Substance Education and Awareness Fund Annual Report 20201
SUBSTANCE EDUCATION
AND AWARENESS FUND
ANNUAL REPORT 2020
CITY OF BOULDER | HOUSING & HUMAN SERVICES
2
INTRODUCTION
Message from the HHS Director 3
BACKGROUND
SEA Fund At a Glance 4
STRATEGY
SEA Fund Strategy 6
COMMUNITY IMPACT
SEA Fund Program Activities and Outcomes 8
APPENDIX
SEA Fund Allocations 13
SUBSTANCE EDUCATION
AND AWARENESS FUND
ANNUAL REPORT 2020
KEY STAFF - CITY OF BOULDER
Ana Silvia Avendaño-Curiel, Grants
Specialist
Elizabeth Crowe, Human Services
Investments Manager
Kurt Firnhaber, Housing and Human
Services Director
Kristin Hyser, Housing and Human
Services Deputy Director
KEY STAFF - BOULDER COUNTY
COMMUNITY SERVICES
Meca Delgado, Program Manager,
Boulder County Healthy Youth Alliance,
Special Projects Coordinator, Communi-
ty Services Department
McKenzie LeTendre, Program Manager,
Boulder County Community Services
Cover photo: Boulder County Community
Services
3
MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSING AND HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR
The Substance
Education Awareness
(SEA) Fund equips
agencies to deliver
program services
that can have a long
lasting, positive
impact on the lives
of youth in our
community.
KURT FIRNHABER
Housing and Human Services Director
2020 may have been one of the most difficult years in our young people’s lives.
Faced with so many new challenges from the pandemic, youth are experiencing
unprecedented levels of isolation, fear and loss. By spring 2021, emergency room
visits for youth mental health crises had increased by 90%, according to Children’s
Hospital Colorado. This alarming rate, plus a significant increase in youth suicide
attempts, prompted the institution to declare a “pediatric mental health state
of emergency.” Local health data shows that total emergency room visits for
suicide attempts increased by 71% in 2020 compared to 2019. In the face of such
disruption and trauma, coping mechanisms such as substance use and abuse
can become more prevalent. Local data also indicates an increase in opioid and
alcohol overdoses in 2020 compared to 2019.
Despite the undeniable impact of COVID-19 on youth, families, schools and
nonprofit organizations, Substance Education and Awareness (SEA) Fund
partners were able to use creative strategies and innovative approaches to keep
youth and other community members engaged in substance use prevention
programs. While virtual gatherings and other COVID-19 adjustments posed
logistical challenges, some SEA funded organizations experienced an increase in
participation with the switch to online programs.
2020 highlighted the importance of collaboration among agencies focused on
substance use prevention. The SEA Fund not only provides grants, but also
opportunities for our grantees to participate in professional substance use
prevention trainings, develop skills in program management and evaluation
and leverage partnerships for greater community impacts. The past four years
of programming support and capacity-building through the SEA Fund helped
position these programs to sustain and adapt their work during COVID-19, to
continue to meet the changing needs of the community.
With these challenges come opportunities to expand and improve the SEA Fund
for even better service to our nonprofit partners and community members. The
city and our partners at Boulder County Community Services will continue to do
just that, so our youth, their families and other community members have the
substance use prevention information, tools, skills and support necessary for
healthy living.
I hope you will join me in appreciation for the work of our nonprofit partners
reflected in this report.
INTRODUCTION
On Nov. 5, 2013, City of Boulder voters approved Ordinance
7916, which authorized the city to impose an excise tax
of up to 10% and a sales and use tax of up to 10% on
recreational marijuana sales to offset some of the indirect
costs of recreational marijuana. In June 2016, the City of
Boulder launched the Substance Education and Awareness
(SEA) Fund, which utilizes a portion of this tax revenue
for community programs that align with the Recreational
Marijuana Tax legislative intent, for “comprehensive substance
abuse programs including, without limitation, prevention,
treatment, education, responsible use, intervention, and
monitoring, with an emphasis on youth.”
Since 2016, the city’s Housing and Human Services
Department (HHS) has contracted with Boulder County
Community Services (BCCS) to help manage SEA
grants, provide technical assistance and implement an
evaluation framework. HHS has also contracted with
the OMNI Institute for their expertise in substance use
prevention evaluation and data collection processes.
City staff and BCCS, with engagement from nonprofit
community partners, collaboratively selected programs
for a five-year SEA funding cycle that began in 2017.
