Prevention Fellowship Program

SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) and Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America's (CADCA) National Coalition Institute have a critically important opportunity to share in cultivating a new work force for prevention throughout the United States. A fellowship program specific to substance abuse prevention, with an annual award up to $35,000 for the year, is being made available CADCA's National Coalition Institute to fund a SAMHSA/CSAP Prevention Fellow. The purpose of this program is to provide professional development opportunities and to promote and institutionalize the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) concept as the national overarching vehicle for prevention planning, program development, and prevention service delivery. The Strategic Prevention Framework is designed to advance community-based programs for substance abuse prevention.

While promoting the SPF for planning, development, and delivery of prevention services, the Prevention Fellow at the National Coalition Institute will be exposed to a myriad of activities specific to prevention. These areas include:

• Community prevention planning and service delivery at the State and community level,
  including coalition building;


• Coalition evaluation capacity (to better assess and capture coalition outcomes);


• Translation of research findings into materials that the field can effectively utilize;
• Data, social indicators, alcohol and drug epidemiology; and
• Environmental prevention strategies and systems change;

The National Coalition Institute was created in late September 2002 through the reauthorization of the Drug-Free Communities Support Program Act. CADCA was selected to develop the National Coalition Institute to serve as both a vehicle for coalition-specific substance abuse prevention policy development and a center for coalition training, technical assistance, evaluation, research and capacity building. The Institute presents an extraordinary opportunity to move the coalition field forward in ways heretofore impossible to achieve, a means to harness the experience and passion of community coalition leaders with the best that researchers and government partners have to offer in terms of evidence-based programming, training, implementation and evaluation. Its mission and objectives are ambitious but very achievable. In short, the Institute will be able to help grow new, stronger and more effective coalitions.

CSAP promotes a comprehensive prevention system approach that includes community involvement and partnership among all sectors of society. This approach promotes and enhances SAMHSA activities to achieve the following goals: Assure services availability, meet unmet and emerging needs, and bridge the gap between knowledge and practice. CSAP's mission is to decrease substance use and abuse by bringing effective prevention to every community. Participants in the Prevention Fellowship Program are expected to become stewards of effective prevention practices in the future.

Application Specifications
The application deadline is January 15, 2007. Interested applicants should submit:
• A completed 2007 Application Form.
• A current resume or curriculum vitae. Include information on education, employment history, skills, and achievements.
• Two sealed envelopes containing 2007 Reference Forms from professional references. Your references must complete and sign the form, seal it in an envelope, and return it to you.
• A one-page essay. In the essay you must: 1) Describe your professional commitment to substance abuse prevention. 2) Discuss how the Fellowship experience will help you to achieve your career goals. 3) Explain how your educational and personal experience will help enhance CADCA’s substance abuse prevention efforts.

The Fellowship Experience
During the term of the fellowship, the National Coalition Institute will provide the fellow office space, a computer, and telephone. The Fellow will work closely with an onsite mentor who will provide consultation and oversight of fellow's activities. The mentor will collaborate with the fellow in developing a Fellowship Accomplishment Plan specifying planned and desired work experiences and training activities for the time in which the fellow serves. Fellows will be required to submit regular progress reports describing achievements and lessons learned and attend technical assistance and seminars provided by CSAP and the States.

• Prevention Fellowhip Information


• Prevention Fellowship Competencies and Expectations
• Application Form


• Reference Form

For more information, contact Evelyn Yang at the National Coalition Institute, e-mail eyang@cadca.org or phone 703-706-0560, ext. 243.