The Jefferson County Drug Free Coalition (JCDFC) aims to prevent and reduce alcohol, tobacco, and other drug misuse among youth ages 12-18, and the greater community through county-wide collaboration. The work of JCDFC targets youth ages 12-18 living in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. Jefferson County is a suburban and semi-rural County located between two metropolitan areas of Madison and Milwaukee. The activities the JCDFC focuses on community education related to substance use, youth engagement in prevention activities, and increasing capacity of the coalition through recruitment, training, and collaboration.
Since its inception in 2016, JCDFC has been successful in creating new partnerships and strengthening others. With the coalition’s encouragement, almost 3,000 students in 5 middle schools and 7 high schools participated in the statewide Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 2019. The coalition advocated for policy changes to strengthen a county ordinance related to tobacco use at the Jefferson County Fair Park. Education and outreach has also been a mainstay of coalition activities. JCDFC hosted an education event focused on underage drinking and another on the topic of drug trends. JCDFC also worked with its partners to provide overdose prevention trainings in the community.
In 2019, JCDFC was awarded the Drug Free Communities Grant. The coalition serves the entire county, which has its challenges, but there are many opportunities to leverage resources and collaborate with many community partners. The strength of JCDFC is that its members are committed and represent a wide sector of the community working in prevention, treatment, enforcement, and recovery. The coalition has also worked tirelessly to create an organizational structure that is inclusive and responsive to the needs of the community. Because of the solid foundation that it has created, JCDFC will have the ability to make a positive impact on the community and be sustainable in its efforts to reduce youth substance use and misuse.
The Mission of the Coalition is to prevent and reduce alcohol, tobacco, and other drug misuse among youth and the greater community through county-wide collaboration and education.
The Vision of the Coalition is an environment free of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug misuse and related disorders among youth and the greater community of Jefferson County.
Our Strategic Objectives are to promote Education, Treatment, Prevention and Enforcement.