From 2017-2019 grantees, city and BCCS staff and OMNI
Institute developed and finalized shared goals, indicators
and a unique data collection process to measure
success. The four SEA Fund goals are:
1. Widespread community distribution and awareness of
information and programs developed;
2. Shift community perceptions of risk associated with
substance use, including the impact of drugs, alcohol,
recreational marijuana, and abuse of prescription medications
on children and youth;
3. Prevent/reduce youth abuse of alcohol and recreational
drugs including marijuana; and
4. Reduce accidental ingestion of marijuana and other drugs.
In 2020 the city manager approved adding two new
programs to the SEA Fund family, to address the increase
in vaping among youth, and use of addictive opioids for
treatment of chronic pain.
Each year, the SEA Fund not only offers grant funding
for selected programs, but also technical assistance
and partnership support for all grantees. These services
include quarterly meetings for networking, updates
on substance use research and program evaluation;
skill shares and training on SEA Fund data collection
and program management; and opportunities for
professional development, such as certification in the
Substance Abuse Prevention Skills Training.
In this way, SEA Fund grantees can meaningfully incorporate,
expand and elevate their work in substance use and abuse
prevention; consistently apply proven principles and best
practices; increase youth-based and youth-led strategies; and
leverage partnerships for greater community wide impacts. This
in turn can lead increase expertise in implementation of science
and research standards, prevention competency and program
sustainability.
SUBSTANCE EDUCATION AND AWARENESS FUND
AT A GLANCE
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BACKGROUND
The SEA Fund provides funding for
substance use prevention programs,
and an environment for shared
learning, partnership and support
across programs.
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
2020 SEA FUND DATA: PERCENTAGE OF PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS WHO PERCEIVE MODERATE- TO
GREAT-RISK FOR SUBSTANCE USE
2020 SEA FUND DATA: PERCENTAGE OF PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS WHO AGREE THAT TRUSTED ADULTS
INFLUENCE SUBSTANCE USE
CITY OF BOULDER RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA TAX REVENUE: 2017-2020
96%96%97%
75%78%
87%
94%
86%
97%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
Alcohol Marijuana Nicotine
Parents Youth Adults working with youth
93%
91%
100%
76%
71%
75%
84%
83%
80%
0%20%40%60%80%100%120%
Alcohol
Marijuana
Nicotine
Adults working with youth Youth Parents
5
6
SUBSTANCE EDUCATION
AND AWARENESS FUND
STRATEGY
SEA Fund activities are modeled after evidence-based strategies set by the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Research from this and other mental
and behavioral health agencies indicates two of the most important factors in youth substance use
prevention are 1) perceiving alcohol and drugs as risky and therefore, better to avoid; and 2) engaging
with a trusted, supportive adult for help with problems that might otherwise turn them toward alcohol
or drugs. Thus, SEA Fund activities are designed to increase perceptions of the risk of substance use and
support the building of healthy, trusting relationships between adults and youth. SEA Fund also supports
opportunities for young people to participate in healthy, positive, and constructive activities that exclude
substance use; and those that aim to change written and unwritten community standards, codes, and
attitudes surrounding substance use.
In 2020, with support from Boulder County Community Services (BCCS) and consultants at
the OMNI Institute, SEA Fund grantees were able to fully implement an evaluation strategy
in order track progress toward the four SEA goals. SEA Fund grantee partners collect data on
these and other factors to measure the success of their programs. Because the data we collect
about substance use prevention programs is similar to that used by the Healthy Kids Colorado
Survey, we can compare the positive impacts from SEA Fund-supported programs to statewide
results. Below are some of the indicators measured in 2020 that show progress toward the SEA
long term goal to reduce rates of youth substance use:
• At least 75% of parents, youth, and adults who work with youth report a perception of at
least “moderate risk” for youth who consume alcohol daily.
• At least 78% of parents, youth, and adults who work with youth reported a perception of
at least moderate risk for youth who marijuana regularly.
• At least 87% of parents, youth, and adults who work with youth report a perception of at
least moderate risk for youth who vape every day.
• 86% of youth reported having a trusted adult they could go to with a serious problem.
• 98% of adults who work with youth report having the resources necessary to be a trusted
adult.
It is encouraging to see that regardless of the substance or population, at minimum, three
quarters of those surveyed, associate youth substance use with more than “some risk.”
