Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
WORLAND – On Thursday, Washakie County Youth Alternatives Administrator Sheri Gunderson was notified that the county was one of three state recipients of a national Drug–Free Communities Support Program grant, awarded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
The $125,000 grant will support the efforts of the Washakie Prevention Coalition (WPC) in preventing and reducing youth substance use in Washakie County. The county will also be able to apply for continuation funding over the next four years, for a total award amount of $625,000 over five years.
The WPC was formed earlier this year, and Gunderson has been applying for the grant since January.
Washakie County Youth Alternatives Program Director Sarah Garcia and Gunderson will coordinate the program in Washakie County, working with the WPC and other community partners. The WPC includes the Office of the County Attorney, local youth leaders, the school district, law enforcement, parents, nonprofits, businesses, health care professionals and others. Its mission is to utilize community-wide collaboration to develop and implement effective strategies for preventing and reducing youth substance abuse in Washakie County.
More than 30 people from multiple organizations came together in a meeting Jan. 18 to form the coalition to join efforts to combat substance abuse in the Worland area.
The Washakie Prevention Coalition began seeking input and grant funding to address substance abuse with the youth, but also the entire community.
Lila Jolley of Washakie County Prevention Organization, said that there has always been a prevention coalition and that Washakie County Attorney’s Office Victims Witness Coordinator Bob Vines approached the coalition about the program Community That Cares. At the same time, Washakie County Youth Alternatives, with Sarah Garcia and Sheri Gunderson, was getting ready to apply for the Drug-Free Community program.
Gunderson said the Drug-Free program has similar goals with Community That Cares to bring community-wide efforts to address substance abuse.
The Drug-Free Communities (DFC) program originated in 1998, and is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Congress established the SAMHSA in 1992 to make substance use and mental disorder information, services, and research more accessible.
ONDCP Deputy Director James W. Carroll said, “Since our first grant awards were made in 1998, the DFC Program has continued to expand its reach in communities across the country. It is a testament to the great work DFC coalitions are doing, together with community partners that include parent groups, schools, healthcare professionals, law enforcement, businesses, and others to prevent drug use and improve the health of communities. Our local DFC coalitions are a key part of this effort because they are relentless in their work to prevent youth from initiating drug use and ultimately, saving more lives.”
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced an expansion of the program, with DFC grants going to community coalitions in all 50 states.
“Today, my administration is providing a record $91 million to support the Drug-Free Communities initiative. Grants will be awarded to more than 730 community groups in all 50 states – that’s a lot of groups, that’s a lot of people – impacting more communities than ever before.”
While the grant is federal, the program allows each community to determine the best use of funds, in approaching their unique problems with substance abuse.
“The grant is primarily for the education, prevention and reduction of substance abuse,” said Gunderson.
While the grant is open for five years to Washakie County, the coalition must reapply every year for funding.
“It’s a very competitive grant,” noted Gunderson.
Formerly the director of development for the Lifescape Foundation in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Gunderson oversees the grant process for Youth Alternatives, a program that provides at-risk children with educational opportunities to make better life decisions.
Funded largely by federal grants, in addition to county funding, Youth Alternatives offers counseling for self-enrolled juveniles, as well as those court ordered to seek guidance, and specializes in a variety of coursework, from shoplifting counseling to drug and alcohol education and counseling.