Substance-abuse council gets $75K

PROVIDENCE – The Mayor’s Substance Abuse Prevention Council, a program within Providence Mayor Angel Taveras’ Healthy Communities Office, has received a $75,000 Drug Free Communities mentoring grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to work with the Central Falls Prevention Coalition over the next year.
The Mayor’s Healthy Communities Office will help Central Falls strengthen its coalition and build capacity to effectively address substance abuse prevention in Central Falls. Providence was the only recipient of a DFC Mentoring Grant this year in Rhode Island and one of only 19 new mentoring grant recipients nationwide.
“Providence’s Healthy Communities Office is working closely with Central Falls to bolster substance abuse prevention and build a healthier community,” said Mayor Taveras. “We are grateful to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and to our congressional delegation for their support of these efforts.”
Key objectives for the project include working to strengthen the Central Falls coalition’s organizational structure and leadership, increasing community readiness to address substance use issues in Central Falls, and undergoing a strategic planning process to develop an action plan for future prevention work in the city.
The ultimate goal is to help the coalition prepare to apply for a full Drug Free Communities Grant, which could bring up to $625,000 in federal prevention funds to Central Falls over a five-year period. On Sept. 30, Providence will enter the fifth and final year of its current grant.
“Providence has been recognized nationally for the great work it has done to reduce youth substance abuse,” said Central Falls Mayor James Diossa. “I look forward to continuing to support the Central Falls Prevention Council and to working with Progreso Latino and the City of Providence to ensure that this partnership succeeds.”

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