Overview
Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS) anticipates awarding up to $100,000 annually to 1 eligible applicant as described in the Applicant Eligibility section to implement local policy, practice, systems and environmental change to prevent substance abuse, particularly underage drinking and other drug use, within Massachusetts communities. BSAS seeks to increase both the number and capacity of municipalities across the Commonwealth addressing these substance abuse issues, using SAMHSA’s five-step SPF model.
Applicant Eligibility
- Cluster – a lead municipality (city or town) applying as a lead applicant in collaboration with 3-4, or more other neighboring municipalities within their region.
Required partners will be:
- Mayors/Town Managers from each municipality w/in the proposed Cluster (or Public Health Alliance/District).
- Municipal representation from each community w/in the proposed Cluster (or Public Health Alliance/District) g., Departments or Boards of Public Health.
- Public school leadership representatives
- Colleges and universities
- Substance abuse related prevention and treatment providers
- Relevant local organizations such as cultural groups representing Native American tribes, faith-based communities, etc.
- Local/regional hospitals
- Police Departments
- Consumers of substance abuse treatment services
- Community members including youth, parents, and people in recovery
- Social service agencies
- Behavioral health service agencies
Primary Service Elements
The primary service elements for the delivery of the Massachusetts Substance Abuse Prevention Collaborative:
- Implementation of SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) model to address the prevention of underage drinking and other drug use.
- Collaboration with 3-4 neighboring municipalities, and integration of policy, practice, systems and environmental work addressing underage drinking and other drug use prevention across these municipalities.
- Utilization and regular collaboration with the Massachusetts Technical Assistance Partnership for Prevention (MassTAPP).
- Work with the statewide evaluators to document project activities and outcomes.
- Implementation of a randomly applied brief community survey in the middle and/or high schools of each participating Municipality or across the Large Individual Municipality. The survey will be given under the guidance of the MDPH, BSAS. The raw survey data will be released to MDPH, BSAS for analysis. Only the municipalities will have access to its own data. The raw survey data will be used to measure local prevention program outcomes and for evaluation purposes.
- Sharing and dissemination of existing prevention materials, resources, and information including Massachusetts HealthPromotion Clearinghouse materials (maclearinghouse.org), and creation of all marketing and media materials in accordance with DPH, BSAS health communications guidelines and social marketing principles, and in coordination DPH, BSAS.
- Collaboration with local colleges and/or universities and integration or amending of policy, practice, systems, and environmental work addressing underage drinking and other drug use prevention across these institutions.
All service elements must be guided by data, driven by sustainability, and delivered with competencies in culture, ethnicity, language, gender, people with disabilities, sexual orientation, and age.