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For immediate release
Contact: Karin Schlereth
516-267-7548
casa_org@manhasset.12.ny.us
The Manhasset Community Coalition Against Substance
Abuse (CASA) has put its 2008 CASA Games on hold in order to
focus resources on obtaining a federal grant to continue and
expand its primary mission: substance abuse prevention and
education.
“We’re very disappointed that the games will not be held
this year, because it’s something that really brings
together the community and I think everyone looks forward to
it,” said Lisbeth Shibley, CASA’s executive board president.
“But we had to make some hard decisions about where to
allocate resources and all of our energies have been focused
on the grant proposal that will help fund the organization’s
new initiatives for the next five years.”
The CASA Games were conceived and initially coordinated by
CASA board member Lisa Belinsky and Manhasset teacher
Michael Ruiz in 2001 to raise seed money to launch and
eventually incorporate the organization as a private
non-profit organization. That early fundraising helped
establish the organization and meet its initial mission
statement, which, in-part was to “mobilize families, schools
and the community to meet the challenges of tobacco, alcohol
and other drug abuse through a comprehensive plan, overseen
by a Community Coordinator.”
Having accomplished those initial goals, that mission has
changed and the now firmly established community
organization is moving forward toward a much wider scale
community mobilization effort.
“This was part of the plan at the outset,” said Community
Coordinator Karin Schlereth. “To institutionalize ourselves
within the schools in order to have access to Manhasset’s
students, and then move outward into the community at large
because there are numerous factors that need to be addressed
in formulating a comprehensive plan to protect our children
from the dangers of illegal underage use of alcohol, tobacco
and other drugs.”
As part of CASA’s new initiative, a full training schedule
to include all aspects of adolescent brain research,
interventions, cultural competency, and strengthening
collaboration between communities will be offered on a
yearly basis to the organization’s current and future
leaders, workers and volunteers.
The application process began last spring, just after the
2007 CASA Games concluded, with the assistance of the
Suffolk Coalition to Prevent Alcohol and Drug Dependencies (SCPADD).
Over the last nine months, CASA’s board, new sector
representatives and Schlereth have worked to author a
98-page grant proposal to Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA).
“One of the highlights of our budget proposal is funding for
an assistant coordinator who would be able to provide
much-needed direct student services such as forming local
chapters of Students Against Destructive Decision Making (SADD),
ALATEEN, and Natural Helpers at both the middle school and
high school levels,” Schlereth said. “These are all research
and science based programs that have been recognized by the
National Registry of Effective Programs for
SAMHSA.”
“In order to build on our many successes, such as the
recently completed Wellness Week, it became clear
that federal funding is vital to supplement our local
efforts,” Schlereth commented, “if we want to continue to
have high quality substance abuse prevention curriculum,
speakers and programming. We turned to
SCPADD and Barbara
Keller, their Executive Director, because they have helped
many other Long Island communities acquire this funding and
provide technical assistance for implementation of the
funds.”
“We strongly believe the games have a place in the future
vision of the organization and we look forward to bringing
them back,” said Angela Levy, CASA’s executive board
secretary. “If people in the community are interested in
getting involved and planning in the future, CASA would
welcome and fully support that effort. It’s a great day for
everyone in Manhasset, especially for the kids, and it’s a
very positive family oriented event.”
For more information, contact CASA at
casa_org@manhasset.k12.ny.us
or call 267-7548.
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