here to view the full grant announcement.

Applications are due by June 18, 2009