
Dare Coalition Against Substance Abuse transitioned from being the Substance Abuse Task Force of the Healthy Carolinians of the Outer Banks after incorporating in May 2005 and becoming a 501(c)3 non-profit in August 2005. The coalition, currently a volunteer-driven organization, is a member of CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America), the North Carolina Center for Non-Profits, and the NC Task Force on Prevention of Underage Drinking.
Our Vision
Promoting healthy and safe choices to save lives and make the Outer Banks a great place to live and vacation!
Our Mission Statement
Dare Coalition Against Substance Abuse is a non-profit organization representing diverse community interests, working collaboratively to take a systematic, action-oriented approach to positively alter substance abuse in Dare County. We seek to change awareness, attitudes, and behaviors through ensuring access for youths and adults, to a comprehensive array of education, prevention, treatment, aftercare, and recovery resources.
Goals
In keeping with the Coalition’s mission, the Coalition will address goals that include both internal (Coalition) and external (community) goals.
External goals of the Coalition include:
- Decreasing substance abuse and the effects of substance abuse in the community
- Increasing community recognition and willingness to deal with the dynamics of the substance abuse problems
Internal goals of the Coalition include:
- Facilitating and sustaining a healthy, diverse collaboration among agencies and organizations to address substance abuse issues
- Increasing and maintaining diversity among Coalition members.
Objectives
The Coalition has identified the following objectives:
- Decrease underage drinking, including age of onset, frequency of use, and perception of use by peers
- Decrease illegal and other drug use among community members
- Create a sustainability plan for the Dare CASA organization
- Enhance and sustain a collaboration to accomplish the above mentioned objectives.
Strategies
Dare CASA will consistently employ the following strategies, which include the six Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) strategies, to accomplish its objectives and goals:
- Information dissemination; information and referrals
- Prevention education
- Alternative activities
- Community-based processes & Environmental approaches
- Actively participate in collaborations/committees designed to decrease consumption of alcoholic beverages and illegal and other drug use
- Hold fundraising events; develop and maintain an endowment with the Community Foundation to aid in education for youth prevention
- Write grants for programs that support the mission of Dare CASA
- Hold the following meetings: town hall meetings to address local problems associated with substance abuse, Coalition meetings and Executive Committee meetings
- Support and promote substance abuse focused awareness campaigns, such as Substance Abuse Awareness Month, Substance Abuse Recovery Month, and Alcohol Awareness Month
- Support and promote trainings and programs sponsored by member agencies