Scarsdale Family Counseling Service and Drug and Alcohol Task Force Awarded $125,000 Grant

The Scarsdale Drug & Alcohol Task Force (DATF) and Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service (SFCS) have been awarded the Drug Free Communities (DFC) grant by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The $125,000 DFC grant is renewable annually over five years for a total of $625,000. DATF was one of only 52 new recipients nationwide to be awarded in this grant cycle.

The DFC Support Program is the nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent youth substance use. The program provides grants to community coalitions to strengthen the infrastructure among local partners, to create and to sustain a reduction in local youth substance use. “The grant was a result of the collective planning efforts by DATF and multi-sector partnerships within the Scarsdale community. The DFC program will provide DATF the resources and strategic framework to implement local solutions to local problems in our prevention efforts,” said Jay Genova, Executive Director of SFCS which will serve as the fiscal agent for the grant.

“We know that evidence-based prevention efforts are the most effective way to reduce youth substance use and to support youth who do not use drugs. The DATF will continue to mobilize partners from across the community with the common goal of advocating for positive change and implementing environmental prevention strategies that reduce youth initiation and use of alcohol, marijuana and other drugs,” said Wendy Gendel, DATF Chairperson.

About Scarsdale Drug & Alcohol Task Force (DATF)
The DATF is a community coalition dedicated to reducing underage use of alcohol, marijuana and other drugs that negatively impact the health of our youth. Since its founding in 1984, the DATF has worked to convene all sectors of our community to create positive change for our young people. In July 2015, Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service (SFCS), an accredited family service agency, assumed the role of Lead Agency and Fiscal Agent for the DATF.

To learn more, visit www.ScarsdaleDATF.org or contact Lisa Tomeny at DATFScarsdale@gmail.com.