About P-CASA

Paterson Coalition Against Substance Abuse
(P-CASA)

Who we are:

Paterson Coalition Against Substance Abuse (P-CASA) is working with the community to create an anti-drug coalition in Paterson’s 1st Ward. The Coalition is made up of various community sectors, such as: youth, parents, civic groups, faith-based organizations, schools, social service agencies, law enforcement, and media. Our work attempts to change social structures that promote alcohol and drug use, reduce youth access to alcohol and tobacco products, and support policies that will improve the regulation and oversight of alcohol- and tobacco-selling companies. As a partnership between Montclair State University and a diverse group of community groups, P-CASA uses research and prevention tools to increase community partnerships and reduce substance use among youth aged 12–17.

Our Vision:

P-CASA works with the community of Paterson’s 1st Ward to empower its members to build a safe, healthy, and drug-free environment. Members include residents, agencies, and organizations committed to reducing adolescent and teen use and abuse of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.

Our Mission:

P-CASA promotes cooperation between community groups to increase substance abuse prevention programs throughout Paterson’s 1st Ward. Our ultimate goal is to reduce substance use among Paterson’s youth and, over time, among its adults. We are funded by a federal Drug Free Communities (DFC) grant.

P-CASA’s mission is to foster collaboration among key community sectors in an effort to increase the capacity for environmentally-based substance abuse prevention activities throughout Paterson’s 1st Ward, with the ultimate goal of reducing substance use among Paterson’s youth.

Funded by a federal Drug Free Communities grant P-CASA works to achieve 2 goals:

• Establish and strengthen collaboration among communities, private nonprofit agencies, and Federal, State, and local governments to support the efforts of community coalitions to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth
• Reduce substance abuse among youth and, over time, among adults by addressing the factors in a community that increase the risk of substance abuse and promoting the factors that minimize the risk of substance abuse.

Our work with these 2 goals focus on awareness, education and policy change regarding Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Use in Paterson’s first ward. We target our outreach to adolescents ages 12-18, young adults ages 18-24 and parents.

P-CASA Empowering the community to build a safe, healthy & drug-free Paterson!

The Paterson Coalition Against Substance Abuse (P-CASA) P-CASA is an initiative of the College of Education and Human Services, Department of Family and Child Studies at Montclair State University. P-CASA was formed in 2011 to build an environment that promotes healthy communities through the reduction of alcohol, tobacco and other substance use among youth in Paterson. Our work is focused in Paterson’s first ward and members include agencies, organizations and residents committed to reducing adolescents and teens using and abusing drugs, alcohol and tobacco.