EDC Receives $11 million to Continue Efforts to Reduce Substance Abuse

WALTHAM, MA | EDC has received $11 million for one year, with an additional four option years, to continue its nationally recognized work to prevent substance abuse and strengthen the behavioral health workforce through the Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT). The funding comes to EDC from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) within the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

EDC’s proposal received a nearly perfect score from SAMHSA and was strongly supported by practitioners in the field of substance abuse prevention. More than 60 clients, including states, federal tribes, and jurisdictions, submitted letters of support—a clear indication of the value EDC has delivered to the field.

Through the CAPT, EDC created a major SAMHSA prevention resource with a strong national and regional infrastructure and an experienced cadre of experts. With the new award, EDC will maintain and strengthen its training and technical assistance to the prevention workforce, continuing to prevent substance use among populations at greatest risk. Activities will focus on the most pressing substance abuse problems—including underage drinking and prescription drug misuse—as well as addressing related behavioral health disparities using appropriate, evidence-based prevention approaches.

“This new award is an endorsement of our effectiveness, ensuring the ongoing delivery of high-quality, services,” said EDC Senior Vice President Lydia O’Donnell. “We look forward to applying a decade of lessons learned to further prevention practice at the local, state, and national levels. Our ultimate goal remains to improve the behavioral health and well-being of individuals and communities across the nation.”

The CAPT also works to train and build the behavioral health workforce, providing a range of services to ensure that practitioners on the front lines have the knowledge and skills to understand and address increasingly complex prevention issues.

“EDC will now have the capacity to extend and maximize our collaborations with prevention leaders across the country,” said EDC’s Chelsey Goddard, CAPT director. “We will continue to provide our high level of service with an expanded menu of innovative offerings, including virtual trainings, coaching, and peer-sharing opportunities, to achieve even greater collective impact.”

EDC will continue to work with various organizations to implement the CAPT system, including:

• Carnevale and Associates
• Social Science Research and Evaluation
• University of Nevada, Reno
• University of Oklahoma
• Vanguard Communications
• Westat

For more information on the CAPT, go to http://captus.samhsa.gov/.

EDC designs, implements, and evaluates programs to improve education, health, and economic opportunity worldwide. Visit www.edc.org.