Sunrise county partnerships for success - our project, titled sunrise county partnerships for success will implement community-driven, collaborative efforts to prevent and reduce substance use and its…

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Prevention) awarded Healthy Acadia $250,000 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.492).

The project, titled Sunrise County Partnerships for Success, implements community-driven collaborative efforts to prevent and reduce substance use and related problems throughout rural, underserved Washington County, Maine and the Passamaquoddy Tribe. The award funds two primary goals through September 29, 2031: expand and strengthen the capacity of prevention partners to develop and implement locally driven evidence-based and evidence-informed strategies to prevent and reduce substance use and its related problems, and prevent and reduce substance use among youth, young adults, and adults through programming that strengthens protective factors, reduces risk factors, builds resilience, and promotes well-being.

Activities include convening the Washington County Substance Use Response Collaborative with monthly meetings, establishing a Youth Advisory Committee within the collaborative to provide meaningful input and co-development on all project aspects, conducting needs and community readiness assessments to identify substance use priorities and community capacity, and engaging with the Prevention Technology Transfer Center, Strategic Prevention Technical Assistance Center, state partners, and other prevention programs.

Place of performance is Machias, Maine.

Sunrise county partnerships for success - our project, titled sunrise county partnerships for success will implement community-driven, collaborative efforts to prevent and reduce substance use and its related problems and strengthen local capacity throughout the rural, underserved region of washington county, maine and the passamaquoddy tribe. We will utilize evidence-based and informed strategies to increase protective factors and decrease risk factors, build resilience, and promote well-being among youth, young adults, and adults. The entire region is highly rural, faces extreme and persistent poverty, faces high levels of substance use disorder, and faces significant additional health challenges. Project goals are: 1) expand and strengthen the capacity of prevention partners to collaboratively develop and implement locally-driven evidence-based and evidence-informed strategies, in order to prevent and reduce substance use and its related problems by september 29, 2031; and 2) prevent and reduce substance use and its related problems among youth, young adults, and adults through implementation of programming that strengthens protective factors, reduces risk factors, builds resilience, and promotes well-being, by september 29, 2031. Objectives for goal 1 include to: 1.1): convene the washington county substance use response collaborative (WC surc); facilitate discussion and guidance on the project in monthly meetings; 1.2) convene a youth advisory committee within the WC surc to provide meaningful input and CO-development on all aspects of the project; 1.3) conduct a needs assessment, using up-to-date data, to identify substance use priorities; 1.4) conduct a community readiness assessment to assess community capacity to address the identified substance use priorities; 1.5) connect and engage with the prevention technology transfer center (pttc), strategic prevention technical assistance center (sptac), the state, and other prevention programs and partners; 1.6) utilize an evidence-based partnerships assessment tool to identify additional key cross-sector partners and anchor institutions and engage identified partners; 1.7) develop a logic model; 1.8) identify risk and protective factors that are key drivers of our priorities, and related programs, policies, and/or practices; and 1.9) establish a communications plan, in collaboration with other SPF-PFS recipients, the state, and other prevention programs. Objectives for goal 2 include: 2.1) develop an implementation plan; 2.2) deliver prevention services to be detailed in the implementation plan, with regular guidance from and engagement with the community and with continued monitoring and modifications as needed; 2.3) establish an evaluation plan with process and outcome measures; 2.6) implement the evaluation plan; 2.7) participate fully in all aspects of a cross-site evaluation, if applicable. Likely strategies in the implementation plan will include facilitating schools, community organizations, and tribal entities to provide resilience-building opportunities and substance prevention supports; providing youth leadership and apprenticeship-based learning opportunities, evidence-based substance prevention and mindfulness programming, and educational campaigns, forums, and trainings. Annually, we estimate serving at least 7,000 people indirectly through media campaigns, and a minimum of 900 youth and adults directly through in-depth programs and services. Over the five years, we will engage 21,000 people indirectly and 3,800 people directly. Together, collaborative partners will make a significant, long-lasting positive impact on reducing substance use and building resilience and well-being across washington county, maine and the passamaquoddy tribe.