Bristol Eliminating Substance Use Together (BEST)

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Mission:

Our Mission is to work toward unifying the community to promote wellness through increasing education, implementing strategies and enforcing policy to prevent substance misuse by youth and those who impact their development.

Vision:

Our Vision is to develop a culture of awareness and sustained action that will promote positive youth development and a healthier community. Our purpose is to engage and collaborate with the community, while preventing Bristol youth  from participating in drug or alcohol use.

About US:

  • Bristol Eliminating Substance Use Together (BEST) began in the early 1990s as the Bristol Youth Prevention Council
  • In September of 2016, Bristol Parks, Recreation, Youth & Community Services was awarded the Drug Free Communities (DFC) Grant, a five to ten year Federal grant of $125,000 per year
  • Since that time, the BEST coalition has been engaging and collaborating with all sectors of the community to deliver substance misuse prevention services across Bristol. All of the prevention work that BEST does is guided by a model that is grounded in science and effective at reducing youth substance use. The Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF)  is a planning process for preventing substance use that is utilized by coalitions around the world. 
  • BEST day to day operations are run by: 
    • Jenelle Howard, Project Coordinator
    • Thomas Fulton, Project Associate 
    • Hannah Goodwin, Prevention Corps Member

SPF


BEST offers free NARCAN/QPR trainings, Peer Educator Opportunities, Teen Nights, Youth and Community Coalition to keep the community engaged, aware and informed.

Youth coalition: 

The Youth Coalition brings together Youth Leaders to prevent Substance misuse throughout the Bristol community. Youth speak directly to their peers with calls to action that with directly impact them in the Bristol community. The Youth coalition meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month from 5:30 to 7:00 PM. 

Community coalition: 

The BEST Community Coalition aims to develop a culture of awareness and sustained action that will promote positive youth development and a healthier Bristol community. The Community Coalition is held every 2nd Thursday of the month from 3:30 to 4:45 PM. 

Learn more: 

Visit the Bristol Eliminating Substance Use Together (BEST) Website 


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If you have any questions, want to join the coalition, or want to learn more, please contact:

Jenelle Howard, Project Coordinator

(860) 584-6217 or  JenelleHoward@bristolct.gov