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Home My WebLink AboutS - Grant - The Community Backyard: Endorse 2005 Drug Free Communities Support Grant ApplicationORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: March 1, 2005 Action Agenda Item No. 5 - k SUBJECT: The Community Backyard: Endorse 2005 Drug- Free Communities Support Grant Application DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): 1. Request from the Community Back Yard 2. Draft Letter of Support INFORMATION CONTACT: Gwen Harvey, Assistant County Manager, ext 2300 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To request Board endorsement for a grant being sought by The Community Backyard under the federal 2005 Drug Free Communities Support Grant Fund to help address adolescent substance abuse prevention and treatment in Orange and Chatham counties. BACKGROUND: The Community Backyard is a consortium of youth serv'tt>Q: agencies in Orange and Chatham counties whose membership includes the Orange County Health Department, Social Services, and the Orange-Chatham Justice Partnership. The consortium is seeking Federal grant funding in an amount up to $100,000 a year for five years from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 2005 Drug Free Communities Support.Grant Fund to meet two main objectives in Orange. and Chatham counties: (1) substance abuse reduction among youth by addressing risk factors, and (2) strengthened coordination and collaboration among private and non-profit partners and government to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth. The recent Orange County Health Assessment Report sited substance abuse as one of the highest priorities within the County. Grant applications are due on March 11, 2005 In initially contacting the County Manager's Office about the grant application and a desire that the County pledge or provide an in-kind and cash contribution in anticipation of the grant award in the total amount of $10,000, The Community Backyard was informed a financial request would need to be addressed within the County's outside agency grant application process consideration. Outside agency grant applications for FY2005-06 are also due to the County on March 11. Attachment 1 is the request from The Community Backyard for a formal letter of support from the Orange County Board of Commissioners to be included in the grant application package. 2 Attachment 2 is a draft letter from the Board. The Chatham County Board took action to support The Community Backyard grant application on February 21. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with endorsing the grant application as submitted. There is no written or verbal agreement for any in-kind or cash funds from Orange County expressed or implied within this grant application or proposed Letter of Support. Should the grant application be successful, The Community Backyard will be required to secure adollar-for-dollar match in either in-kind services and/or cash from other sources. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve a Letter of Support to The Community Backyard fora 2005 Drug Free Communities Support Grant and authorize the Chair to sign. 3 The: j n. ICS O, ~ i ~u 'N' " ~T ' 13~c ~2rd Working kog¢kher for our chiAdr¢n and ~h¢i.r famili¢S Honorory Board Ms. Gwen Harvey Orange County Government 200 South Cameron Street Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 Dear Gwen: February 23, 2005 versa Insko Thanks again for taking the time to consider supporting The Community l ~~~ and Backyard'sapplication for SAMHSA's 2005 Drug Free Communities Lil ian Lee Gary Phillips Support grant (for more information on the grant you can visit Rosemary Waldorf , WWW.dfc.samhsa.gOV). To review, the grant has two main objectives: Advisory Board • to reduce substance abuse among youth and, over time, among adults Cathy Diederich The Chrysalis Foundation by addressing the factors in a community that increase the risk of Debra Farrington substance abuse and promoting the factors that minimize the risk of OPC Mental Heath substance abuse. Jerri Fritzo Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools • to establish and strengthen collaboration among communities, private Peggy Hamlett Dept. of Juvenile Justice, District 15 B non rofit a encies, and Federal, State, and local overnments to l~ g g support the efforts of community coalitions to prevent and reduce Maria Hitt Orange County Health Deportment substance abuse among youth. Carolyn Ikenberry OPC Mental Health Adolescent substance abuse prevention and treatment is one of the five key Prudence F. Meehan areas in which The Community Backyard is doing its work. We have Community Member established the Substance Abuse Treatment Training Institute for public Amy Rabb agency professionals lri Orange and Chatham counties. We have brought Childcare Networks, Inc. together nationally recognized experts in the field of