Building resilient communities: a rural prevention coalition initiative to reduce youth alcohol and opioid use in lyon and storey counties - healthy communities coalition of lyon and storey counties…

The Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded $125,000 to the Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon & Storey Counties on July 1, 2026, under the Drug-Free Communities Support Program Grants (CFDA 93.276).

The recipient will implement a five-year community-level prevention initiative across Lyon and Storey Counties, Nevada, to reduce youth alcohol and opioid misuse. Key activities include promoting community-specific prevention messaging through public service announcements, social media, school events, and town halls; providing community action kits and trainings for parents, coalition members, and leaders on prevention strategies, trauma-informed care, and youth engagement; and expanding positive youth engagement opportunities. The project aims to achieve a 2 percent reduction in youth reporting first-time alcohol use before age 13, a 5 percent reduction in high school students reporting lifetime alcohol use, increased youth perception of harm from opioid and alcohol use, increased parental disapproval of youth substance use, and a 10 percent annual increase in coalition engagement. Work is guided by the Strategic Prevention Framework and integrates evidence-based practices within schools and community settings.

The period of performance runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031. The DFC Support Program's purpose is to establish and strengthen collaborations among community coalitions working to prevent and reduce substance use among youth by addressing risk factors and promoting protective factors in communities.

Building resilient communities: a rural prevention coalition initiative to reduce youth alcohol and opioid use in lyon and storey counties - healthy communities coalition of lyon and storey counties (HCC) proposes a comprehensive, community-level initiative to reduce youth alcohol and non-prescription opioid use in rural nevada. The purpose of the project is to delay the initiation of alcohol use before age 13, increase youth perception of harm associated with opioid misuse, and strengthen coalition capacity to support long-term prevention efforts. The project will be implemented across lyon and storey counties, large, frontier regions with limited resources but strong, established cross-sector collaboration. Over the five-year project period, the initiative aims to achieve measurable outcomes including a 2% reduction in youth reporting first-time alcohol use before age 13, a 5% reduction in high school students reporting lifetime alcohol use, an increase in youth perception of harm from opioid and alcohol use, increased parental disapproval of youth substance use, and a 10% annual increase in coalition engagement. The work will be guided by the strategic prevention framework and the seven strategies for community-level change, integrating evidence-based practices within schools and community settings. Key activities include: 1) providing information to build awareness: HCC will promote inclusive, community-specific prevention messaging via psas, social media, school events, town halls, and youth-created content to ensure accurate, accessible substance use information reaches all sectors of the community. 2) building skills across the community: community action kits and trainings will be provided for parents, coalition members, and leaders on prevention strategies, trauma-informed care, and youth engagement, building long-term prevention capacity. 3) providing support and positive opportunities: HCC will expand positive youth engagement opportunities such as after-school programs and service clubs to reduce risk factors and promote connection in rural settings with limited structured activities. 4) enhancing access and reducing barriers: mobile resource fairs, updated service directories, and outreach partnerships will bring prevention resources directly to youth and families, addressing barriers like transportation and system navigation. 5)changing consequences to support youth: HCC will promote restorative responses over punitive measures, encouraging alternatives that focus on education and growth. Recognition programs will support positive behavior among youth and community partners. 6) changing the physical environment to reduce risk: youth-led assessments will inform environmental changes such as improved lighting and supervised public spaces to reduce risk factors and enhance community safety. 7)educating about and supporting policy change: HCC will collaborate with law enforcement, healthcare, and government partners to advocate for policies that limit youth access to substances and improve medication disposal, while engaging the public in policy education and implementation. The project is led by 2 certified prevention specialists with over 12 years of combined experience in program management and cross-sector collaboration. The public information/media relations staff member brings over 20 years of community substance use prevention experience. All lead staff and the agency's executive director reside in the service area, bringing deep local knowledge and lived experience to their roles. Evaluation will be conducted by an external evaluator in partnership with the project coordinator and director to meet DFC cross-site evaluation requirements and share findings for continuous improvement and stakeholder engagement. Together, these strategies will build lasting community capacity, reduce youth substance use, and lay the foundation for long-term public health improvements in lyon and storey counties.