Project Grant NH28CE004187

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded The Counseling Center Inc. $125,000 on July 1, 2026, under the Drug-Free Communities Support Program Grants (CFDA 93.276) to fund youth substance use prevention activities in Alamogordo, New Mexico through June 30, 2031.

The Alamogordo Drug-Free Communities Coalition, led by The Counseling Center Inc., will implement a coordinated prevention strategy aligned with the Strategic Prevention Framework and the Seven Strategies for Community-Level Change. The coalition comprises representatives from all 12 federally required sectors and will execute youth leadership development through a Youth Prevention Leadership Council, implement evidence-based prevention programming including Botvin Lifeskills Training, expand motivational interviewing training for adults working with youth, promote safe medication storage education through the "UP and Away" campaign, conduct retailer education and recognition efforts, and coordinate with schools and community partners to strengthen prevention practices. Over the five-year period, the coalition targets reducing past 30-day marijuana use among high school students from 26.1% to 21.1%, reducing alcohol use by 5 percentage points, reducing e-cigarette use by 3 percentage points, and reducing prescription drug misuse by 3 percentage points, as measured by the Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey.

Performance occurs in Alamogordo, New Mexico, located within 90 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, where elevated youth substance use rates reflect geographic isolation, proximity to narcotics trafficking corridors, and high local availability of cannabis, alcohol, and vaping products.