Some data specifically highlights the way in which SEA Fund activities work to reduce health disparities
related to race and ethnicity. For example, a random sample of Boulder Valley School District (BVSD)
parents, which intentionally included more Latino families to ensure accurate data collection,
demonstrated a shift in community perceptions related to substance use. Compared to 2018 data, in 2020
there was an increase in the percentage of Latino parents who perceived great influence of their student’s
decision not to use substances across the board, suggesting parents are becoming more empowered
to talk to their children about this issue and the dangers of substance use early on (11% increase of
perception for alcohol; 12% increase for tobacco; 9% increase for marijuana).
SEA Fund has
provided a
structure and
the resources
for Boulder
Valley School
District to bring
forth substance
use prevention
programs
consistently,
with data-driven
decision making,
and collaboration
amongst
community
organizations.
- SEA Fund Grantee
STRATEGY
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8
COMMUNITY IMPACT
Boulder County Public Health’s Healthy Futures Coalition engages 20 members from local
nonprofit agencies that serve youth, schools, local government, volunteer organizations,
religious groups and healthcare organizations, largely from the City of Boulder. The Healthy
Futures Coalition and the Healthy Futures Youth Coalition meet monthly to create more effective
substance prevention strategies that highlight and honor the strengths of young people. Boulder
County Public Health provided training opportunities to increase the capacity for prevention
professionals to offer services informed by young people’s lived experiences.
• Healthy Futures Youth Coalition developed and started the Who We Are During
COVID youth-to-youth resiliency-building campaign that utilized artwork, poetry,
and technology to increase connection and helped maintain a social network
during the pandemic.
• Most members of the coalition and the youth coalition agreed that through Coalition
activities, they have the skills needed to be a trusted adult in young people’s lives.
BOULDER COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH: COMMUNITY SUSBTANCE ABUSE
PREVENTION, HEALTHY FUTURES COALITION
Social media served as a tool to engage
youth in having deeper connections with
each other and themselves.
(Photo: Boulder County Public Health)
SUBSTANCE EDUCATION
AND AWARENESS FUND PROGRAM
ACTIVITIES AND OUTCOMES
Research from the Centers for Disease Control in 2018 showed that Colorado youth were
vaping at higher rates when compared to other regions, and Boulder specific data showed 27%
of Boulder High Schoolers vape, elevating this issue to a top prevention priority. The TEPP is
initiating a program launching a social marketing campaign and website designed to change
the knowledge, beliefs and behaviors related to use of electronic vapor products. The long-term
goals are focused on reducing the number of youth currently using vapor products, and the
number of youth who will ever try vapor products.
• Developed a tobacco and vaping cessation resource document that will be
widely distributed to youth serving organizations and schools.
• Hosted focus groups with City of Boulder youth to guide the development of the campaign,
with an emphasis on including young people who identify as LGBTQ+. Data shows that
LGBTQ+ youth are at an increased risk of vaping, possibly due to lack of supportive social
and institutional systems.
BOULDER COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH: TOBACCO EDUCATION & PREVENTION
PARTNERSHIP (TEPP)
Through TEPP, youth are empowered to
make healthy choices as an alternative to
vaping.
9
BCCS provides technical support for SEA partners, assists with project coordination,
reinforces consistent messaging across community partners, facilitates opportunities
for collaboration and offers capacity training opportunities for SEA partners. BCCS
also ensures at least one member from all SEA Fund partner organizations attends
a Substance Abuse Prevention Skills Training offered through the Colorado Office of
Behavioral Health.
• 80% of SEA Fund partners agree that the technical assistance received
through the SEA Fund has improved their ability to evaluate the impact of
programs, and 75% “strongly agree” that the SEA Fund has increased their
knowledge of substance use prevention strategies.
• The BCCS SEA Fund program manager and the Healthy Futures Coalition facilitator both
became licensed as a Certified Prevention Specialist II. This certification helps expand
substance use prevention leadership capacity in our community.
BOULDER COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND
SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION SKILLS TRAINING
Building stronger collaborations with, and
increasing professional development for
community agencies ensures the program
strengthens and succeeds.
(Photo: Boulder County Community Services)
Speak Now was a substance use prevention media education campaign developed
by the State of Colorado that has been integrated into the shared messaging of the
SEA Fund collective impact approach. The campaign was designed to engage parents
and caregivers and provide evidence-based information and resources to create
awareness and interest in talking with their children about the risks of alcohol and
other drugs.
• BCCS provided Speak Now/Hable Ahora informational tables at local parent
school-night and symposium events, reaching more than 300 individuals. Over
90% of participants served, said that Speak Now ‘completely’ explained how to
start conversations with youth and why they are important. All participants said
the information presented would change their approach to having a conversation
with their child about substance use.
