Broward County Commission on Substance Abuse

 

BCCSA The United Way of Broward County Commission on Substance Abuse (UWBCCSA) is a broad based substance use/abuse coalition dedicated to reducing substance use/abuse and all its devastating consequences on individuals, families, and communities. 

Today, its primary role is to serve as a coalition-building organization that brokers
partnerships between federal, state and local agencies to foster, develop, and enhance integrated drug-free efforts throughout Broward County, while searching for innovative and effective ways to address the issue of substance use/abuse.
 

Mission:
To empower our diverse community to live healthy and drug-free.

Vision:
To be the nation's most influential, respected, and compassionate leader in addressing substance use and abuse issues. 

Values:
• Quality/Excellence
• Collaboration
• Integrity
• Inclusion


Commission on Substance Abuse Initiatives

Drug Trends Tracking

Epidemiological reports are produced to provide vital community information about current drug trends and alerts.
This trend data in turn serves as the data-driving force and “information in action” behind many of the Commission’s prevention initiatives as well as other dedicated organizations in our community. In collaboration with the Nova Southeastern University’s Center for the Study and Prevention of Substance Abuse produced: Semi-Annual reports on Indicators of Drug Abuse in Broward County, Annual Report on Prescription Drug Misuse and Abuse in Florida and Broward Briefings providing alerts to local emerging substance abuse issues.

This effort is being funded with a grant of over $67,000 by the Department of Children and Families.


Edward Byrne JAG Memorial Grant

The Byrne/JAG Grant Program, created by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, places emphasis on drug-related crime, violent crime, and serious offenders, as well as multi-jurisdictional and interstate efforts to support national drug control priorities. UWBCCSA helps to administer and monitor the Edward Byrne JAG Memorial Grant by investing and supporting critical programming/ services in the area of substance abuse prevention, invention, and treatment. These programs are carried out by local non-profit organizations as well as law enforcement agencies.

  • 20 Stimulus Programs Funded for a total amount of $3,404,081 impacting over 4,031 people throughout Broward County.
  • Byrne/ JAG Stimulus Grant created and/ or retained over 88 Positions, in non-profit organizations community-wide.
  • 13 Countywide Programs Funded for a total amount of $829,368 impacting over 3,770 people throughout Broward County.


Community Empowerment and Family Enrichment

These efforts are being funded with a grant of over $79,000 by the Department of Children and Families.

The Commission on Substance Abuse works in partnership with concerned local communities to address the root-causes of substance use/abuse and its related consequences. Highlighted activities and accomplishments in this initiative include the following:

 

Family Day: Began as a grassroots activity to remind parents that frequent family dinners make a difference. The parental engagement fostered at the dinner table can be a simple, effective tool to help prevent substance abuse in kids. In 2010 over 8,000 people attended local Family Day Events planned by The Commission and its community partners.

This Family Day initiative is being funded by a federal SAMHSA grant for Sobering Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking (STOP) in the amount of $50,000 a year for four years.

 

Guiding Good Choices (GGC): This workshop empowers parents with the skills and knowledge to keep their families drug-free. The workshop is for parents with youth between the ages of 9 to 14 years old. It is offered free to Broward County residents at various sites throughout the county.  Over 900 to 1,000 attendees participate each year via 4 provider agencies across Broward County.

This initiative is being funded in the amount of almost $16,000 by the Department of Children and Families.

 

The Recovery & Resiliency Across the Lifespan and Across Cultures Conference: This Conference increases and promotes an understanding of positive recovery across the developmental lifespan; facilitates dialog between consumers and professionals specializing in working with specific cultures, across the lifecycle, and reducing stigma and barriers to recovery.  Over 100 substance abuse and mental health professionals and consumers participate over the course of this two-day conference.

This conference was originally funded by a federal SAMHSA grant over five years ago, which provided start-up funding.  Through its continuation, the conference is currently supported by sponsorships and participant fees.

 

Youth Initiatives

Broward Youth Coalition (BYC): Over 50 high school drug free youth leaders representing all areas of the local community, meet together on a monthly basis to create, develop and put into action positive, social change activities related to underage drinking, substance use/abuse & other interrelated issues.

This effort is being funded by an Edward Byrne JAG Memorial grant in the amount of $55,800.

Leadership Training Institute: This training institute is organized annually for high school leaders throughout Broward County with a focus on building leadership, coalition-building, community change and advocacy skills. On average over 75 attendees participate each year.

This effort is being funded through general fundraising, donations, sponsorships, and partnerships to allow participants to attend free of charge each year.

Expressions through the Eyes of Youth: An innovative platform where youth were given the opportunity to  express their feelings about peer pressure, teen stigmas, drug and alcohol abuse, successes and failures, and self-esteem through art. Over 400 people attended the end of year performance at Nova Southeastern University. Over 40 students comprise the youth production group, and over 40 additional youth artists submitted over 500 pieces of artwork for this event.

This initiative is being funded by a federal SAMHSA grant for Sobering Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking (STOP) in the amount of $50,000 a year for four years.

Choose Peace; Stop Violence: Community members have begun a movement to create a violence free Broward County by informing, engaging and empowering the entire Broward community to choose peace and stop violence.  This effort will bring together communities, organizations, and community-wide structures already in place to identify and implement proven strategies that will reduce youth violence.

 

Task Forces

The Commission on Substance Abuse acts as a catalyst and convener for addressing and making long-lasting substance use/abuse change at the local, regional, state and national level through its advisory Board of Governors and Task Forces:

Task Force to Address Underage Drinking: Responds to the concerns of the community due to the continued increases in youth alcohol rates and their corresponding risk factor indicators. Currently, the Task Force has worked over 500 volunteer hours to address this issue. Through the Promoting Retailers Education Program (P.R.E.P.) over 150 businesses were provided information on a new local ordinance requiring training as part of their alcohol license permit, and 35 statewide trainers were trained in P.R.E.P. so that they can train vendors/ servers in their communities around the state of Florida.

This effort is being funded by a Florida Department of Children and Families Substance Abuse Response Guide (SARG) grant in the amount of $116,000.

Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force: Driven by data indicating a serious community concern, this task force began in 2002. Dedicated community members of this task force include individuals from our community, such as parents and youth, as well as those from the fields of medicine, research, prevention, pharmaceutical drug companies, pharmacies, coalitions, public health, law enforcement, judiciary, legislative, and education. In 2010 over 300 volunteer hours were worked, and through the promotion of Operation Medicine Cabinet collected nearly 120,226 dosage units of prescription medications. The Commission mobilized community stakeholders by coordinating media messages, implementing awareness activities, funding opportunities and legislative support for the implementation of the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP)

This effort is supported partially by funding from a grant from the Department of Children and Families for $12,000, in addition to a grant of $15,000 from King Pharmaceuticals for the production of family guide booklets.

Emerging Issues Task Force: A dynamic group of community advocates, law enforcement, community leaders, private citizens, and healthcare professionals dedicated to addressing substance use/abuse trends that emerge in our community. The task force addresses community level change through community surveillance, trend analysis, information sharing, and prevention initiatives, while helping to focus community resources for prevention, enforcement, intervention, treatment, and recovery.

This effort is supported by funding from a grant from the Department of Children and Families for $12,000.


For more information on the Broward County Commission on Substance Abuse, visit www.drugfreebroward.org.