Heartland prevention project: empowering youth, strengthening community - the mission of the marion county heartland coalition is to prevent and reduce substance misuse, with a primary focus on…

The Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded Lincoln Trail District Health Department $250,000 under the Drug-Free Communities Support Program Grants (CFDA 93.276) on July 1, 2026, for the Heartland Prevention Project to prevent and reduce substance misuse among youth and families in Marion County, Kentucky.

The project will educate middle and high school students and the general public on the risks of alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco misuse; provide positive constructive activities including drug-free Friday night events and after-school enrichment to reduce idle and unsupervised time; deliver evidence-based curriculum in schools; eliminate barriers to youth participation in support services for at-risk youth; maintain the Credible Mind online wellness platform; re-educate the community on the social host ordinance; conduct a youth-led mapping project to identify perceived safe and unsafe areas; and expand coalition membership and services. The program will also include family members, caregivers, and school personnel in training.

The recipient is Lincoln Trail District Health Department, a public health organization serving Marion County. The period of performance runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031. Place of performance is Kentucky. The Drug-Free Communities Support Program establishes and strengthens collaborations among community coalitions to support prevention and reduction of substance use among youth eighteen years of age and younger.

Heartland prevention project: empowering youth, strengthening community - the mission of the marion county heartland coalition is to prevent and reduce substance misuse, with a primary focus on youth and families, and to actively promote and support wellness initiatives for all marion county residents by building partnerships, creating awareness, networking, and sharing knowledge. Data shows that many of our young people are experimenting with substances at 12 years old or younger. Many state that alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco are easily accessible and that they tend to use in their own home or at the home of a friend. In addition, there is a lack of things to do for youth in our rural community and our region is highly impacted by the bourbon industry. Factors affecting our youth include poverty, family addiction, grandparents raising grandchildren, mental health issues (anxiety and depression), youth incarceration, peer use of substances, and strong media influence. To establish and strengthen collaborations and reduce substance use among middle and high school youth in marion county, we will: • educate students and the general public on the risks of substance misuse, specifically alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco; • provide opportunities that offer positive constructive activities to help reduce the amount of idle and unsupervised time they are experiencing; • eliminate barriers that prohibit youth from taking part in activities such as drug-free friday night events, enrichment activities after school, and support services to identified, at-risk youth; • provide evidence-based curriculum in schools; • continue to offer credible mind, an online platform that focuses on wellness; • RE-educate the community on our social host ordinance; • identify areas in the community perceived as safe and unsafe through a youth-led mapping project; • expand coalition membership and services that are provided to our local communities; • include family/caregivers & school personnel in training, education, & engagement to create a more positive and caring environment at home and school for our youth; • aim to ensure that all students feel safe, supported, and connected, as much as possible. In the next five years, we will expand our educational campaign to include community forums, presentations, parent simulations/trainings, life skills workshops, cessation classes, and parent cafes. The project team will work with our local schools to create and update policies that pertain to substance use and focus on support, not punishment. The project will address the issue of safety and transportation barriers, as well as the underage sale of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis and educate local businesses on the impact of underage sales. Our outcomes include increased knowledge of the impact of substance use, increased positive interactions between youth and adults, increased parent engagement, improved perceived risk of alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco, expansion of our coalition, reduced risk factors, increased protective factors, increased access to positive activities, and a reduction in 30-day substance use among youth. Outcomes will be measured through the use of a survey given to youth annually, starting in our first year of funding to measure reduction in substance use. Other outcomes will be measured through the use of pre- and post-tests, attendance records, and active coalition members.