Blue Ribbon Coalitions
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Blue Ribbon Coalitions
The Blue Ribbon Coalition Initiative began in 2021 as a way to recognize high performing coalitions that do an exceptional job creating a foundation for their work by updating and utilizing their coalition products. It is a two-year recognition that opens new doors for coalitions to share their work and become a role model in the prevention field. Over the past two years, we’ve certified 29 coalitions as Blue Ribbon Coalitions!
The three highest scoring coalitions from every Blue Ribbon Coalition class is awarded a special recognition as a Coalition in Focus, Coalition of Excellence, and Coalition of the Year. Hear from our 2023 winners!
2023 Blue Ribbon Coalition Winners
- Drug Free Communities of Dallas County, Selma, AL
- Communities for Positive Youth Development, Schaumburg, Palatine, Hoffman, Estates, IL
- East Providence Prevention Coalition, East Providence, RI
Coalition in Focus (Recognizing Short-term Outcomes)
Dallas County System of Services, Inc. serves children, youth and families in Dallas County, Alabama. Our goals are to increase community collaboration and reduce youth substance use. Our activities in the past 12 months include: enhancing the skills of our membership to address substance use in our community through targeted trainings provided by sector members; facilitating Junior Hope Dealer groups in the middle and high schools; providing information to increase the perception of risk of marijuana use, underage drinking and opioid misuse through each Junior Hope Dealer group hosting drug-free events and guest speakers; enhancing the skills of youth through presentations provided at each middle and high school through Alabama Teen Challenge; providing support by maintaining Hope Spaces in local high schools to connect youth to resources in their own schools and conducting the Real Deal Hope tour and Summer of Hope tour; recognizing local businesses that promote a safe and healthy community, including the Hope Star Award and the new Hope Angel Award; changing the physical design; and modifying and changing policies through youth traveling to meet with State Lawmakers to discuss fact sheets about alcohol policies in March. Dallas County System of Services’ coalition, Drug Free Communities of Dallas County, has a diverse and active volunteer base and is continuing to grow each year. The active involvement and engagement of volunteers from across our community has allowed us to be successful in implementing our Action Plan and working towards meeting our goals, including measurable reductions in youth substance use during the first 5 years of our DFC Grant. Our coalition is unique in our youth involvement. Our youth coalition, Junior Hope Dealers, do an amazing job of creatively reaching their peers through talent shows, pep rallies, poster contests, their own radio show and producing original music videos. The coalition serves both school systems in Dallas County as well as the county’s private school.
WebsiteCoalition of Excellence (Celebrating Intermediate Outcomes)
The Communities for Positive Youth Development (CPYD) Coalition, founded in 2014, serves the suburban communities of Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Elk Grove Township, and Hanover Park, Illinois. Through the Drug-Free Communities Program, the coalition targets e-cigarettes, marijuana, and opioid use by improving the community’s capacity to identify and address youth substance use, engaging youth in healthy activities that increase community connection, and providing access to resources. To increase community collaboration and support of the DFC program, staff have collaborated with key stakeholders to provide substance use prevention resources, capacity-building opportunities targeting coalition members, parents, youth, and other community members. Key coalition accomplishments include youth taking a central role in the coalition and prevention and the coalition thriving as a visible community resource. The coalition is unique in that it approaches all activities with the end goal of providing culturally competent, evidence-based programs and interventions based on local needs and priorities. Through the input of all sectors, the coalition has successfully engaged the community in substance use prevention.
WebsiteCoalition of the Year (Honoring Long-term Outcomes)
The East Providence Prevention Coalition has been established in East Providence, RI since 1987 when the Rhode Island General Assembly passed the Rhode Island Substance Abuse Prevention Act (RISAPA) to promote comprehensive prevention at the community level. With over 3 decades of community presence, the EPPC dedicates itself to our mission of promoting healthy lifestyles for all of our city’s residents, with a special focus on reducing youth substance misuse and promoting improved mental health. The East Providence Prevention Coalition (EPPC) has been a driving force in reducing past 30-day cannabis use among East Providence teenagers over a six-year period from 2016 to 2022. In 2016, 22.7% of youth aged 12-17 reported past 30-day cannabis use, triggering EPPC’s focused interventions. By 2022, the coalition achieved a significant milestone, with the percentage of youth engaging in past 30-day cannabis use reaching a notable low of 9.4%. This substantial reduction showcased the coalition’s dedication and indicated a remarkable overall decrease of 13.3% from the baseline year of 2016, exemplifying EPPC’s effectiveness.
EPPC employed a multifaceted approach to achieve these outcomes, including advocating for strengthened ordinances prohibiting cannabis consumption in parks, enhancing school chemical health policies through programs like InDepth, and increasing signage in recreational areas. The coalition also prioritized increased patrolling and enforcement, along with comprehensive training for law enforcement, parents, and teachers. Changing the perception of harm and disapproval surrounding youth cannabis use was a formidable challenge. EPPC addressed this by focusing on training youth leaders, founding a prevention and community-focused youth group (East Providence Youth Council – EPYC), holding very successful sports clinics for all ages of East Providence youth to engage youth during dormant summer weeks, and initiated a life skills program in our secondary schools, to assist students with a multitude of necessary daily living functions to help with making healthy life choices. In founding and facilitating EPYC we have worked closely with East Providence youth to address their needs and have implemented a variety of innovative strategies to empower the youth of East Providence in creating community change. The coalition’s emphasis on parental involvement through programs like LifeSkills Training, Stronger Together, community workshops like Hidden in Plain Sight, and public service announcements successfully increased parental concern and enforcement of consistent guidelines and consequences. These collective efforts have contributed significantly to fostering a healthier and safer environment for all East Providence’s residents, particularly our Townie youth.
Website2023
Alliance of Coalitions for Healthy Communities Troy, MI | Tangipahoa Reshaping Attitudes for Community Change Coalition Hammond, LA | Weber Communities That Care Ogden, UT |
Volition Franklin Franklin, WI | Safe Communities Coalition Somerset, NJ | Pickaway Addiction Action Coalition Circleville, OH |
Healthy Lamoille Valley Morristown, VT | East Providence Prevention Coalition East Providence, RI | Easton Wing of Hope Easton, Massachusetts |
Decatur Prevention Initiative Stone Mountain, GA | Drug Free Communities of Dallas County Selma, AL | Communities for Positive Youth Development Schaumburg, IL |
Community in Crisis Bernardsville, NJ | Choose Your Path Coalition Wauconda, IL | Braidwood Area Healthy Community Coalition Braidwood, IL |
2022
ACT Drug Free Community Coalition Dearborn Heights, MI | Beech Grove Comprehensive Drug-Free Coalition Beech Grove, IN | Belchertown Public Schools DFC Belchertown, MA |
Cass County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition Logansport, IN | Clark County Partners in Prevention Springfield, OH | Jackson County Prevention Coalition Maquoketa, IA |
Juvenile Justice Council of Iroquois County Watseka, IL | North Shore Coalition for Drug Free Communities Evanston, IL | Oregon Area Cares Community Coalition Oregon, WI |
Partnership for Health, Drug Free Task Force Flemington, NJ | SAFE in Northern Michigan Harbor Springs, MI | Washington Parish Coalition on Human Services Bogalusa, LA |
Wood County Prevention Coalition Bowling Green, OH |