What is the Alliance for Wisconsin Youth?

The Alliance is a program of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, in the Bureau of Prevention, Treatment and Recovery.

The Alliance’s purpose is to enhance and support the capacity of local Alliances (member coalitions) in their substance abuse prevention and youth development work. Over 100 local coalitions are members of the Alliance.

Local Alliances consist of representatives of at least five (5) community sectors. Community sectors may include, but are not limited to:

Promoting Substance Abuse Prevention

The Alliance for Wisconsin Youth believes that prevention is a complex process that requires more than a singular strategy or approach. A wide range of factors contribute to alcohol, and other drug problems, and substance abuse prevention is based on the understanding that these factors vary among individuals, geographic regions, age groups, racial/ethnic groups, and gender groups. Effective prevention is a systemic responsibility involving local, state, and national agencies, organizations, and groups. The Alliance for Wisconsin Youth in conjunction with local and national partners, and through its network of state AWY coalitions, provides leadership, coordination, and communication to its members and to the prevention field in general.

The Alliance for Wisconsin Youth uses its leadership role to promote high-quality prevention services through:

• Communication among AWY coalitions to increase awareness and availability of effective and innovative prevention strategies;

• Provide advocacy at national, state, and local levels for prevention services

Alliance for Wisconsin Youth Regional Prevention Centers

To implement its mission, the Alliance for Wisconsin Youth (AWY) State Office initiated the development of Regional Prevention Centers in July 2007.  These Regional Prevention Centers provide an organizational structure to assist local AWY Coalitions to accomplish mutual prevention priorities and projects.

The AWY Regional Prevention Centers work closely with the State Alliance for Wisconsin Youth and the Wisconsin Bureau of Prevention, Treatment and Recovery in establishing and implementing services that focus on substance abuse prevention priorities, and helps to build capacity at the local level to deliver effective preventative interventions.

Resources for the Alliance for Wisconsin Youth

·     Alliance for Wisconsin Youth Regional Prevention Centers

·     Strategic Prevention Framework, State Incentive Grant

·     Wisconsin Epidemiological Study on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse

·     Substance Abuse Prevention-Services Information System

·     Governor’s State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (SCAODA)

·     Wisconsin Prevention Conference