Phoenix community prevention collaborative: a cross-sector community partnership to reduce youth substance use

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded Southwest Behavioral Health Services Inc. $588,198 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.492) to implement the Phoenix Community Prevention Collaborative, a citywide substance use prevention initiative serving Phoenix, Arizona.

Southwest Behavioral Health Services will operate the PCPC using SAMHSA's Strategic Prevention Framework across five steps—assessment, capacity building, planning, implementation, and evaluation—to strengthen prevention infrastructure and cross-sector collaboration. The initiative targets adolescents ages 11–18 and transitional-age youth ages 18–25, with capacity-building efforts extending to schools, healthcare providers, behavioral health agencies, parents and caregivers, youth-serving organizations, and community leaders across a catchment area of more than 1.6 million residents. The project addresses local increases in overdose deaths and high rates of youth alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, and e-cigarette use by expanding access to evidence-based prevention strategies and building provider knowledge capacity.

Southwest Behavioral Health Services will convene collaborative partners including Arizona State University, the City of Phoenix, Arizona HIDTA, the Arizona Governor's Office of Youth, Faith and Family, schools, behavioral health providers, and other community stakeholders to align prevention efforts.

Period of performance runs from September 30, 2026 through September 29, 2031. Place of performance is Phoenix, AZ 85040.

Abstract

Southwest behavioral health (SB & h), one of arizona's largest nonprofit behavioral health organizations, proposes to implement the phoenix community prevention collaborative (pcpc), a citywide initiative designed to strengthen substance use prevention capacity across the city of phoenix, arizona, through implementation of the substance abuse and mental health services administration (samhsa) strategic prevention framework (SPF). Serving a catchment area of more than 1.6 million residents, the project addresses the growing burden of youth substance use and behavioral health challenges by building sustainable prevention infrastructure, enhancing cross-sector collaboration, and expanding access to evidence-based prevention strategies. The project's primary populations of focus are adolescents (ages 11-18) and transitional-age youth (ages 18-25), with capacity-building efforts extending to schools, healthcare providers, behavioral health agencies, parents and caregivers, youth-serving organizations, and community leaders. Recent local data demonstrate increasing overdose deaths and continued high rates of youth alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, and e-cigarette use, lack of connection to community, and attitudes favorable to antisocial behavior coupled with a dearth of stable evidence based programming and vast inconsistencies in provider knowledge base underscoring the need for a coordinated, community-wide prevention response. Using the five-step strategic prevention framework, assessment, capacity building, planning, implementation, and evaluation, SB & h will convene the pcpc to align prevention efforts among arizona state university, the city of phoenix, arizona hidta, the arizona governor's office of youth, faith and family, schools, behavioral health providers, and other community stakeholders. The project will conduct comprehensive community assessments, establish a youth advisory council, provide workforce and professional development, and technical assistance; implement evidence-based prevention strategies, strengthen referral pathways, and increase community awareness through education and outreach. Southwest behavioral health (SB & h) with more than 30 years of experience, provides integrated behavioral health, substance use prevention, treatment, recovery, and community-based services through a comprehensive continuum of care in partnership with schools, healthcare organizations, local governments, and community agencies across the state. Arizona state university will serve as the evaluation partner, supporting data collection, performance measurement, continuous quality improvement, and samhsa reporting requirements. Together, this partnership will address samhsa's strategic priorities by preventing substance misuse, abuse, and addiction in phoenix, AZ. Project outcomes include strengthened prevention infrastructure, increased organizational capacity, improved cross-sector coordination, expanded implementation of evidence-based prevention practices, enhanced workforce competency, and increased protective factors for youth and families. By establishing a sustainable citywide prevention collaborative, the project will create a coordinated prevention system and highly trained workforce capable of building and sustaining the infrastructure that reduces substance use risk, promotes resilience, and improves long-term behavioral health outcomes for youth and families throughout phoenix.