More About Our Vision & Mission...
Drug Free Communities (DFC) grantees are required to work toward our two goals as the primary focus of their Federally-funded effort. Grants awarded through the DFC Program are intended to support established community-based coalitions capable of effecting community-level change.
7 Strategies for community change
1. Providing Information
Educational presentations, workshops or seminars or other presentations of data (e.g., public announcements, brochures, dissemination, billboards, community meetings, forums, web-based communication).
3. Providing Support
Creating opportunities to support people to participate in activities that reduce risk or enhance protection (e.g., providing alternative activities, mentoring, referrals, support groups or clubs).
2. Enhancing Skills
Workshops, seminars or other activities designed to increase the skills of participants, members and staff needed to achieve population level outcomes (e.g., training, technical assistance, distance learning, strategic planning retreats, curricula development).
4. Enhancing Access/ Reducing Barriers
Improving systems and processes to increase the ease, ability and opportunity to utilize those systems and services (e.g., assuring healthcare, childcare, transportation, housing, justice, education, safety, special needs, cultural and language sensitivity).
5.Changing Consequences (Incentives/disincentives)
Increasing or decreasing the probability of a specific behavior that reduces risk or enhances protection by altering the consequences for performing that behavior (e.g., increasing public recognition for deserved behavior, individual and business rewards, taxes, citations, fines, revocations/loss of privileges).
7.Modifying/Changing Policies
Formal change in written procedures, by-laws, proclamations, rules or laws with written documentation and/or voting procedures (e.g., workplace initiatives, law enforcement procedures and practices, public policy actions, systems change within government, communities and organizations).
6. Physical Design
Changing the physical design or structure of the environment to reduce risk or enhance protection (e.g., parks, landscapes, signage, lighting, outlet density).
More Details...
We are on a mission...
Taos Alive Coalition is a community based coalition whose main goal is to reduce substance abuse among Taos County youth through environmental strategies and coalition work. Taos Alive is funded by a Drug Free Communities Grant under the Office of National Drug Control Policy (DFC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA). Taos Alive received its first year of funding to provide support in Taos County in October of 2010.
Taos Alive began its inception under Rocky Mountain Youth Corps OSAP grant from the New Mexico Department of Health where its main goal was to reduce underage drinking and drinking and driving in Taos County Youth.
During this time Taos CARES Health Council was an active Council in the Taos Community focusing on the Health of Taos County through collaborative efforts. One of the main areas of work for the council was substance abuse prevention. So in the spring of 2010 Taos CARES Health Council in collaboration with Clean Air Works in Taos County, Taos Municipal Schools Substance Abuse Program, i2i-Institute, Taos Municipal School Tobacco Prevention Program, Tri County Community Services Prevention Program and Rocky Mountain Youth Corps Prevention Program applied for DFC funding to fund the Taos Community in its efforts to reduce substance abuse.
Taos Alive is funded through September 30, 2015 with the ability to apply for 5 more years of funding at this time. The DFC grant requires that Taos Alive gain 100% inkind donation from the Taos Community in order to sustain its efforts and DFC funding.
From the work that Taos Alive has done in the community, there are several sub-committee's that have formed to address the specific needs of the community. These sub-committee's include the Prescription Drug Abuse Initiative, Media Advisory Group, School Wellness Committee, By-Laws Committee, Evaluation Committee, DFC Core Team and others arise to meet the community needs.