Dubois County Cares Honored at CADCA’S National Leadership Forum

From Local Sources 

JASPER -- On February 5th, the Dubois County CARES Coalition was one of 112 community coalitions honored during a graduation ceremony at CADCA’s (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) National Leadership Forum, just outside of Washington, D.C.  Each coalition received a graduation certificate for completing CADCA’s National Coalition Academy, a rigorous training program designed to increase the effectiveness of community drug prevention leaders.

“We are so proud of our coalition for investing the time and resources to take advantage of the best community coalition training in the world. To graduate from this year-long intensive course is no small feat and CARES is more prepared today to be an effective, sustainable coalition because of this training,” said Deb Capps, CARES Grant Director.  “We look forward to applying our knowledge and strategies to ensure the youth in our community are empowered to be alcohol and drug free.

CADCA’s National Coalition Academy (NCA) is a comprehensive, year-long training program developed by CADCA’s National Coalition Institute. The NCA incorporates three, week-long classroom sessions, a web-based distance learning component, an online workstation where participants network and share planning products and free ongoing coalition development technical assistance. To graduate, coalitions must complete a rigorous curriculum. They must participate in all components of the NCA and complete five essential planning products that serve as the foundation of their comprehensive plan for community change.

CADCA’s National Leadership Forum is a four-day event packed with opportunities to learn the latest strategies to address substance abuse and hear from nationally-known prevention experts, federal administrators, and concerned policymakers. The Forum brings together approximately 3,000 attendees representing coalitions from all regions of the country and internationally, government leaders, youth, prevention specialists, addiction treatment professionals, addiction recovery advocates, researchers, educators, law enforcement professionals, and faith-based leaders. It is the largest training event for the prevention field.

The mission of CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) is to strengthen the capacity of community coalitions to create and maintain safe, healthy and drug-free communities globally. This is accomplished by providing coalition development assistance and training, public policy advocacy, special events, media strategies and marketing programs.

Dubois County CARES also recently received a sizeable anonymous donation to create a “Hidden in Plain Sight” trailer.  This will be a mobile resource to help educate adults on how to observe their teen’s bedroom to recognize risk factors and signs of substance use that may otherwise go unnoticed.   This unit will depict a typical teenager’s bedroom with drug paraphernalia so adults can learn what to look for. CARES is in the early stages of developing this trailer but hopes to have it available this summer at local fairs and events.  This is just one of many things CARES is developing to change the culture behind local youth substance use. 

Dubois County CARES is a coalition of over 70 local leaders, youth, and adults who support the CARES mission to empower youth to be alcohol and drug free.  Anyone who is interested in learning more about CARES is invited to attend our next meeting, February 14, 9am, at Jasper Middle School.  Check out www.duboiscountycares.org for more information. 

Dubois County CARES is in year two of a five year federal Drug Free Communities grant worth $125,000 annually.  CARES is not yet a non-profit so they partnered with TRI-CAP to serve as their fiscal agent.  TRI-CAP’s health, housing, and education services change lives, empower families, and improve communities.  To learn more, go to www.tri-cap.net or call 812-482-2233.