Medfield Cares About Prevention
Who We Are
Medfield Cares About Prevention (MCAP) is a coalition of people who live and work in the Medfield community and who care about the well-being of our youth. This community coalition has broad representation of parents, youth, businesses, schools, healthcare professionals, private organizations, and public agencies.
MISSION: MCAP’s mission is to reduce youth substance use, promote healthy decisions, and build a culture of safety in Medfield.
Our Focus
Our target population is Medfield youth, ages 11-18. MCAP is currently working to specifically target alcohol, marijuana and electronic vapor products and to promote positive alternatives to substance use through community collaboration.
Rates of youth substance use in Medfield are higher than the rest of the MetroWest region. For example, according to the 2018 MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey, 41.7% of Medfield High School students used alcohol in the past 30 days, compared to 27.7% of high school students in the MetroWest region overall. Medfield rates of youth alcohol use are 1.5x higher than the regional rates of youth use. The coalition implements evidence-based strategies to reduce youth substance use, increase protective factors, and reduce risk factors through collaboration with existing community organizations and agencies.
Drug-Free Communities Grant
MCAP is a Drug-Free Communities grant recipient and received the five-year grant in October 2019. Since the inception of the Drug-Free Communities Support Program, DFC grantees have affected a significant decline in youth substance use rates. For example, during fiscal year 2018, DFC-funded coalitions effectively reduced past 30-day use of alcohol among high school students by 24% and reduced past 30-day use of tobacco products by 45% (Drug-Free Communities Support Program National Evaluation Executive Summary, July 2020).
The DFC grant has allowed for MCAP to create a cohesive strategy to reduce youth substance use and provided the needed resources to implement evidence-based strategies for change. We are guaranteed funding through the end of September 2024 with the opportunity to apply for an additional five years of funding. Sustainable change requires persistent, comprehensive strategies implemented by a well-trained and well-organized community coalition. It takes the entire community to keep our youth safe and that’s why we are so grateful for your support!
