[email protected]

Facebook Twitter Instagram Linkedin Youtube

Spokane, WA

Get in touch

About Us

New Prevention

NEW Prevention comprises nine community prevention coalitions, all of which are part of the NorthEast Washington Educational Service District (NEWESD) 101 region.
  • The West Spokane Wellness Partnership began its implementation in 2011, with the East Valley Community Coalition forming in early 2013.
  • The Northeast, Shadle and Cheney Coalitions began their formation in late 2018.
  • In 2021 and 2022, the Colfax, Wilbur-Creston, Reardan and Springdale coalitions joined the NEWESD 101 family.
These coalitions are a part of the statewide Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative (CPWI), with one also identified as a federal Drug-Free Communities grantee
CPWI is a community- and school-based model for delivering prevention programs and strategies to reduce underage use of alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, and other drugs. This model uses a data-informed, community-level decision-making process to determine root social and emotional causes to identify gaps in the system.
WhatsApp Image 2022-08-25 at 6.32.45 PM (1)

What exactly is a coalition?

A coalition is an organization that works to help empower its community through education and substance use prevention strategies, in order to promote and support a safe and healthy environment.
Coalitions
Resources
Programs

What does a coalition do?

Each NEW Prevention coalition prioritizes collaboration and partnership with its community members to promote positive change. To ensure a broad range of representation, each coalition strives to have within its leadership at least eight active representatives from the following sectors:
Youth
Parents
Business Community
Media
Schools
Youth-serving Organizations
Law enforcement
Religious or fraternal organizations
Business Community
Healthcare professionals
Civic and volunteer groups
State or local government
Behavioral Health Treatment Services
Prevention organizations
Coalitions use a variety of strategies to promote prevention in their communities based on the current needs and ability to leverage resources available. This includes programs like parenting classes, youth prevention activities at local high schools, and large public awareness campaigns including prescription drug take back events.
What exactly do coalitions do?

We design initiatives to prevent and reduce substance use and misuse among youth. To do so, we establish and strengthen collaboration among communities, public and private non-profit agencies, as well as federal, state, local, and tribal governments . We also analyze local data, such as the Healthy Youth Survey, which is taken by high school students in Washington State.

 

Using resources already available in the community and the support of sector representation, each coalition tries to determine the root causes of risky behaviors that might indicate substance use. By looking at root causes, the coalition can identify strategies, like prevention programs and community activities, to help support and protect youth and their families.

What outcomes do we strive for?

Resiliency and Wellness Promotion

Each coalition strives eto create foundations for resilient communities that can work together to survive the hard stuff—and come out better on the other side.

A Stronger Community

Youth substance use can hurt the health and safety of our communities. When we prevent early use of alcohol, prescription drugs, marijuana, etc. we can also prevent the costs of substance abuse and addiction, family violence, poverty and crime.

Bias-free Support for Underserved Populations

Working within the many contexts of our communities, we strive to offer services that are free of barriers and stigma. Our coalitions also seek to leverage the work of other available resources in our community, addressing any gaps where and when we can.



Interrupted Cycles of Trauma and Poverty

We work to identify factors that exist within our community that have strong correlations to substance abuse, trauma, violence, etc. By identifying these “risk” factors, we can help amplify or introduce prevention strategies to buffer and reduce negative effects and impact.
How do we do it?

The Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative is a community- and school-based model for delivering prevention programs and strategies to reduce underage use of alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, and other drugs. This model uses a data-informed, community-level decision making process to determine root social and emotional causes to identify gaps in the system. Each coalition prioritizes collaboration and partnership with its community members to promote positive change in the community.

 

Priorities of CPWI coalitions include reducing underage drinking, marijuana, and opioid misuse and abuse among youth.

2
Educating parents and students
Ten diverse, African American, Asian, caucasian, East Indian, young adults illustrating teamwork.
Engaging community members and organizing community prevention activities
Smiling group of people walking together outdoors
Reducing availability and promotion of substances
1
Engaging in policy work to support enforcement efforts
3
Reduce favorable attitudes toward substances among youth and adults
5
Encourage parents to talk to their kids and set family guidelines
9
Encourage youth to commit to school and provide them with opportunities and activities to be substance free
13
Increasing the perception of harm associated with all substances

Contact Info

Quick Links

Scroll to Top