Our Mission
What is the Local Prevention Council?
The LPC is an alliance of individuals and groups, where all members agree to work together to allow our youth to be strong, safe and substance free. Growing a healthy community takes a collective voice from many parts of the community. Everyone has a role to play. We join together to support and encourage all of our youth to make positive decisions and healthy choices.
Supporting Our Community
Through the input, expertise, and actions of our individual members, we work to build a more resilient community that supports healthy decision making for our youth. The more our community supports our young people, the more they will thrive, reducing the likelihood of substance use and all the potential risks it entails.
- Parents
- Youth
- East Haddam Schools
- Law Enforcement
- Town Government
- Youth Serving Organizations – East Haddam Public Library Systems
- Faith Organizations
- Local Businesses
- Civic/Volunteer groups
- Regional Substance Abuse Action Council
- Media
- Healthcare – Chatham Health District
Our Vision
At EHLPC we envision:
A community where all children, youth and families feel connected, respected and valued
Where children and youth are not engaged in the use of drugs or alcohol
Where all sectors of the community support, nurture and provide for the well-being of all it’s citizens.
Our Beliefs
We believe that:
We can decrease the risk of alcohol & drug use among our youth by increasing the number of assets in their lives.
We believe that:
Substance use prevention includes addressing factors in our community that might contribute to the use of illegal substances in our youth.
We believe that:
Young people who are connected to what matters – family, school, healthy peer influences, positive adult role models and community – are more likely to be strong, safe and substance free.
We believe that:
Speaking in a collective voice will allow us to grow a healthy community that supports all its members.
Our Strategies
How the Coalition Achieves these Goals
The coalition looks at the entire community to find out what is contributing to underage substance use. By using student surveys, community surveys, holding focus groups, and more, we identify and eliminate (or limit) the contributing factors of the underage substance use in the community. The coalition follows through to make sure the strategies work.
Prevention is the key to reducing substance abuse. The earlier youth start using substances, the more likely they will become addicted. Our efforts aim to delay or prevent the first use of drugs or alcohol through a range of community-wide strategies. Education of a child’s support systems (parents, schools, church, community) are imperative. Collaboration of key community partners is needed.
The coalition involves youth and adults in efforts to:
- Reduce under-age access to alcohol and other drugs at home and in the community through education of youth, parents, physicians, schools, law enforcement, pharmacies, civic groups, businesses, media, youth serving groups (such as sports) and faith-based groups.
- Change perceptions on the risk of harm by education and marketing campaigns.
- Educate local merchants on responsible service, sale, and consumption of alcohol.
- And many other strategies.
Grants & Funding
EHLPC works under the supervision of East Haddam Youth and Family Services, a private, non profit organization that serves residents of East Haddam/Moodus CT. EHLPC programs, training, and events are always free to the community and are funded through donations and grants, both state and federal.
State Local Prevention Council Grant
The CT Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services’ (DMHAS) Prevention and Health Promotion Division, in collaboration with the Regional Behavioral Health Action Organizations (RBHAOs), annually funds over 150 community-based Local Prevention Councils (LPCs). These community-based coalitions build local capacity to plan and implement substance use/misuse prevention strategies to reduce problem behaviors and associated negative outcomes for all ages.
Federal STOP Act Grant
The Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act (STOP Act) Grant is a federal grant program administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that provides funding to domestic public and private non-profit entities to prevent and reduce alcohol use among youth and young adults aged 12-20. Grantees build on previous work from the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Program to implement community-driven, data-driven strategies that address norms, opportunities, enforcement, and negative consequences of underage drinking.
A title
Image Box text
Meet the Chairperson
Taylor Setzler
Email: taylor.setzler@ehyfs.org
Taylor holds a dual role at East Haddam Youth & Family Services as the Prevention and Youth Program Coordinator. She develops and coordinates community/school-based intervention and education programs, directed at reducing youth substance use, enhancing positive youth development, and mental-emotional wellbeing. Taylor administers two grants for the organization; a federally funded STOP ACT grant, and state funded Local Prevention Council grant. She also sits as the chair of East Haddam’s Local Prevention Council, holding monthly meetings with key community sectors to stimulate prevention activities and raise awareness of youth substance use.
Get Involved!
You can take part in our work too. We need people who can:
Help us assess the exact substance use problems facing our community
Help plan initiatives and interventions to deal with the specific substance use problems impacting us
Build the pool of knowledge and skills we use to reduce substance use
