Drug-Free Communities Support (DFC) Program

DFC Program Information
General Overview | Background | Purpose | Project Strategy
Applicant Requirements | Funding Level | Appropriations Subcommittees
FY-2008 Requested Funding Level

Drug-Free Communities Coalition Mentoring Program
Purpose | Criteria | Who Can Apply? | Funding for this Program

What is the National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute?

Information Regarding Drug-Free Communities Support Program Grantees
Overview of Coalition Outcomes | Drug-Free Communities Application Statistics/Total Number of Grantees

General Overview

Community anti-drug coalitions are broad based groups consisting of multiple community sectors that use their collective energy, experience and influence to address drug and underage drinking problems in their neighborhoods, cities, counties and states. These coalitions develop strategies for addressing every aspect of their substance abuse problem - prevention, intervention, treatment, aftercare and law enforcement, but with a particular focus on prevention.

The Drug-Free Communities program has been a central, bi-partisan component of our nation's demand reduction strategy since its passage in 1998. The consistent and steady growth of the program in terms of both appropriations (from $10 million in FY 1998 to $80 million in FY 2006) and the number of grantees (from 92 original grantees to 1231 grantees) is a testament to the program's popularity.

The premise of the Drug-Free Communities program is simple – that communities around the country must be organized and equipped to deal with their individual substance abuse problems in a comprehensive and coordinated manner. The program explicitly recognizes that federal anti-drug resources must be invested at the community level with those who have the most power to reduce the demand for drugs - parents, teachers, business leaders, the media, the faith community, law enforcement officials, youth, and others. This program is unique in that federal support is contingent upon a community demonstrating local commitment and resolve to address its drug problem, before it is eligible to receive any federal funds. Coalitions are only eligible to receive as much federal funding as they can match, dollar for dollar, with non- Federal support, up to $100,000.

The March 1997 General Accounting Office report: Drug Control: Observations on Elements of Federal Drug Control Strategy highlights the establishment of community anti-drug coalitions as one of the most promising drug prevention strategies that target young people. Drug-Free Communities grantees are making a real difference in lowering drug use and underage drinking in communities around the nation.

Background

On June 27, 1997, the Drug-Free Communities Act (Pub. L. No. 105–20) was signed into law by President Clinton. This Act provides financial assistance and support to community coalitions to carry out the mission of reducing substance abuse among the Nation’s youth. This Act responded to the doubling of substance abuse among youth in the 5-year period from 1991 to 1996, with substantial increases seen in the use of marijuana, inhalants, cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, and heroin. The Drug-Free Communities Act was reauthorized for the first time in December 2001 for an additional 5 years. This reauthorization also included the creation of the National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute. The ONDCP Reauthorization of 2006 continued a second reauthorization of the DFC program for an additional five years, from 2008-2012.

Purpose

To increase citizen participation and strengthen community anti-drug coalition efforts to reduce substance abuse among youth in communities throughout the United States and, over time, to reduce substance abuse among adults.

The Drug-Free Communities program is specifically designed to:

• Reduce substance abuse among youth and, over time, among adults.
  
  
• Enable community coalitions to strengthen collaboration among Federal, State, regional, local, and tribal governments and within their representative communities.
  
  
• Enhance intergovernmental collaboration, cooperation, and coordination among all sectors and organizations within communities that demonstrate a long-term commitment to reducing substance abuse among youth and, over time, among adults.
  
  
• Enable communities to conduct data-driven, evidence-based prevention planning by providing accurate and timely information regarding state-of-the-art practices and initiatives that have proven to be effective in reducing substance abuse among youth.
  
  
• Focus resources from the federal drug control budget to provide technical assistance, guidance, and financial support to communities.

Project Strategy

Eligible applicants are community coalitions whose members have worked together on substance abuse reduction initiatives for a period of not less than 6 months. The coalition will use entities such as task forces, subcommittees, community boards, and any other community resource that enhance its collaborative effort. With substantial participation from community volunteer leaders, the coalition will design substance abuse initiatives that target drugs such as narcotics, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, cannabis, inhalants, alcohol, tobacco, or other related products that are prohibited by Federal, State, or local law. Community coalitions must implement multisector, multistrategy plans designed to reduce substance abuse among youth in the long term. Where applicable, proposed Drug-Free Communities program activities should enhance ongoing plans and contribute to the achievement of long-range goals and objectives. Coalitions may be umbrella coalitions serving multicounty areas.

