Drug Free Youth Coalition Champaign County

The Champaign County Drug Free Youth Coalition was created in 2008 to face the issue of youth substance abuse. The mission statement of this coalition is to “mobilize the community, to be a strong collaborative voice for the promotion of a safe, alcohol, tobacco, and drug free environment for youth.” This coalition has members from local government, public health, law enforcement, social services, the schools, parents, substance abuse agencies, youth serving organizations, religious/ faith based groups, and the media.

  This coalition uses the Strategic Prevention Framework as a community change model. This framework uses a 5 step process known to promote youth development, reduce risk-taking behaviors, and build assets and resilience, and prevention problem behaviors across the life span. For the SPF to be successful the coalition uses the findings from public health research along with evidence-based prevention programs to build capacity within communities and he prevention field.

This coalition uses the Strategic Prevention Framework as a community change model. This framework uses a 5 step process known to promote youth development, reduce risk-taking behaviors, and build assets and resilience, and prevention problem behaviors across the life span. For the SPF to be successful the coalition uses the findings from public health research along with evidence-based prevention programs to build capacity within communities and he prevention field. 

DFYC has a youth group within the coalition, The Youth Advisory Council (YAC) that does a lot of the hands on work in community. This group has done environmental scans in communities to see where kids are using drugs and/or alcohol. They are working on implementing curriculum into the school systems in Champaign County to teach young middle schoolers about the dangers of using drugs and/or alcohol. They have gone to numerous conferences to learn about prevention in community.

If you or anyone you know would be interested in joining the Drug Free Youth Coalition and/or the Youth Advisory Council, please contact Tammy Nicholl: 937-465-1045.