City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: SEPTEMBER 2, 2026
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER
FROM: KATE GARVEY, DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND HUMAN SERVICES
DOCKET TITLE:
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Consideration of a Grant Application and Acceptance of Funds awarded from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for the Strategic Prevention Framework-Partnerships for Success for Communities and Tribes Grant.
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ISSUE: City Council’s authorization of the application and acceptance of funds awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant award for the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria (SAPCA), housed within Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS), to expand and strengthen prevention capacity to deliver evidence-based youth substance use prevention services and enhance coordination infrastructure to sustain these efforts. DCHS is the fiscal agent for this grant.
RECOMMENDATIONS: That City Council:
1. Authorize the application and accept the five-year grant award issued on August 24, 2026, in the amount of $1,250,000 with no match required, to fund the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) in expanding and strengthening its capacity to deliver evidence-based youth substance use prevention programming and enhancing its coordination infrastructure to sustain this work in the City of Alexandria.
2. Approve the following positions supported by grant revenues if the competitive request is successful: one Data Analyst (1 FTE) to oversee performance assessment and evaluation activities and one Prevention Specialist (1 FTE) to support the delivery and expansion of evidence-based prevention programming.
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents that may be required to accept the grant award.
BACKGROUND: The funding notice for this grant opportunity was issued by SAMHSA on June 15, 2026, with an application due date of July 15. On August 24, 2026, DCHS staff received the official Notice of Award from SAMHSA. The grant funding supports projects that expand and strengthen prevention capacity, develop, and deliver community-based substance use prevention services that strengthen protective factors, reduce risk factors, build resilience, and promote well-being and capacity of prevention providers to implement evidence-based and evidence-informed prevention strategies through enhanced coordination infrastructure. DCHS has not received this funding before. This grant will serve to enable SAPCA to continue and enhance related work.
DISCUSSION: SAPCA submitted the grant application requesting the maximum five-year award amount of $1,250,000. The proposal included prevention strategies based on current youth substance use prevention research and best practices.
Implementing substance use prevention strategies through a primary prevention approach can help reduce the onset of youth substance use and its lasting, harmful effects; promote protective factors and healthy behaviors that support children, youth, and families to be physically safe and healthy, academically successful, and career ready; and reduce risk factors that can lead to negative outcomes for children, youth, and families.
Primary prevention is a set of approaches that can be employed before the onset of youth substance use to prevent adverse health, legal and social consequences to children, youth, and families. Strategies included in the grant to prevent youth substance use include:
• Expanding and strengthening the capacity of community prevention providers to implement evidence-based and evidence-informed prevention services that strengthen protective factors, reduce risk factors, build resilience, and promote well-being by:
o Engaging state and local prevention partners to strengthen prevention planning and capacity;
o Completing a comprehensive community needs assessment identifying substance use priorities, risk and protective factors, populations not adequately reached, and gaps in existing prevention services.
o Developing a logic model and evaluation plan with measurable annual outcomes; and
o Developing an implementation plan identifying selected evidence-based prevention strategies, target populations, delivery settings, and a process for ongoing coordination and review.
• Prevent and reduce the initiation and progression of substance use by supporting the development and delivery of community-based substance use prevention services that strengthen protective factors, reduce risk factors, build resilience, and promote well-being by:
o Delivering evidence-based substance use prevention services to Alexandria youth ages 5-19 in school and/or community settings, with fidelity monitoring and pre/post assessment.
o Sharing substance use prevention messaging through digital communication channels with adults.
The overall program goal is to provide additional adolescent development and life skills to build strong self-esteem; healthy values and attitudes about themselves and others; critical decision-making and goal-setting skills; stress management strategies; and connection to community resources -- resulting in the ability to reduce risky behaviors and impulsive decision-making.
Consistent with one of the grant conditions, SAPCA will continue existing community-based partnerships to provide evidence-based prevention programs. The partners are:
• Alexandria City Public Schools
• Alexandria Health Department
• Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Activities
• Alexandria Police Department
• Alexandria Sheriff’s Office
This grant application is consistent with the Alexandria Children and Youth Community Plan 2025 and in alignment with advancing Youth Safety and Resiliency efforts.
FISCAL IMPACT: The budget for this grant is $1,250,000. The grant period is September 30, 2026, to September 29, 2031, with no required matching funds. The City is responsible for the normal administrative costs associated with this grant. These costs include financial and reporting oversight provided by DCHS, the administering agency. Existing administrative staff will provide these functions. Positions funded through the grant will end when funding ends.
Grant funding will be used for personnel, program facilitation by partner organizations, grant-required training, and supplies/materials. The individuals who fill these grant-funded positions will be notified that the positions may terminate if grant funds become unavailable in the future.
ATTACHMENTS: None.
STAFF:
Alethea Predeoux, Deputy City Manager
Kate Garvey, Director, Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS)
Federico Gutierrez, Deputy Director, DCHS
Barbara Paulson, Director, Center for Children and Families, DCHS
Noraine Buttar, Division Chief, Youth Development Team, DCHS
Emma Beall, Management Analyst III, DCHS