We envision a community where youth are empowered in a safe, healthy, and drug-free environment.
About Us
Our mission is to Create a healthy environment for youth by enhancing protective factors and reducing youth substance use and other harmful behaviors.
The Gordon Prevention Initiative serves Gordon County, Georgia, a community of 57,963. The goals of the coalition are to establish and strengthen community collaboration in support of local efforts to prevent youth substance use. The coalition achieves the goal of community collaboration by implementing strategies that build the capacity of the coalition through membership recruitment, formalizing roles and plans, and training. The coalition achieves the goal of reducing youth substance use through information and education, enhancing refusal skills, facilitating alternative activities, reducing access, and enhancing barriers to substances, changing consequences for youth, and changing the physical design of the environment to discourage use.
What We Do!
Increase Community Collaboration
Identify, recruit, engage and maintain coalition membership through the development of a comprehensive outreach and membership plan.
Build the capacity of Gordon Prevention Initiative members to implement the Strategic Prevention Framework related to community assessment, planning methods, implementation, and evaluation, as well as building capacity in the community by strengthening existing partnerships and/or identifying new opportunities for collaboration.
Implement community-based networking through awareness activities.
Enhance the hope, health, and strength of Gordon County Youth
Advocate and assist with the education of local marijuana use laws and policies through policy change and sustainability.
Educate parents, adults, and youth on the health impacts of tobacco use, particularly on the developing adolescent brain.
Advocate and assist with the education of local tobacco policies through policy change and sustainability.
Reduce Youth Substance Use
Limit youth access to alcohol by enhancing skills of youth, parents, educators, and community members.
Decrease favorable attitudes and beliefs that underage drinking is socially acceptable among Gordon County youth and adults using Haines Model for Positive Social Norms and a Social Host Liability strategy.
Educate parents, adults, and youth on the health impacts of marijuana use, particularly on the developing adolescent brain.
Substances of focus
Alcohol
Marijuana
Tobacco/Vaping
How we do it!
Strategic Prevention Framework – The SPF is a planning model promoted by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to support coordinated, comprehensive, data-driven planning and accountability. Designed to be long-term and evolutionary in nature, the resulting plan should build on knowledge and experience over time, and lead to measurable outcomes and system improvements. There are five (5) steps of the SPF developed to organize prevention strategies and objectives for change:
Assessment
The assessment phase helps define the problem or the issue that a project needs to tackle. This phase involves the collection of data to:
- Understand a population’s needs
- Review the resources that are required and available
- Identify the readiness of the community to address prevention needs and service gaps.
Capacity
Capacity building involves mobilizing human, organizational, and financial resources to meet project goals. Training and education to promote readiness are also critical aspects of building capacity. SAMHSA provides extensive training and technical assistance (TA) to fill readiness gaps and facilitate the adoption of science-based prevention policies, programs, and practices.
Planning
Planning involves the creation of a comprehensive plan with goals, objectives, and strategies aimed at meeting the substance abuse prevention needs of the community. During this phase, organizations select logic models and evidence-based policies and programs. They also determine costs and resources needed for effective implementation.
Implementation
The implementation phase of the SPF process is focused on carrying out the various components of the prevention plan, as well as identifying and overcoming any potential barriers. During program implementation, organizations detail the evidence-based policies and practices that need to be undertaken, develop specific timelines, and decide on ongoing program evaluation needs.
Evaluation
Evaluation helps organizations recognize what they have done well and what areas need improvement. The process of evaluation involves measuring the impact of programs and practices to understand their effectiveness and any need for change. Evaluation efforts therefore greatly influence the future planning of a program. It can also impact sustainability, because evaluation can show sponsors that resources are being used wisely.
Why we do it!
Local Data – Past 30-day substance use
KEY:
- Decreased 30-day use from 2019 to 2020
- Increased 30-day use from 2019 to 2020
For access to services and immediate crisis help, call the Georgia Crisis & Access Line (GCAL) at 1-800-715-4225, available 24/7.
Our Partners
Strengthening community collaboration in support of local efforts to prevent youth substance use.
CONTACT US
We'd love to hear from you!
Contact us to learn how to get involved.
Ester Lopez, MPS, ICPS
Project Director
Email: elopez@livedrugfree.org
Phone: (770) 608-1280
Takoya Garrett
Project Coordinator
Email: tgarrett@livedrugfree.org
Phone: (678) 624-6823