• In addition, John Snow Inc.’s evaluation of the Speak Now campaign was
completed in 2020. Google Analytics showed levels of engagement with the Speak
Now/Hable Ahora site were higher than the industry average for health and
wellness sites. During one campaign, there was an increase from 1.1 sessions
per day before the media flight began to 17.4 sessions per day during the media
flight; an impressive 1,481.8% increase.
BOULDER COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES: SPEAK NOW/HABLE AHORA
Co-branded content was advertised through
social medica platforms and other advertis-
ing platforms across the Boulder community.
10
The Sources of Strength (SOS) program is an evidence-based program designed to
increase help-seeking behaviors and promote connections between peers and caring
adults. SOS uses peer leaders to enhance protective factors and leverages the power
of peer social networks to change unhealthy norms and culture, ultimately preventing
suicide, bullying and substance use. The target population of the SOS is middle school
youth attending five City of Boulder Middle schools: Casey, Centennial, Manhattan,
Platt and Southern Hills. Sources of Strength strives for equity by intentionally
nominating students from all grades, social groups, racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Nominations are made by teachers, staff and students.
• After program participation 90.9% of youth reported having a trusted adult.
• 100% of surveyed “adults working with youth” report that alcohol use and
marijuana use pose a “great risk” to students if used regularly, and report having
“some influence” over the decisions of youth to use alcohol or marijuana.
• Students reported overwhelmingly “Strongly Agree” or “Agree” when asked if
parents set clear expectations around substance use. Specifically, 92% report
clear expectations around alcohol use, and 96% report clear expectations around
marijuana use.
• Students who participate in the SOS and completed the evaluation said things like,
“Keeping a gratitude journal that I started for SOS and now is just a regular thing.”,
“Learning about mental health and how everyone gets impacted by it and doing
what we can to help.”
Students created a school wide campaign to
identify their personal sources of strength
and build a stronger community.
(Photo: Boulder Valley School District)
"EFFEKT" is an evidence-based program that seeks to prevent adolescent substance use by giving
parents the knowledge and skills to set clear expectations and attitudes towards young people's
use of substances. The program is delivered through a parent meeting held at the school at the
beginning of each semester, followed by a reinforcing letter that is sent home to all parents. The
EFFEKT curriculum encourages parents to maintain restrictive attitudes toward youth substance
use and encourage the reinforcement of parents’ strong influence over their children's attitudes
and behaviors. The program’s target population is parents and caregivers of youth aged 11 to 14,
attending two different middle schools in the City of Boulder.
• This January, BVSD served and reached a total of 1,230 individuals. Widespread
advertising caught the attention of a Denver reporter who attended a
presentation to learn more about substance use prevention, with the hopes of
creating a story to air on the radio.
• Progrram evaluation data collected during the first half of the year has shown
that parents are receiving the information needed to understand their influence
on their child’s decision to use substances, and there is a perception in the
community of high risk with substance use after an EFFEKT presentation.
BOULDER VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT (BVSD): EFFEKT PROGRAM
EFFEKT helps adults communicate more ef-
fectively with young people about decisions
involving substance use.
BOULDER VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT (BVSD): SOURCES OF STRENGTH
AREAS OF IMPACT
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The YMCA Influencer Program is designed to educate adults who work and interact
with youth on how to become an "ask-able" or "safe" person to talk with. The program
trains adults on how to effectively communicate and interact with youth to have a
positive impact on their lives. Specifically, the training focuses on topics including
substance use, bullying and parental disputes and teaches adults to comfortably
manage conversations with youth. The target population for the program is YMCA staff
members and individuals in the community who regularly interact with young people.
• Nearly 100 YMCA staff have completed an Influencer training. This training reviews the
YMCA’s role in substance prevention with youth program leaders.
• Following the Influencer training, YMCA staff have reported feeling more
comfortable talking to youth about substance use, and increased confidence in
building connections with youth. The training has helped staff understand their
role as a trusted adult. Staff see themselves as a protective factor for children at
the YMCA and apply what they learn in their work each day. This includes positive
reinforcement techniques, behavior management and how to provide social-
emotional learning opportunities.
• Saff members are increasingly speaking up about their specific role as an influencer. One
influencer shared that “before typing this, I thought I’d look up the definition of ‘influence’
and I found… it means to have an effect on the character, development or behavior of
someone or something… Yes, I am an influencer. A positive influencer, an influencer for the
good of people and my community. I am an influencer because I believe in transformational
leadership.”
Any adult can become a mentor to positively
impact our young community in a profound
and intentional manner.