Potential Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• The coalition must be an organization eligible to apply for a grant or must make arrangements with an eligible organization that will apply for the grant on behalf of the coalition and serve as the fiscal agent for the grant. Nonprofit, charitable, or educational organizations (such as faith-based and community-based organizations) and/or units of local government are eligible to serve as a fiscal agent.
  
  
• The coalition must have the reduction of substance abuse among youth as a principal mission. This must be clearly stated in the coalition's formal mission statement.
  
  
• The coalition's goals and objectives must target multiple drugs and address the two major goals of the Drug-Free Communities program (see Purpose listed above).
  
  
• The coalition must demonstrate that its members have worked together on substance abuse prevention/reduction initiatives for a period of not less than 6 months before submitting its application. This must be demonstrated through the submission of two sets of meeting minutes. At least one set of minutes should reflect a meeting held prior to October 2005, in order to establish that the coalition has been in existence for the required length of time.
  
  
• The coalition's meeting minutes must demonstrate that it has substantial involvement and participation from its membership, as well as from other volunteer community leaders. It must be clear that the coalition functions as a unique entity and is more than a group of agency and organization representatives or a board of directors of a direct service delivery organization.
  
  
• The coalition must have representation from the targeted community and include at least one member/representative from each of the following 12 sectors:
  • Youth (meaning young persons themselves, not an adult representing youth).
  • Parents.
  • Business Community.
  • Media.
  • Schools.
  • Youth-serving organizations.
  • Law enforcement agenices.
  • Religious or fraternal organizations.
  • Civic and volunteer groups.
  • Healthcare professionals.
  • State, local, and/or tribal government agenices with expertise in the field of substance abuse (including, if applicable, the state agency with primary authority for addressing substance abuse).
  • Other organizations involved in reducing substance abuse.

For more information regarding the Drug-Free Communities program please visit their site http://drugfreecommunities.samhsa.gov/

Who Determines the Funding Level?

When the Drug-Free Communities program was reauthorized in 2006, included in the bill were specific authorization levels for each fiscal year as follows:

Based upon these levels, the President of the United States, when releasing his Budget Request in February of each year, can request up to the amounts listed above that were authorized by Congress.

Once the President releases his budget, the United States Senate and House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittees on Financial Services and General Government meet to determine their recommended funding levels.

For more information please see Legislative Process.

The Drug-Free Communities program is funded and authorized under the Office of National Drug Control and Policy (ONDCP), which receives its appropriations from the Financial Services Appropriations Bill.

What Senators and Representatives sit on the Senate and House Financial Services Subcommittees?

What is the Requested Funding Level for FY 2008?

President Bush requested level funding for the DFC program for FY 2008, which is $90 million and includes $750k for the National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute.

Drug-Free Communities Coalition Mentoring Program

Purpose

The purpose of the Coalition Mentoring Program is to support and encourage the development of new—or expansion of existing—community anti-drug coalitions that are focused on the prevention and treatment of substance abuse in the new (or expanded) coalition’s community. This mentoring program is an effort to explore whether the number and quality of local coalitions can be enhanced through the assistance of capable, experienced Drug-Free Community coalitions. A variety of differing types of coalition mentoring approaches will be considered.

Criteria

Criteria for mentoring coalitions require that they:

• Have been in existence for at least 5 years.
  
  
• Have achieved measurable results in the prevention and treatment of substance abuse among youth.
  
  
• Have staff or members willing to serve as mentors for persons seeking to start or expand the activities of other coalitions.
  
  
• Have demonstrable support from the community to be mentored.

Who Can Apply?

To be eligible to receive a Coalition Mentoring Program grant, A coalition must:

• Be awarded an initial or continuation Drug-Free Communities Support Program grant in FY 2006.
  
  
• Meet the four criteria stated above.

Funding for this Program

Approximately 17 new grants of up to $75,000 each were awarded in FY 2006.

What is the National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute?

The Institute's overarching mission says it all: The National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute aims to increase the knowledge, capacity and accountability of community anti-drug coalitions throughout the nation.

To carry out this mission, the Institute has identified four primary strategies:

1. Improve coalitions' use of data for needs assessment and strategic planning;
   
   
2. Improve the structure, operation, leadership and sustainability of coalitions;
   
   
3. Support coalitions in their implementation of the principles of effective coalitions and the development and use of evidence-based intervention strategies;
   
   
4. Improve coalitions' ability to track results that measure process and outcomes.

To learn more about the National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute please visit their web site.

Information Regarding Drug-Free Communities Support Program Grantees

• Overview of Coalition Outcomes from Selected States
• Drug-Free Communities Application Statistics/Total Number of Grantees