Henrico Too Smart 2 Start Coalition (HTS2S)
History
Henrico Too Smart 2 Start Coalition (HTS2S)
OUR STORY
Vision: To create a community where all individuals and families are healthy and safe.
Mission: Henrico Too Smart 2 Start Coalition is a 501 (C) 3 Non-Profit Organization that promotes health and wellness in Henrico County with a primary focus on reducing youth substance abuse through education, advocacy and capacity building.
History and Background: In 2014, Henrico Too Smart 2 Start Coalition became a 501©3 organization. It was originally an initiative of Henrico Mental Health Prevention Services to have local agencies collaborate on the issue of youth substance use prevention. In 2016, Henrico Too Smart 2 Start partnered with area agencies to conduct a study on the views and behaviors towards substances by Henrico youth. The study was conducted again in 2018. HTS2S learned that alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana are the most misused substances by Henrico’s youth. The average age of first use was 14. On average, experimenting with opioids began at the age of 18, and they began after first experimenting with alcohol, nicotine, and/or marijuana. The results of the assessments directed the substances on which the coalition focused. In 2024, the coalition hired its first Executive Director to ensure a staff dedicated to maintaining collaborations, a united focus on youth substance misuse prevention and reduction, and ensure a county-wide impact.
Approach: HTS2S serves its mission by reducing the use of alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana as well as support organizations that focus on opioid use by 12 to 17-year-old Henrico residents. HTS2S is employing the Strategic Prevention Framework and seven key environmental strategies to affect community level change in Henrico. These objectives can be more generally described by HTS2S’s four key goals: develop effective community collaborations, raise community awareness, advocate for policies that promote healthy decisions toward substance use, and ensure the sustainability of efforts to prevent and reduce youth substance use.
Key Plans
For fiscal year 2025 to 2026, the coalition will raise the profile of the coalition by leaders serving in other organizations, supporting the efforts of other organizations, and hosting training sessions that will empower community stakeholders to address youth substance misuse.
The coalition will raise awareness around youth substance misuse through large scale community activities as well as large scale awareness campaigns via traditional media, streaming services, and social media.
The coalition will help change the environment by working with retail stores that sell alcohol, nicotine and THC products.
The coalition will continue to host interactive demonstrations, training workshops, and presentations with youth-serving organizations, particularly schools. The coalition will also continue to host workshops that empower parents with schools, neighborhood associations, and increasingly PTAs.
In 1998, the Henrico Youth Development Committee became known as Healthy Communities, Healthy Youth, and Healthy Henrico Youth Partnership (HCHY). The goals were to educate all community members on risk and protective factors, and support new and existing programs that promote protective factors for youth enabling healthy youth development. In 2003, the Healthy Communities, Healthy Youth, Healthy Henrico Youth Partnership (HCHY) became the Too Smart to Start Coalition. The focus of the Too Smart to Start Coalition was directed toward the research-based risk and protective factors that prevent substance use among youth. The first Town Hall meeting to raise community awareness in Henrico regarding underage drinking was held in March 2006.
In 2008, the coalition’s name was altered to Henrico Too Smart 2 Start Coalition (TS2S) and a Youth Ambassadors component was added to actively engage youth in leadership development and prevention. The efforts of the coalition focused on the empowerment of every citizen of Henrico County to make changes that promote health and wellness. The Henrico Too Smart 2 Start Coalition continued to plan and host Town Hall meetings annually to introduce the coalition and educate the community. Each successive year the Henrico Too Smart 2 Start Coalition hosted a minimum of two events in collaboration with community partners for the purpose of building capacity and educating the community on the hazards of underage drinking and substance use. Community partners include Henrico County Prevention Services, MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), VA ABC (Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control), Regional Drug-Free Alliance, Henrico County Public Schools, Henrico Police Department, and the Parent Council of Commonwealth Parenting
In 2009, the TS2S Coalition was the recipient of the Virginia Dept. of Alcohol & Beverage Control (ABC) Community Coalitions Grant. Over the following year, the coalition engaged several schools and PTAs in collaboratively launching the nationally recognized initiative, Parents Who Host Lose the Most, and four Town Hall meetings were held on underage drinking, and prescription drug abuse. MADD also participated as a partner in these initiatives and subsequent community forums, hosting parent workshops on The Power of Parents in addressing under-age drinking and related risky behaviors.
After incorporation in August 2011, the TS2S coalition formalized its strategies for recruitment. A standing committee with the charge of focusing on membership development was adopted. This committee’s role was, and is still, to strategically engage key stakeholders from the community with affiliations in the 12 core sectors. The Chairman of the Henrico School Board served as chair of the TS2S coalition for several years, thus expanding access to numerous other key stakeholders and decision makers (e.g. County administrators, County Board of Supervisor members, superintendent of schools), enabling the coalition to effectively broaden its capacity building efforts and strategically increase its access to resources; one of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors became a staunch advocate for the coalition. Key Police officials also attended meetings and delegated police personnel to actively assist the coalition efforts. Henrico County key stakeholders were regularly invited to coalition meetings and activities familiarizing them with the work of the coalition and again building and sustaining capacity for its efforts. Additionally, at each monthly meeting key agencies/organizations are invited to “spotlight” their mission and efforts, thereby opening dialogue for additional collaboration, and as another way to sustain membership.
In 2013 the TS2S Coalition entered into a partnership with a veteran coalition, Chesterfield SAFE, from an adjacent county. A DFC Mentoring Grant was obtained by Chesterfield SAFE with the purpose of supporting and advising the TS2S Coalition in its objective to seek a DFC grant. The two neighboring counties have a long history of collaboration on economic, educational, cultural, law enforcement and legislative initiatives. Leaders from the two groups have also worked together on regional (Regional Drug Free Alliance), and statewide coalitions (Community Coalitions of Virginia) to coordinate advocacy,and strengthen the prevention workforce across the state through third-party trainings. Under the DFC Mentorship Grant, the TS2S Coalition strengthened its organizational structure, increased its leadership and community readiness to address youth substance use in Henrico County, obtained valuable training from CADCA and other resources, initiated a strategic planning process, and begun a comprehensive community needs assessment.
The coalition receives substantial support from Henrico Mental Health and Developmental Services. The Prevention Services unit played an instrumental role in the inception of the coalition. Currently 2 Prevention Specialists manage and coordinate the activities of the Youth Ambassadors, and provide training, consultation and coordination support to assist the coalition efforts. In particular, the youth leadership component of TS2S (Youth Ambassadors), was started to serve a vital role in mobilizing the community to address youth substance use prevention. The program is designed for 9th through 12th grade Henrico County youth, with the goal of promoting leadership competencies and knowledge of Prevention that will position youth to positively promote change in their community. Youth are recruited from Henrico County high schools, primarily through peer-to peer interaction. The Youth Ambassadors have representation at the Too Smart 2 Start Coalition meetings. The youth assist in the planning and implementation of activities incorporated in the coalition’s operational plan. The coalition liaison is also an employee of Henrico Area Mental Health and Developmental Services Prevention Unit, and is a Substance Abuse Prevention Skills Trainer (SAPST), certified by SAMHSA – Center for Applied Prevention Technologies (CAPT). The roles of all the officers, board members and members are outlined in the TS2S Coalition bylaws. The by-laws were updated March 2014.
In 2016 the coalition received an ABC grant and partnered with Henrico County Public schools to implement a youth survey, and partnered with Henrico Area Mental Health Prevention Services as part of a comprehensive community needs assessment. And, in 2017 the coalition applied for a Drug Free Community (DFC) community grant. The coalition will hear back in September 2017.