prevention, assessment, Denise Shaffer treatment and evaluation to inform and advise our local communities. And Oronge County Dept. of Social Services we have partnered with grassroots groups that have taken on the reduction of Sheila Sholes-Ross Communities in Schools of Orange County adolescent use and abuse as their mission. Adele Spitz Roth Community Member Aware that substance abuse is one of the highest priorities sited in the recent Trish Vandersea Orange County Health Assessment, we are hopeful that adolescent substance Orange-Chatham Justice Partnership is a focus of Orange County's leadership as well. Should we be awarded this Elizabeth vckery grant we will create and administer a robust coalition within the county to Family Advocate work with everyone who has a vested interest in this area (the schools, Lynne Wentworth mental health, social services, juvenile justice, retailers, faith community, Guardian ad Litem Program, District 15 B parents, and youth). We will develop county-wide strategies to measurably ExeMive Director reduce substance use among youth. These strategies will center around each school system and the myriad stakeholders who are involved with the Isabel 6effner The Community Backyard 100 Europa Drivc Suite 490 Chapel Hill, NC, 27537 919-932-2626 irgeffner@communitybackyard.org 4 students at each. We can be awarded as much as $100,000 for each of five years to accomplish our work (which includes our efforts in Chatham County). We are required to secure adollar-for-dollar match in either in-kind services and/or cash. We understand from you that Orange County has decided not to offer financial support for our application. We are disappointed by this. Nevertheless, we ask Orange County to consider writing a letter of support for our efforts. Attached is a sample letter you may choose to work from. Should the County agree to offer this letter of support, please submit it to me on County letterhead. The application deadline for the grant is March 11, 2005. We hope that Orange County can support The Community Backyard's application for this federal grant in the manner outlined here. Please do not hesitate to call upon me if you need any additional information. Thanks so much again, Sincerely, Isabel Geffner Executive Director Enc. 5 DRAFT LETTER To Whom It May Concern at Drug Free Communities Support Program: The County Commissioners of Orange County, North Carolina submit this letter in support of the application of The Community Backyazd fora 2005 Drug Free Communities Support Program grant We are encouraged by the work of The Community Backyard and its Coalition to Reduce Underage Alcohol and Drug Use aze pursuing. We support the Coalition's efforts to develop two Committees around the school systems in our County and to engage fully all those who have an impact on the environment in which we aze raising our young people. We believe that participation in the Coalition's work to educate our community about the risks and consequences of underage drinking and drug use will result in new policies and practices that will benefit the entire community. We join the Coalition in its determination to reduce the prevalence of adolescent drinking and drug use in our county and the opportunity that exists to achieve lasting change. Sincerely, Moses Carey, Jr. Chair, Orange County Board of Commissioners MOSESCAREY, JR., CHA/R ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BARRY JACOBS, V/GE CHA/R POS'1" OFFICE BOX 818'I VALER/E P. FOUSHEE ALICE M. GORDON 200 SOUTH CAMERON STREET STEPHEN H. HALK/OT/S HILLSBOROUGH, NORTH CAROLINA 27278 March 1, 2005 Ms. Isabel Geffner, Executive Director The Community Backyard 100 Europa Drive, Suite 490 Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27517 Dear Ms Geffner, ~~~~i'~% The County Commissioners of Orange County, North Carolina submit this letter in support of the application of The Community Backyard fora 2005 Drug free Communities Support Program grant. We are encouraged by the work of The Community Backyard and its Coalition to Reduce Underage Alcohol and Drug Use. We support the Coalition's efforts to develop two Committees around the school systems in our County and to engage fully all those who have an impact on the environment in which we are raising our young people. We believe that participation in the Coalition's work to educate our community about the risks and consequences of underage drinking and drug use will result in new policies and practices that will benefit the entire community. We join the Coalition in its determination to reduce the prevalence of adolescent drinking and drug use in our county and the opportunity that exists to achieve lasting change. Sincer 1 , Moses Carey, Jr. Chair, Orange County Board of C issioners WWW. CO.ORANGE. NC. US PROTECT/NG AND PRESERV/NG -PEOPLE, RESOURCES, QUALITY OF L/FE ORANGE COUNTY, NORTH CAROL/NA -YOU COUNT./ (919) 242130 • FAX (919) 644-0246