Substance abuse is an important issue in southwest Colorado communities and El Pomar’s Southwest Council recently created their own program to address this issue.  The Regional Substance Abuse Prevention Program (RSAPP) is a multi-year substance abuse program oriented toward youth. It is customized for each of six southwest communities in which it will be implemented – La Plata, Archuleta, San Juan, Montezuma and Dolores counties, and Fort Lewis College in Durango. 

"The long-term goals of RSAPP are to reduce substance abuse by youth and to increase protective factors for youth in the southwest region,” said program coordinator and Southwest Council Member Chuck McAfee.

RSAPP’s mission is to support unprecedented regional collaboration in a coordinated fight against substance abuse, by providing funding and support for initiatives that address substance abuse issues and its contributing factors.  RSAPP began in fall 2006 with a $75,000 grant from the Council. 

The Council established the overall program theme and vision, and implemented a blanket steering committee with representatives from each of the six communities.  The representatives’ role is to create a multi-faceted plan customized to their community to fight substance abuse locally.  Steering committee members represent 21 southwest organizations, including Southwest Colorado Mental Health Center, Southern Ute Indian Tribe, San Juan County Public Health, and the Dolores County Sheriff’s Office.  Additionally, OMNI is providing technical support and consultation through their Southwest Regional Prevention Consultant, Rebecca Larson. 

“Each county in the region, plus Fort Lewis College, is developing a project that is customized for their particular situation.  At the same time, the structure of the program encourages the local groups to collaborate with each other and to learn from each other as they proceed,” said McAfee.  “Each planning group is following an evidence-based, structured model as they work through the steps of identifying their local issue(s), assessing their readiness and capacity to address the issue(s), developing their plans, and moving on to implementation,” McAfee added. 
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From January – May 2007, Community Readiness Surveys were conducted in each community and the surveys were graded and interpreted by the Anthropology Department at Fort Lewis College.  Each community then used their survey results to develop strategies and plans to address their particular issue(s). 

From May 2007 – February 2008, each community will implement its plan and the steering committee will report on the program’s progress at the Southwest Council’s third-quarter meeting in August 2007.  In February 2008, the effectiveness of the program will be evaluated and modified according to the results of the evaluation. 

“We anticipate that this will be a multi-year program, with this first year devoted to planning and launching each project.  The Council will likely fund the program in its 2007-08 grant cycle and possibly again in the 08-09 cycle.  It is the Council’s hope that after two to three years, the program will be sustained through other sources of funding,” said McAfee. 

Southwest Council members are optimistic at this early stage of the program and eager to see the further development and future implementation of the program in each community.  “With this grant of $75,000, El Pomar Foundation and the Southwest Regional Council have empowered our communities to work together on the pervasive and region-wide issue of substance abuse by youth,” said McAfee.