YMCA: INFLUENCER PROGRAM
The Prosocial Program was created to provide teens with a space for healthy activities
as well as the development of leadership skills with adult mentors. The program
includes Teen Night Out which gives teens a safe environment in which they can grow
and thrive. Through the program, teens are also encouraged to volunteer for Days
of Service, giving teens the chance to become leaders and experience the inspiring
feeling of helping others. The target population is youth aged 11-17.
• Prior to COVID-19, the YMCA hosted a Teen Night Out at Warrior Challenge
Arena in Broomfield. During the event, the program leader shared a meaningful
interaction; “One of the participants, who had been previously very shy and
reserved in front of others, competed in this challenge and was able to win.
Watching that person smile and strut away after the victory inspired that person,
me, and all the other teens.”
• The COVID-19 pandemic caused the Prosocial programming to come to a halt.
YMCA put together holiday gift bags containing treats, social learning materials
like teen-focused cookbooks and flyers with information on support systems for
families during these challenging times. As a result of these bags, teens were able
to re-engage with the YMCA in a new way and learn about how to access and use
resources in the community.
YMCA: PROSOCIAL PROGRAM
Engagement carepackages were sent to stu-
dents' homes during school closures due to
the pandemic, to promote family connected-
ness. (Photo: YMCA of Northern Colorado)
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AREAS OF IMPACT
BOULDER COMMUNITY HEALTH: PREVENTION & INTERVENTION FOR LIFE
LONG ALTERNATIVES AND RECOVERY (PILLAR)
The Boulder Community Health education program is part of a larger program within
the hospital called PILLAR. Within PILLAR, the SEA Fund provides resources for a
community education series, intended to increase the community’s understanding
of strategies to prevent substance misuse, specifically opioid use, and polysubstance
use. Boulder Community Health hosts monthly education classes taking place at the
hospital, and other locations around the county. It is estimated that approximately
550 individuals will be served by these classes, targeting medical providers, parents,
community members, health professionals and others.
• As of June 2020, the PILLAR program reached over 1200 participants and over 75%
of respondents report increased knowledge as a result of topics presented in
the Educational Lecture Series.
• In April, PILLAR began hosting an online session called Virtual Recovery Stories, a
weekly offering in which a person in recovery tells their story to an audience
of viewers and then answers questions related to their experience.
• Since offering educational events online, PILLAR has reached nearly 2,500
views of the Adverse Childhood Events lecture, Virtual Recovery Stories, and
Opioid Epidemic panel. The live stream of these events was very
successful and will be the medium in which all educational lectures
will be delivered in 2021.
Adults practiced their skills around self-reg-
ulation to be able to share with the young
people and other community members with
whom they have influence.
(Photo: Boulder Community Health PILLAR)
The Responsible Association of Retailers (RAR) Boulder County Chapter is an evidence-based
responsible vendor program aimed at limiting youth access to age restricted substances. There
is a Boulder RAR chapter for alcohol retailers, and Partners Mentoring Youth is in the process of
developing a Boulder chapter for cannabis retailers. RAR members attend monthly meetings and
receive responsible vendor trainings at a free or reduced cost. Trainings cover topics including ID
compliance checks, fake ID training and other responsible sale and service tools to prevent over
service and ensure patron safety. RAR members subscribe to a code of ethics on responsible sales
and services practices that prevent youth from purchasing products underage.
• The RAR chapter increased its membership by 10% in 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
• RAR held the first meeting for the cannabis chapter in September 2020.
• RAR adapted ID compliance checks to meet new needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
RAR staff adjusted well to the virtual environment and instituted a once monthly TiPS
Training & TenderWise training online.
PARTNERS MENTORING YOUTH: RESPONSIBLE ASSOCIATION OF RETAILERS
Through RAR, restaurant and retail workers
are trained in skills to help ensure customer
safety and regulatory compliance regarding
substance use.
Agency Amount Agency Amount
Boulder County Community Services $53,218 Boulder Valley School District $60,950
Boulder Community Health $50,000 Partners Mentoring Youth $40,782
Boulder County Public Health, TEPP $150,000 YMCA of Northern Colorado $38,050
Boulder County Public Health, CSAP $12,000 TOTAL $405,000
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SUBSTANCE EDUCATION
AND AWARENESS FUND
LIST OF GRANTEES
https://bouldercolorado.gov/services/substance-education-and-awareness
(303) 441-1928
SUBSTANCE EDUCATION
AND AWARENESS FUND
ANNUAL REPORT 2020
CITY OF BOULDER | HOUSING & HUMAN SERVICES