Lincoln county, maine, strategic prevention framework - the geographic catchment area for our proposed SPF project is lincoln county, maine, a rural county on the mid-coast of maine, located along the…

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded Medical Care Development Inc. $250,000 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.492) to implement a Strategic Prevention Framework initiative in Lincoln County, Maine.

The project builds capacity for substance abuse prevention in Lincoln County, a rural coastal county comprising 19 towns and one island in midcoastal Maine. Medical Care Development Inc., a Maine-based nonprofit public health institute, is implementing the initiative in collaboration with local schools and community members, with emphasis on middle school capacity building. The target population is children under 18, approximately 4,750 of whom are ages five through 17 in the county.

The award period runs from September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2031, with place of performance in Damariscotta, Maine. Lincoln County, classified entirely rural by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy with population density of 77.3 people per square mile, faces geographic isolation challenges from its peninsula-marked coastal terrain that exacerbate transportation barriers and rural isolation. The CSAP program supports prevention and early intervention strategies through grants to states, tribes, and communities, focusing on protecting access to quality healthcare, expanding community-based prevention programs, and promoting youth-focused healthy behaviors to reduce preventable substance use.

Lincoln county, maine, strategic prevention framework - the geographic catchment area for our proposed SPF project is lincoln county, maine, a rural county on the mid-coast of maine, located along the atlantic ocean in the heart of maine's seafood and tourist industries. Comprising 19 towns and one island, the federal office of rural health policy has classified our coastal county as entirely rural. The population density is 77.3 people per square mile (census). Most people, 91.3% live in a low population density area (less than 2,000 housing units and less than 5,000 people), compared to 61.4% of people statewide. Our county's coastal geography is marked by numerous peninsulas, which can add longer driving distances and exacerbate rural isolation issues and transportation challenges. Healthy lincoln county (HLC) serves all county residents. Our SPF population of focus is children under the age of 18. According to U.S. Census estimates, lincoln county is home to approximately 6,000 children, among whom about 4,750 children are over the age of five and under 18. Our proposed project focuses on capacity building in collaboration with the local schools and community members, with a special focus on the needs in middle schools.