About the Troy Community Coalition

Our Mission

The Troy Community Coalition for the Prevention of Drug and Alcohol Abuse is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for all who live or work in Troy by promoting a lifestyle free from the abuse of alcohol and drugs.

Our Vision

Comprehensive community action is the answer to America's drug problem. The Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997 (PL105-20) recognized that "community anti-drug coalitions throughout the United States are successfully developing and implementing comprehensive, long-term strategies to reduce substance abuse among youth on a sustained basis."

Our History

The Troy Community Coalition had its beginning in January 1990 when a parent support group, Troy Families for SAFE HOMES, organized a community workshop to address the problem of underage drinking. Multiple data sources showed a spike in alcohol use by high school and middle school students in Troy that was above the national average. More than 100 Troy leaders devoted a Saturday morning to the workshop, with 12 of the original attendees forming a permanent group dedicated to alcohol, tobacco and other drug-abuse prevention programs.

In 1991, this group of dedicated community leaders, known as the Troy Community Coalition, applied for a federal grant from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In August of 1991, the Coalition was awarded a federal grant to be used over five years to promote substance abuse prevention and develop a comprehensive prevention plan for Troy. The grant provided for a Coalition office, staff, community education, and a comprehensive needs assessment. Above all, it gave the community the resources to build a strong Coalition, which includes all sectors of the community working together to meet the challenge of substance abuse.

Prevention Plan

The Comprehensive Prevention Plan is an action model for delivering prevention services to the Troy community. Developed over a period of three years by 75 representatives of Coalition membership, it represents an extensive effort to take a systematic approach to identify the needs of our community in the area of substance abuse prevention. Needs assessment information and other benchmark data were used to develop and define the goals and objective of the Plan.

The Plan contains six measurable goals and corresponding objectives:

1. Community policy and practices that promote substance abuse prevention.
2. Networking and replication of successful efforts to area communities.
3. Monitoring indicators of community attitudes towards substance abuse.
4. Providing alternative activities which are alcohol and drug-free.
5. Training to build prevention skills.
6. Consistently providing current substance abuse information to all who live or work in Troy.

The Prevention Plan was developed for the community to use as a guide in the planning, development and implementation of prevention policy, programs and activities. It is reviewed and evaluated periodically to reflect the conditions and attitudes of the Troy community.