Who we are

We aim to partner with ALL who have been affected by substance use disorder in our region.

CGAC is a collaborative multi-stakeholder organization, which was established over a decade ago as a response to the emerging opioid epidemic in our region.

We are passionate about working within communities to foster coordination, collaboration and communication between organizations, stakeholders & residents across all sectors. We understand that this process is intricate and involves STRATEGY,  which is why we aim to work with our members and the community at large to implement evidence based strategies that will result in healthy prosperous communities for all people to live and thrive in.

At the core of our mission is our dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion and the affect of substance use disorder on historically underrepresented populations. Our belief is that not one size fits all when addressing this serious public health issue and that all voices must be heard in order to make real permanent change.

Meetings are held virtually & posted to our Events Calendar.

All are welcome.

Our goal is to build and maintain healthy, safe, and drug free communities by ongoing collaboration with the following 12 sectors:

Youth​, Parents, Business, Media, School, Youth serving Organizations, Law enforcement, Religious or Fraternal Organizations, Civic or volunteer groups, Healthcare, State, Local, and Tribal Government Agencies, and Other local organizations involved in reducing substance abuse.

If you are interested in getting involved with CGAC please reach out!

Full member meetings will be held on a bi-monthly basis on the third Tuesday at 3pm starting January and ending in November. All are welcome to attend. Please share.

Time Yearly Meeting Dates
3pm Tuesday, January 16, 2024- Full Member
3pm Tuesday March 19, 2024- Full Member 
3pm Tuesday, May 21, 2024- Full Member
3pm Tuesday, July 16, 2024- Full Member
3pm Tuesday, September 17, 2024- Full Member
3pm Tuesday, November 19, 2024- Full Member

 

*Prevention Workgroup meetings are held monthly at 10:30am on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. There will be no meetings in August and December, unless otherwise determined by the group. Prevention Workgroups will also be used to convene short term planning committees for events, marketing campaigns and data collection.

 

Time Yearly Meeting Dates
10:30am Wednesday, January 17, 2024- Prevention Workgroup
10:30am Wednesday, February 21, 2024- Prevention Workgroup
10:30am Wednesday, March 20, 2024- Prevention Workgroup
10:30am  Wednesday, April 17, 2024- Prevention Workgroup
10:30am Wednesday, May 15, 2024- Prevention Workgroup
10:30am Wednesday, June 19, 2024- Prevention Workgroup
10:30am Wednesday July 17, 2024- Prevention Workgroup
10:30am Wednesday, September 18, 2024- Prevention Workgroup
10:30 am Wednesday, October 16, 2024- Prevention Workgroup
10:30 am Wednesday, November 20, 2024- Prevention Workgroup

 

 

 

GOALS

  • Icon for Collaboration + Coordination
    Collaboration + Coordination
    of community wide efforts to reach underserved populations
  • Icon for Raise Awareness + Educate
    Raise Awareness + Educate
    about current & emerging trends
  • Icon for Plan + Deliver
    Plan + Deliver
    prevention education & harm reduction activities
  • Icon for Support those in treatment + recovery
    Support those in treatment + recovery
    education, advocacy & reducing stigma
  • Icon for Data Collection, Analysis & Information Dissemination
    Data Collection, Analysis & Information Dissemination
    reduce duplication of efforts
  • Icon for Seize opportunities to influence policy
    Seize opportunities to influence policy
    ensure the voices of all who have been affected are heard

Strategies for community Change

  • Icon for Providing Information + Enhancing skills
    Providing Information + Enhancing skills
    Data presentations, trainings & workshops
  • Icon for Enhance access + reduce barriers
    Enhance access + reduce barriers
    Healthcare, housing, justice, education, safety
  • Icon for Changing Consequences
    Changing Consequences
    Increasing public recognition, rewards, taxes, citations, fines, revocations/loss of privileges
  • Icon for Environmental Changes
    Environmental Changes
    Reduce risk & Enhance Protection
  • Icon for Policy Change
    Policy Change
    public policy actions, systems change within government, communities and organizations

Current Members of the CGAC Include:

  • Icon for Youth<span>Parents<span>Communities<span>Youth Serving Organizations
    YouthParentsCommunitiesYouth Serving Organizations
  • Icon for Mental Health<span>Service Providers</span>
    Mental HealthService Providers
  • Icon for Treatment<span>Recovery<span>Providers
    TreatmentRecoveryProviders
  • Icon for Individuals<span>who use drugs</span>or have been affected
    Individualswho use drugsor have been affected
  • Icon for Healthcare<span>Public Health<span>Pharmacies
    HealthcarePublic HealthPharmacies
  • Icon for Education
    Education
  • Icon for Law<span>Enforcement<span>Probation<span>Corrections
    LawEnforcementProbationCorrections
  • Icon for Civic<span>Volunteer</span>Organizations
    CivicVolunteerOrganizations

We aim to recruit and enlist new members by conducting targeted, often one-on-one outreach to key stakeholders, organizing public education events and creating a “speakers bureau” to present to civic organizations such as rotary clubs, firehouses, etc.

The Columbia-Greene Addiction Coalition wants to engage all sectors of our communities, and that’s where you come in!

Contact Us today, to see how you or your  organization can get involved!

CGAC is Committed to Providing Education in a Multitude of Forums.

Would you like us to provide a presentation or Narcan Training in your community?

Contact Us

Our History

Our organization was formed in the summer of 2013 as the “Columbia-Greene Controlled Substance Awareness Task Force”.

Initiated by Columbia Memorial Hospital, our members included Columbia and Greene County Directors of Community Services, Columbia and Greene County Health Departments, Columbia and Greene County Sheriff’s Departments, NYS Police, District Attorneys for Columbia and Greene Counties, Twin County Recovery Services, Healthcare Providers, and Educators.

In June of 2018, the task force was renamed the “Columbia-Greene Addiction Coalition”.

Past activities of the coalition include:

  • Two education and outreach dinners.
  • In-classroom prevention programming coupled with a poster contest in multiple schools, in both Columbia and Greene Counties.
  • Safe disposal boxes for prescription medications at multiple locations in Columbia and Greene Counties.
  • Improved guidelines and processes for substance use contracts, urine drug screening, scales of functional pain assessments, opioid risk tools, and protocols for treating narcotics patients system-wide.
  • Foraged positive working relationships between the health system and outside providers to ensure seamless transitions of care for shared clientele.
  • Increased communication between providers, streamlining efforts to reduce duplication to save lives and money.
  • From 2019-2023 closely worked with the HEALing Communities Study led by Columbia University and the National Institute for Drug Abuse to prevent opioid overdose deaths.
  • Narcan trainings for communities.
  • 2023 became 501(c)3 nonprofit, hired Executive Director
  • July 2023 Awarded the OASAS Prevention Coalition Grant
  • September 2023 Awarded the Drug Free Communities Grant through the CDC/HHS
  • September 2023-December 2023: Youth Clubhouse Spotlight Videos on Harm Reduction
  • November 2023: Ichabod Crane Freshman/ Senior Seminar on Substance Use Disorder with Tobacco-Free, Twin County Recovery Services and MHACG Youth Clubhouses
  • December 2023: Prevention Workgroup, Holiday Narcan Blitz for Bars/restaurants
  • April 2024: Partnered with local law enforcement for Drug Take-Back Day in Greene County