Last Updated on February 17, 2022 by Cass County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition
Logansport, IN– On Monday, January 31, Cass County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition was one of 178 community coalitions honored during a graduation ceremony at CADCA’s (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) 32nd Annual National Leadership Forum, just outside of Washington, D.C. The coalitions received a graduation certificate for completing CADCA’s [National Coalition Academy, a rigorous training program designed to increase the effectiveness of community substance use and misuse prevention leaders.
“The learning opportunities the Drug Free Communities grant has provided our coalition is amazing. We are honored to receive the National recognition and we look forward to continuing coalition training opportunities.”
The coalition recently worked on dividing its members into three different Action Teams dependent on interests. The Data Collection Team, Training and Public Engagement Team, and the Youth Recruitment Team. These teams are active member organizations/individuals in the community with professional and personal goals that align with the coalition’s work. We are working on planning some events for the community and possibly bringing together multiple agencies and organizations on collected efforts. The group is making huge strides in positive community engagement. It is exciting to see the collaboration within this group. It gives us high hopes for the future of our community.
CADCA’s National Coalition Academy (NCA) is a comprehensive, year-long training program developed by CADCA’s National Coalition Institute. The NCA incorporates three, week-long classroom sessions, a web-based distance learning component, an online workstation where participants network and share planning products and free ongoing coalition development technical assistance. To graduate, coalitions must complete a rigorous curriculum. They must participate in all components of the NCA and complete five essential planning products that serve as the foundation of their comprehensive plan for community change.
CADCA’s Graduate Coalition Academy (GCA) completed its inaugural year and was designed to take coalitions to the next step of tracking implementation and reporting the long, intermediate and short-term outcomes of their efforts. Participants of the GCA were taught and mentored to enhance their effect in the community by improving their community assessment and logic models, developing comprehensive strategies targeting local conditions and monitoring and tracking coalition and community implementation efforts to achieve coalition objectives.
CADCA’s National Leadership Forum is a four-day event packed with opportunities to learn the latest strategies to address substance use and misuse. Attendees have to opportunity to hear and learn from nationally prevention experts, federal administrators and concerned policymakers.
Forum brings together approximately 2,500 attendees representing coalitions from all regions of the country and internationally, government leaders, youth, prevention specialists, addiction treatment professionals, addiction recovery advocates, researchers, educators, law enforcement professionals and faith-based leaders. It is the largest training event for the prevention field.
The Coalition’s mission is to create a safer and healthier community by establishing and strengthening collaborations, while working together to reduce substance abuse in youth and their families.
About CADCA
The mission of CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) is to strengthen the capacity of community coalitions to create and maintain safe, healthy and drug-free communities globally. This is accomplished by providing coalition development assistance and training, public policy advocacy, special events, media strategies and marketing programs.