The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fighting Back® project in West Charlotte, N.C., sought to combat the problem of substance abuse by developing a single, comprehensive system of treatment and prevention that would reduce the demand for alcohol and illegal drugs in the community.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fighting Back worked to:

• Increase public awareness about the substance abuse problem.
• Train people and organizations to refer substance abusers to appropriate treatment services.
• Increase the number of treatment and recovery options.
• Develop job-training and workplace substance abuse policies.

The project was part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) national program Fighting Back: Community Initiatives to Reduce Demand for Illegal Drugs and Alcohol.

Key Results
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fighting Back:

• Enlisted the support of 53 out of 80 (66 percent) neighborhoods in West Charlotte to support existing alcohol and drug programs and services and stimulate new initiatives.
• Expanded the Ministry of Recovery, a faith-based substance abuse prevention and treatment project.
• Established Fighting Back Resource Centers in five neighborhoods to provide information, referrals and access to community services.
• Established the Teen Care Project, Charlotte's first school-based substance abuse treatment program.

Key Evaluation Findings
According to a national evaluation by investigators at Brandeis University, which compared Charlotte to similar sites where Fighting Back was not implemented:

• Charlotte differed significantly across time from the comparison sites on only one of 25 substance abuse outcome measures — the proportion of residents who reported receiving alcohol or drug treatment during the previous year.
• The project took a substantial amount of time to find its focus, which was reflected in neighborhood organizing and the development of the Neighborhood Resource Centers.
• Additionally, the program included strong efforts to mobilize the faith community and improve treatment and relapse programs.

Funding
RWJF provided four grants totaling $3,258,089 from March 1990 to June 1999.