About Us

Warrick County Cares’s vision is to be a community of healthy, productive families, free of drug and alcohol-abuse that engage in community and educational activities and present themselves as positive role models, knowing they are people of value and worth.

The Vision

For Warrick County to be a community of healthy, productive families, free of drug and alcohol abuse, that engage in community and educational activities and present themselves as positive role models, knowing they are people of value and worth.

The Mission

The mission of Warrick County Cares is for individuals and organizations to collaborate and establish a strong foundation for our community by advocating against substance misuse, providing resources, and promoting well-being.

Our Beginning

In 2010, Youth First, Inc., a leading local non-profit in the prevention of substance abuse, was awarded a grant through the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant. Working with the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction and the Indiana Prevention Resource Center, Youth First began building a coalition made up of community members dedicated to providing healthy youth development in Warrick County. Using the national and statewide Communities That Care (CTC) process, created by professors of social work, J. David Hawkins, PhD and Richard F. Catalano, PhD at the University of Washington, the coalition began working to address and prevent problem youth behaviors which include substance abuse, delinquency, teen pregnancy, school dropout, violence and behavior health issues. The process is based on the Social Development Strategy, which identifies risk factors that predict these problem behaviors and the protective factors that can buffer children from the risk and problem behaviors. The identified risk factors and problem behaviors are specific to the community instead of using one method to address all community problems.

In 2013, Warrick County Cares was awarded a Drug Free Communities Support Grant through the Office of National Drug Control Policy. This 5 -10 year grant helps build capacity for the coalition and works to reduce underage alcohol consumption and marijuana use. The Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) is used to Step 1: Assess Community Needs - What is the problem? How can we learn more? Step 2: Build Capacity - What and who do we have to work with? Step 3: Plan - What should we do and how should we do it? Step 4: Implement - How is the plan put into action? Step 5: Evaluate - Is the plan succeeding? There are two additional guiding principles; 1) Cultural Competence - The ability to interact effectively with members of a diverse population and 2) Sustainability - The process of achieving and maintaining long-term results.

Coalition Accomplishments

2010 - 2016

Received two Indiana Division of Mental Health & Addiction grants for coalition development and implementation of evidence-based programs.

2013 - Ongoing

Received Federal Drug Free Community Support Grant to increase coalition capacity and reduction of youth substance use. (1 - 5 year grant)

2014

Coalition members attend CADCA Institute (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America)

2014 - Ongoing

Implementation of The Truth Is, Positive Community Norms Campaign. Campaign is carried out in the area high schools and communities.

2014 - Current

I CARE Award Breakfast to honor community members in four categories: Youth -middle school and high school, Individual, Organization, Coalition Member of the Year

2015

Worked with the Warrick County School Corporation for the successful adoption of the Public Attendance Policy prohibiting any adult on school property to have or consume alcohol and other drugs.

Invited by CADCA to apply for the annual Got Outcomes Award. Got Outcomes recognizes coalitions for achieving positive change in community - level outcomes. Warrick County Cares was the only coalition in Indiana to be recommended for the award application process.

Held The Truth Is Marijuana Town Hall. The panel included leaders from Warrick County and the Medical Director of the Indiana Poison Center. They took questions from community members and discussed medical and recreational marijuana.

2016

Updated logo and branding awareness to increase capacity and sustainability for the coalition.

2017

Program expansion into schools. Al's Pals & LifeSkills Training are in classrooms during the school day, reaching several hundred students throughout the county.

2019

New updated website!

View Warrick County Cares Charter

Download Now!

View Warrick County Cares Organizational Structure

Share by: