Summary of Specifications:
Boulder County Public Health (BCPH), Community Substance Abuse Prevention Program, is seeking proposals for implementation of prosocial activities to prevent substance use among youth age 18 and under in Boulder County, Colorado. Alternative, positive, prosocial activities provide opportunities for participation in developmentally appropriate drug free activities to replace, reduce, or eliminate involvement in substance use related activities. This strategy assumes that healthy and constructive activities can offset the attraction of substance use and whatever needs drugs might otherwise fill. These activities should be founded in the Positive Youth Development model as well as be culturally appropriate. The alternative approach has been, and continues to be, adapted to the unique opportunities available in each community. There is a range of types of alternative activities imbedded in a variety of organizational and programmatic structures. These could include the following: Alternative events programming; athletic and other recreational activities; adventure-oriented alternatives; alternatives based on culturally specific models; alternatives aimed at youth with higher risk for substance abuse (e.g., youth from low-income backgrounds, children of parents who abuse substances, children in foster care settings, youth living in institutional settings, youth who drop out of schools, runaway and homeless, youth, and youth who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning); alternatives consisting of entrepreneurial ventures; alternatives promoting community service and service learning; or alternatives promoting creative or artistic endeavors.
