Our History
Originally founded as the Lancaster County Prevention Coalition in 1998, the Coalition for Healthy Youth is a community partnership of local and state agencies, the school district, local non-profit organizations, faith-based organizations, and businesses.
Goals
• promote policies, programs, and activities that enhance the health and well-being of local youth
• utilize data collection and community engagement to understand how and why youth engage in substance use and where they obtain those substances
• intervene early in the lives of youth to address and mitigate the risk factors that contribute to youth substance abuse in order to delay the initiation of alcohol and tobacco use
• implement research-based prevention and intervention services in order to combat youth substance abuse
• conduct community outreach efforts to change the societal acceptance and expectations surrounding youth substance abuse, and educate the public about the risks and dangers of youth substance abuse
• and to reduce and eventually eliminate the loss of life, wasted potential, and negative health and economic impacts associated with youth substance abuse in Lancaster County.
The Coalition was initially funded by the Drug Free Communities grant. Funding is currently provided primarily through the Sober Truth grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration and from our own annual conference fees.