New revenue generated through California’s Proposition 64—the Control, Regulate, and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act—offers a unique opportunity to promote health, safety, and wellbeing among youth and advance racial and health equity. Through the newly created Youth Education, Prevention, Early Intervention, and Treatment Account (also known as the Prop 64 Youth Fund), we can address the underlying conditions that contribute to substance misuse in communities that have been most impacted by the war on drugs.
 
The Youth Substance Use Disorder Prevention Program is a new funding opportunity that will support health and wellbeing among young people in low-income communities impacted by the war on drugs, including African American and Latinx communities. Funded activities must focus on investing in youth empowerment, leadership, and development; providing culturally-relevant services to youth; and changing policies, systems, and environments to support health and equity.
 
Community-based organizations, Tribal organizations, and coalitions including one of those entities working with young people ages 12 to 26 are welcome to apply for grants of up to $1 million over a three-year funding period.

Learn more here and apply by 1PM Pacific on Thursday, February 6!

The Youth Substance Use Disorder Prevention Program will be administered by The Center at Sierra Health Foundation, with funding through Proposition 64 tax revenue, and the California Department of Health Care Services.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to prevent substance use among youth. Prevention Institute’s latest brief offers a framework for thinking about substance use prevention, describing key components of youth-focused initiatives that advance health equity and racial justice, and highlighting successful community-based programs. We wrote this brief to inform the Department of Healthcare Services and the Center at the Sierra Health Foundation as they developed this funding opportunity, and the Center encourages prospective applicants to use it as a resource in preparing their applications. We drew on the expertise of our partners who have designed healing-centered youth programs, and were pleased to be able to spotlight programs at the Social Justice Learning Institute, the RYSE Center, and United Women of East Africa.
 
Successful initiatives take into account the resources, strengths, and culture of each community. Youth and people working with youth have a central role to play in identifying and implementing effective strategies and interventions to advance racial and health equity. Prop 64 dollars can support programs where young people can gather, build leadership capacity, define the agenda for their community efforts, and engage with local leaders and mentors to help realize their vision for a healthy community.
 
Learn more about what’s worked in past public health initiatives and how youth-serving organizations can support health, equity, and youth leadership here.