Suffolk Coalition to Prevent Alcohol and Drug Dependencies Creating Programs to Battle Dependencies

Summary

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Every day we are bombarded by stress. There's work, school, bills, health, family, you name it. People cope with these issues in different ways. While it is advisable to seek a constructive option to face life's stressors, people sometimes turn to drugs or alcohol to try to escape. This has a destructive impact on themselves and their families.The Suffolk Coalition to Prevent Alcohol and Drug Dependencies, Inc., or Suffolk Coalition PADD, has been trying to solve problem of alcohol and drug abuse before it starts. Having a proactive approach to drug and alcohol abuse can help prevent many individuals going down that long and cloudy road, said Barbara Keller, executive director of Suffolk Coalition PADD. Originally, we were established to support the professional training of individuals in the alcohol and substance abuse field. We have evolved into an organization that works toward the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse in communities across Suffolk County.What educational and community programs have you created to make a difference here on Long Island?

COMPASS (Community, Parent, School, Student) is our award- winning program that uses a comprehensive alcohol and drug prevention model based on coalition building. We have successfully implemented COMPASS in seven Suffolk County school districts: Amityville, Babylon, Bay Shore, Shelter Island, Southampton, West Islip and Wyandanch. COMPASS utilizes science-based research that shows how community coalitions can prevent alcohol and drug dependency, as well as reduce youth crime rates. By identifying individual, family, school and community risk factors early in the process, we can move to provide and enhance the protective resources within the community and, therefore, improve every citizen's quality of living. Also, our Suffolk County Addiction Training (SCAT) Program has trained over 10,000 chemical dependency professionals. How has research proved that coalitions will aid in reducing the drug and alcohol problems in our communities?

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Suffolk Coalition to Prevent Alcohol and Drug Dependencies Creating Programs to Battle Dependencies

Research has been conducted nationwide with coalitions. In one research study, which covered a seven-year time period, there was a 41 percent decrease in mari...

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