Regional prevention leads highlight teen centers, multilingual outreach and an employer toolkit

Maryanne Mars, executive director of a southern Vermont collaborative and Vermont prevention lead for Region 4, described how her region uses a multi-tiered VPLO structure to keep funding and decisionmaking close to communities. Mars outlined five regional priorities (foster belonging, combat loneliness, increase prevention understanding, improve awareness of resources and use collective impact) and said multi-year grants and mini-grants allow established coalitions and new partners to implement local projects.

Mars offered a concrete example: two years ago Chester had no teen center; with VPLO-supported local planning and funding the town now runs a teen center that averages about 30 youth per day, offers recreation and civic activities, and has produced participants who say they want to return as staff when they turn 21.

Mars also discussed evaluation: funded partners use results-based accountability to report how much they do, how well they do it and whether anyone is better off. She said 82% of funded partners in the first reporting quarter reported increased evaluation capacity; fuller outcome data will arrive in subsequent quarters.

Amy Carmola, chief impact officer at United Way of Northwest Vermont and Vermont prevention lead for Region 1, described regionwide multi-year funding for 17 organizations and cross-sector partnerships (including the Vermont National Guard and medical centers). Carmola said Region 1 produced two multilingual videos about how medicines and alcohol affect older adults, available in 18 languages, and developed an employer toolkit to help workplaces support employees and families affected by substance misuse. She told the committee the toolkit was downloaded about 1,500 times in its early months and is available statewide through human resources networks and working-bridges programs.

Both VPLO leads emphasized that needs assessments use statewide data sources (Youth Risk Behavior Survey, BRFSS) combined with local partner input to set multi-year plans; funding committees refresh priorities annually. Presenters invited legislators and attendees to local prevention displays and outreach events later in the day.