State Incentive Grants (SIGs) are the most direct mechanism for translating prevention knowledge into practice. The SIG program helps States and communities implement effective prevention program models. Eighty- five percent of program funds are channeled to local SIG sub-recipients, which include community-based organizations, coalitions, partnerships, local governments, schools, and school districts.

CSAP has 37 State Incentive Grants (SIGs) in place with more than 600 sub-recipients. Approximately 80 percent of these sub-recipients are implementing science-based substance abuse prevention programs. Of these science-based programs, more than half are deemed Exemplary and Model Programs by CSAP. More than 2 million youth have already participated in nearly 300 SIG Programs around the country.

The SIG Program is a State-coordinated, community-based approach that brings the issue of teenage substance abuse to the level of the individual teen and those most important in his or her life.

The SIG Program, a major component of the Secretarial Initiative on Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Initiative (YSAPI), has two goals:

The SIG Program calls on Governors to create comprehensive State Prevention Plans. States receive funding for 3 years and are to use at least 85 percent of the SIG funds to support community-based programs and implement sound, science-based local prevention efforts. A total of 21 States have received SIG grants to date.

Faced with the fact that substance abuse among its high school students exceeded national norms, Vermont became one of the first States to participate in the SIG Program. Through its New Directions Program, the Vermont Department of Health is using the bulk of its grant to establish cooperative agreements with up to 30 communities to implement and evaluate programs and services based on models that have been shown to be effective in preventing teen alcohol and drug abuse. All New Directions grantees are required to be part of a coalition that represents all the stakeholders in the community, including prevention service providers, community leaders, and teens and their families. At the end of the grant period, Vermont will use what it has learned from these projects to increase research-based programming and improve the cost-effectiveness of prevention efforts statewide.

Through the SIG Program, Federal, State, and local partners are working to establish methods for collecting and comparing data that can be used to assess the effectiveness of various community-based efforts to reduce alcohol, tobacco, and drug use among 12- to 17-year-olds.

Five Proposed Voluntary Prevention Program Outcome Constructs:

• Use of substances in the past 30 days
• Age of first substance abuse
• Perceived risk/harm of substance abuse
• Attitudes about substance abuse
• Intention/expectation to abuse substances
• Available Publications and Visual Aids

CSAP plans to develop publications for this initiative, including "toolboxes" for the SIG grantees, to help them identify and assess funding streams, develop a systematic approach for leveraging resources, create a strategy for prevention in their State, issue appropriate subcontracts, and so forth.

A fact sheet will soon be available for each of the first five participating states: Illinois, Kentucky, Kansas, Oregon, and Vermont.

To find out how to apply for a State Incentive Grant go to: http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/index.html.

For more information, contact David Robbins at CSAP at 240-276-2583.

For publications or information on other programs, contact

SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information Post Office Box 2345 Rockville, MD 20847-2345 800/729-6686; TDD 800/487-4889 or visit http://ncadi.samhsa.gov