In a collaborative partnership, Newtown Youth & Family Services (NYFS) and Newtown Prevention Council (NPC) have been awarded a grant from the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services for the Connecticut Strategic Prevention Framework Coalitions (CSC) Initiative to mobilize community coalitions and implement strategies to address substance abuse.

NYFS and NPC will be funded over the next five years to expand the State of Connecticut’s prevention infrastructure. The goals of the CSC Initiative are to prevent the start and reducing the progression of substance abuse and to promote positive mental health at the community level, according to a release about the grant.

“We are eager to contribute our resources to the successful implementation of the CSC Initiative,” said NYFS Executive Director Candice Bohr. “As a partnership we will continue to strive to build collaboration into all of our projects and to engage community groups and individuals in the area of their greatest strength in order to effectively leverage the expertise of our community and reduce the incidence of problem behavior and improve the health and well-being of Newtown’s citizens.”

NYFS is a licensed, nonprofit, mental health clinic and youth services bureau dedicated to helping children and families achieve their highest potential. NYFS provides programs, services, activities, counseling, support groups, and education throughout the greater Newtown area.

The NPC is a coalition of community members committed to creating a culture in Newtown that positively engages the community to empower youth and families to make healthy, thoughtful decisions and to support healthy, substance- free living, according to its website, newtownprevention.org.

For more information about NYFS visit newtownyouthandfamilyservices.org.