Prevent Together: Battle Ground Prevention Alliance was developed in partnership with the Battle Ground Prevention-Intervention Advisory Board. Since 1998 this advisory board has been managed by Battle Ground Public Schools (BGPS) and is comprised of regional professionals from healthcare, youth mentoring programs, faith-based communities, law enforcement personnel, public health officials, student support programs and county based substance abuse prevention coalitions. The group originated from the school district’s focus on tobacco prevention and was supported with grant dollars from the Safe and Drug Free School Initiative until 2006. The advisory board continued to meet after the conclusion of the grant and meets bi-annually to review current community data related to substance use rates, update community partners on current prevention and intervention programs, and share opportunities for collaboration on local events.
As the advisory board continued to grow, a stronger partnership was developed with the PREVENT! Coalition, a county based Drug Free Communities coalition. The advisory board added the additional focus of alcohol, marijuana, and prescription medications to its focus areas and worked closely with PREVENT! Coalition to plan and coordinate prevention efforts such as Rx Drug Take Back Day with local law enforcement agencies, school based programs for alcohol awareness, and working with state partners for prevention efforts around the legalization of recreational marijuana. In 2012, the PREVENT! Coalition approached the Battle Ground Prevention-Intervention Advisory Board and community leaders to become an official mentee under the Drug Free Communities Mentoring Program. All parties agreed to this partnership and a new community coalition was formed. The mentoring program provided in-depth training, technical support and one-on-one mentoring from experienced coalition coordinators.
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) awarded Prevent Together: Battle Ground Prevention Alliance the Drug-Free Communities Grant in September 2014. The primary objective of Prevent Together is to operate as a prevention resource center that responsively meets the needs of community individuals or organizations through interagency collaboration. The coalition strives to provide the most effective resources that strengthen and improve the safety and health of each community member, and reduce the use of drugs and alcohol throughout the community. Prevent Together coordinates and implements comprehensive prevention service referrals, training, education, public relations and support activities with sensitivity to individual or organization requests.
