William Paterson University Awarded Nearly $250,000 in Grants to Continue Passaic County Coalition Efforts to Address Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Grants were awarded to Glen Sherman, associate vice president and dean of student development; William Kernan, associate professor and chairperson, public health; and Sherrine Schuldt, prevention specialist and coordinator of the coalition

William Paterson University in Wayne has been awarded two grants totaling nearly $250,000 from the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services to continue efforts by the United for Prevention in Passaic County Coalition to expand alcohol and drug abuse prevention programs throughout the county.  The grants were awarded to Glen Sherman, associate vice president and dean of student development; William Kernan, associate professor and chairperson, public health; and Sherrine Schuldt, prevention specialist and coordinator of the coalition.

“William Paterson University has a long-standing commitment to utilize our strengths and resources to collaborate with others in the community and contribute to the public good,” says Sherman.  “We are very pleased to be able to contribute in a meaningful way to the prevention of alcohol and drug abuse in Passaic County.”

United for Prevention in Passaic County was initiated in 2012 with an initial $150,000 grant awarded to the University by the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Organized to to create environmental change relating to substance abuse by promoting awareness, communication, and support for all county residents, the coalition is focused on three main strategies: reduce underage drinking, reduce the misuse and abuse of prescription medications, and increase communication and collaboration among prevention agencies.

Members include schools, law enforcement, religious and fraternal organizations, youth-serving organizations, healthcare professionals, government officials, substance abuse prevention agencies, parents, businesses, youth, and other civic volunteers. The coalition is hosted by William Paterson University.

The coalition recently received a 2015 TIPS (Training for Intervention Procedures) Award of Excellence from Health Communications, Inc. for its work with student leaders and local bars and restaurants to reduce underage drinking and intoxication. The coalition has provided TIPS training for peer advocates at William Paterson and peer educators at Passaic County Community College, who in turn can conduct training sessions with their peers on campus.  Coalition members and Municipal Alliance Coordinators have also been trained as commercial certified TIPS trainers and are able to assist the coalition with training as many establishments in the county as possible. The coalition has sponsored 45 certified TIPS trainers who have trained almost 400 university and college students, 29 participants from four local bars, and 27 liquor store owners.

The coalition also utilizes the Parents Who Host, Lose the Most Campaign to create awareness among parents and community members that it is illegal to serve alcohol to teenagers. It has also adopted Project Medicine Drop, an initiative of the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, Division of Consumer Affairs that allows community members to safely dispose of their unwanted, unused and expired prescription medications in a metal drop box at a local police department. Since 2012, the coalition has helped expand the number of drop boxes in Passaic County from one to nine.

The coalition is physically situated in William Paterson’s Department of Public Health, providing internship and research opportunities for the University’s public health majors.