Project Grant NH28CE004158

The Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded $125,000 to Northeastern Wisconsin Area Health Education Center, Incorporated on July 1, 2026, under the Drug-Free Communities Support Program Grants (CFDA 93.276).

The Two Rivers Partners in Prevention Coalition will reduce youth substance use and its consequences in Two Rivers, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, a semi-rural community of approximately 11,271 residents. The coalition's work plan, grounded in SAMHSA's Strategic Prevention Framework, focuses on enhancing protective factors, shifting community norms, increasing perception of risk, and reducing access and availability of alcohol, marijuana, and vape products. Strategies include school-based prevention programs, youth-led peer education through the Youth Coalition, parent training workshops, and policy change efforts. The award spans five years from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031.

A comprehensive needs assessment identified early substance use initiation, low perceived harm, and easy social access to alcohol and vape products as key risk factors among youth. Mental health indicators were also alarming: over half of high school students reported anxiety, 22 percent engaged in self-harm, and 11 percent attempted suicide. Secondary challenges include bullying, food insecurity, and limited access to behavioral health services due to the community's semi-rural geography.

The Drug-Free Communities Support Program establishes and strengthens collaborations among community coalitions, public and private nonprofits, and federal, state, local, and tribal governments to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth. Recipient organizations must demonstrate at least six months of prior collaborative work, provide 100–150 percent cash or in-kind match, and participate in program evaluation.