The new school year is still a week and a half away but gears are already turning behind the scenes for the Fountain Hills Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition to prepare for the months ahead.

According to Coalition Director Shelly Mowrey, the group was recently awarded a grant from the Arizona Parents Commission on Drug Prevention and Education.

Mowrey said the grant will help the local coalition continue its mission to combat youth substance abuse in Fountain Hills.

“The new grant will help us focus on the major drug impacting our youth right now and that’s nicotine (vaping),” Mowrey said in the announcement. “The grant will also allow the coalition to fund a mental health counselor position at the middle school to help our students with toxic stress and trauma.”

The grant also allows the coalition to add a programming personnel to the team in the form of Dushawn John.

“She most recently worked for the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation as a prevention specialist and helped deliver evidence-based prevention programs to students at the middle school,” Mowrey continued. “Dushawn’s official first day was July 1.”

Myla Stearnes is also joining the coalition as program coordinator this year and will be working on the group’s Drug Free Communities grant over the next 14 months.

The coalition’s first meeting of the 2019-20 academic year is Aug. 22 at 9 a.m. For more information on the coalition, its programs and more, visit fhcoalition.org.