RWJF National Program, Fighting Back, Tackles Drug and Alcohol Programs in D.C.
Fighting Back: Community Initiatives to Reduce Demand for Illegal Drugs and Alcohol
From 1990 to 2001, Working Together-Fighting Back® attempted to reduce the demand for illegal drugs and alcohol in Ward 7 and the eastern part of Ward 6 of the District of Columbia.
The project, part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) national program Fighting Back: Community Initiatives to Reduce Demand for Illegal Drugs and Alcohol, used a comprehensive approach that combined prevention, treatment, aftercare, education, health care, vocational and employment training, and family and community support.
Key Results
- Implemented Project STAR, a substance abuse and life skills education program, in District of Columbia junior high schools.
- Established a community resource center, which housed:
- Substance abuse counseling, assessment and treatment referral services.
- Programs to promote self-sufficiency, improve family functioning and guarantee child safety (e.g., job and training services).
- Established the Providence Hospital/Marshall Heights Community Development Organization Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program.
- Established the Strengthening Families Program, a family-skills training program to prevent substance abuse.
- Established Project ASSERT, a program to train doctors and others how to identify and intervene with patients with alcohol and drug problems and other high-risk behaviors.