Marana Prevention Alliance

Marana Prevention Alliance (MPA) Coalition’s Mission Statement

Reduce and Prevent Youth Substance Use in Marana through Collaboration, Education, & Community Engagement

MPA History:

Month and year the coalition was first established: 01/1997

Marana Prevention Alliance initially began as the Marana Drugs Alcohol and Violence (DAV) Coalition. With funding from the local Regional Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA) and Community Partnership of Southern Arizona (CPSA), a group of concerned citizens formed a community coalition and hosted its first meeting in January of 1997 to address substance use and misuse prevention in Marana. In 2008, the DAV Coalition revisited their mission, vision and goals and modified each to be more current with the local community conditions and needs. Members voted to change the coalition’s name to the Northwest Regional Coalition (NRC) in order to reflect membership from outlying areas of Marana. Under the new coalition title, the areas formally included were expanded to support Avra Valley and Picture Rocks.

Through successful development, the coalition has progressed from an activity and Events based group to a service-program provider that offers educational training on trauma informed care, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s), mental health first aid (youth and adult), suicide prevention, various drugs of abuse presentations, naloxone education, and more. The coalition believes that through connecting and empowering the community, the youth will choose a healthier lifestyle ultimately preventing substance use and misuse. In 2016, the NRC changed their name to Marana Prevention Alliance (MPA) to encompass the Town of Marana, instilling pride in their community.

Our goals are to increase community collaboration around youth substance abuse prevention, as well as decrease youth use of marijuana and prescription drugs. Our biggest challenge continues to be data collection because of hesitation at the school, community, and even state level to survey youth. Our coalition is unique because of our approach to addressing medical marijuana with actual dispensaries at the table.

Currently, we are focused on increasing the capacity and building the sustainability of the coalition. We are currently working to have our Teen Maze events, which is an event for 10th graders to learn about the consequences of substance use, and brings nearly 40 volunteers representing agencies across the community. As a result of our work, we’re seeing more folks interested in prevention than ever before.

Additionally, we have been facilitating Too Good For Drugs to Middle School students throughout Marana. Youth Counsel at La Paloma K-8^TH and Edge High School has been actively participating in prevention messages as well as planning community service learning projects that hope to create more traction and recruitment to the coalition. Finally, the coalition has been an active partner working with the Marana Unified School District to bring substance abuse prevention programs and lunchtime activities to the students.