RADAR Gets $500K* to Combat Teen Alcohol & Drug Use

by Joan R. Simon

(September 14, 2006) Local efforts to combat teen drinking and drug use just received a major boost: a $500,000* federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The grant provides RADAR (Responsible Action: A Drug and Alcohol Resource) with $100,000* per year, renewable for five years, as long as the money is spent responsibly. At the end of 5 years, RADAR can apply for an additional 5-year $500,000 grant. The Larchmont-Mamaroneck Community Counseling Center (CCC) is the lead agency for the grant.

The grant was sought by RADAR to tackle teenage drug and alcohol abuse and other unhealthy adolescent behaviors by changing the community environment. RADAR is a school-based alcohol and drug prevention group that has evolved into a coalition representing the entire community. Part of the purpose of the grant is to further strengthen RADAR.

Reducing Substance Abuse

The money will be used in very proscribed ways, according to Janet Buchbinder who is the Coordinator of RADAR and a member of the Mamaroneck School Board. The first goal of the project is to reduce substance abuse among youth by addressing the various factors in the community that increase this risk. The first project RADAR has lined up is a “Staying Connected with Your Teen” program to improve parenting skills. The grant will pay for 75 parents to participate in this program. If more than 75 parents are interested in signing up, Ms. Buchbinder said they will look for additional money.

The second project will support enhanced Lifeskills Training classes that the Community Counseling Center offers to 6th and 7th graders at the Hommocks.

The third activity will be to implement a “Parents Who Host, Lose the Most” campaign to raise parental awareness of the legal, health and safety risks of serving alcohol to minors in their home. Only 20%, or $20,000**, of the first year's grant can be used for these three projects.

Strengthening RADAR

The second goal to be met by the grant is to strengthen RADAR and its collaboration within the community. “That’s where the bulk of the money from the grant is required to go,” explained Ms. Buchbinder. The first project will involve training RADAR board members in all aspects of running a non-profit organization. The goal, Ms Buchbinder said is “to make RADAR a sustainable community coalition to reduce drug abuse and other unhealthy behavior.”

The second project will be to create a comprehensive community profile that assesses local risk and protective factors. This will involve an evaluation of the teen survey that was conducted last spring. A meeting to share the results of the survey will be held on November 2nd. There will also be other data collection, interviews with key community leaders and parent focus groups. “All of that information guides what other programs and initiatives you use to address the areas of greatest needs,” Ms. Buchbinder said.

A third effort will be made to train 50 individuals representing the business, civic, or faith communities and to attract five new active RADAR members from these groups. “Those are the three groups we chose, the three that we have the least input on RADAR, " Ms. Buchbinder explained. “We are very strong with schools, parents, police, and municipal. But we need to broaden our representation for the other three groups.”

This is the second grant that RADAR has received to support their work. A year ago, they obtained a mentoring grant to start the process of becoming a full, community coalition, including applying for the grant it has just received.

* (Nov. 1, 2006) The Larchmont Gazette has learned that the amount of the grant is $93,000, renewable for five years, for a total of $465,000. The $93,000 grant is part of a $186,000 project, with half of the money coming from matching in-kind contributions from the community.

**The figure should be $18,600.