Abridged Corporate Resume Developing Resources for Education in America, Inc. (DREAM)
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(Updated October 2007)
Founded in 1981, DREAM has been a pioneer in grassroots substance abuse prevention efforts at the local level and catapulted into providing innovative prevention materials and training at the state and national levels. Our mission is to prevent youth substance abuse and promote healthy lifestyles by developing and providing effective products and services for schools, communities, and businesses. Listed below are DREAM’s Core Competencies, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Prevention Memberships, Grants Management Experiences, Product Development Descriptions, National Recognition and Service—Current and Past, and Awards.
Core Competencies
Training and Technical Assistance Project/Grants Management Curriculum/Program Development Product Development Grant-writing and Review Conference/Special Event Planning and Execution Publishing and Creative Design Resource Development Extensive knowledge-base and training on researched-based substance abuse prevention model programs Networking and relationship-building locally and nationally
Memberships
Member of the Mississippi Center for Nonprofits (CEO is a board member) Member of the Mississippi Association of Addiction Professionals (CEO is a board member) Member of Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) (Past Board Member) Metro Jackson Chamber of Commerce Madison County Chamber of Commerce Rankin County Chamber of Commerce
Abridged Corporate Resume Developing Resources for Education in America, Inc. (DREAM)
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Grants Management Experience Current Grant Programs
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools (2005-Present) School-based Student Drug-testing Grant Program- $527,181 DREAM was awarded a three-year, federal student drug-testing grant in September 2005 for the Rankin Schools Against Substance Use (RSASU) Project, which is a partnership with Pearl Public School District and the Rankin County School District. DREAM will serve as the project administrator for the three-year grant program. DREAM will reimburse the schools for drug-testing expenditures; assist the schools in developing Student Assistance Programs for students with substance abuse issues; and cochair a project advisory committee.
Mississippi Department of Mental Health (1986-Present Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant - $500,000)
The Mississippi Department of Mental Health has funded DREAM for the past 18 years to provide the following activities: coordinating Mississippi’s statewide drug awareness campaign; hosting and maintaining a prevention resource library; delivering substance abuse prevention workshops and technical assistance to 15 community mental health centers and 18 community-based nonprofit organizations; and coordinating and launching the Partnership for a Drug-free Mississippi media campaign.
for the sub grant process, conducted regional bidder’s conferences, and organized the grant review panel. In addition, DREAM conducts bi-annual technical assistance conferences, monitors the programmatic activities for the 25 community-based organizations awarded grants, and coordinates quarterly advisory council meetings.
Abridged Corporate Resume Developing Resources for Education in America, Inc. (DREAM)
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Past Grant Programs
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools (2004-2007 Mentoring Grant Program- $565,538) DREAM was awarded a three-year federal mentoring grant in September 2004 to implement the Transitions Mentoring Project in partnership with Northwest Rankin Middle School, Rankin County School District. The goal of the Transitions Mentoring Project is to recruit seventy-five mentors to provide mentoring services for at-risk students in grades 6 th-8th in an effort to reduce dropout rates, reduce school incidents, and increase academic progress in core academic subjects. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (2004-2007) Compassion Capital Fund Demonstration Grant- $1,566,337) DREAM was selected as a 2004 Intermediary Organization for the Compassion Capital Fund Demonstration Grant Program in July 2004. A key initiative of President George W. Bush, DREAM in partnership with the MS Center for Nonprofits, provides nonprofit management capacity-building training and technical assistance to small faith-based and community organizations across Mississippi. As the Intermediary Organization, DREAM will subgrant more than $300,000 in federal funds to local faith-based and community organizations during the three-year project period.
National Archive of Youth Social and Attitudinal Data (2003-2006 NAYSAD Grant
$270,000) Through a partnership with the University of Mississippi’s Public Policy and Research Center, DREAM receives funding through the U.S. Department of Education to administer DREAM’s Internet –based student surveys in schools across the country. The surveys will include a set of core questions that measure attitudes toward alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use.
Partnership for a Healthy Madison and Yazoo Counties Tobacco Partnership (20032006- $70,000) DREAM was approached by the Partnership for A Healthy Mississippi to be the fiscal agent for the Partnership for a Healthy Yazoo and Madison Counties. DREAM will be responsible for fiscal management and helping to ensure that the project meets its programmatic goals.
Abridged Corporate Resume Developing Resources for Education in America, Inc. (DREAM)
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Mississippi Department of Mental Health (2001-2006 State Incentive Grant- $216,000)
DREAM developed the federal grant application on behalf of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health (MDMH) and the State of Mississippi to become one of 34 states participating in the State Incentive Grant Program administered by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Over a three-year period, the state will receive nine million dollars with 85% of the funds going directly to community-based organizations to implement researchbased prevention programs. Upon grant award, the MDMH contracted with DREAM to manage day-to-day operations for the State Incentive Grant program. DREAM developed the Request for Proposal (RFP)
Southeast Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies (SECAPT) ($1.5 million per year) Served for seven years (1997-2004) as one of six centers funded nationwide as cooperative agreements with the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention to assist 12 southeastern states and jurisdictions in implementing research-based prevention programs and strategies and improving their prevention systems. (Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, Kentucky, Florida).
• Region XIV Comprehensive Center $150,000 per year Served for five years (1996-2001) as a sub-contractor and lead prevention resource for the Region XIV Comprehensive Center, a center funded by the U.S. Department of Education serving Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands with Educational Testing Service as the lead contractor.
Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi Fiscal Monitor (Average Grant Award: $250,000) Provided programmatic and fiscal monitoring of community-based programs for the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi.
Abridged Corporate Resume Developing Resources for Education in America, Inc. (DREAM)
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Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Office of Highway Safety (Average Grant Award: $50,000)
Coordinated student assistance programs, statewide prevention campaigns for youth such as Project Graduation, Operation Prom, and conducted substance abuse prevention workshops for Head Start, schools, and other community-based organizations.
Mississippi Department Of Education (Average Grant Award: $100,000)
Coordinated three statewide prevention conferences for the department and conducted regional prevention workshops for educators.
Product Development
DREAM has developed products that are marketed nationally and have generated in excess of 1 million dollars for the company. This product revenue helps to fund DREAM’s various prevention efforts. More details about these products are available upon request. Smart Publications GEMSTONES Personality Inventory (Available in Spanish) Big Books Character Education Series (Available in Spanish)* Smart Track Online Student Survey The Line for the Workplace Star Guides for Teachers Tricks of the Trade Trainer’s Guide Substance Abuse Prevention Media Literacy Poster Series Dateline Newsletter SURE Tool Data Collection Instrument
* A partnership with Deposit Guaranty Bank, which involved distributing these books to schools statewide, earned the bank the coveted Golden Coin award
National Recognition and Service
• Advisory Committee to National Parenting Is Prevention • Parents Advisory Council on Youth Drug Abuse, Office of National Drug Control Policy • Advisory Council for National Drug Policy to Governor George W. Bush
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• Established Substance Abuse Prevention Certification to the State of Mississippi and provide training on required certification courses • Sponsor and coordinator of eight national prevention conferences • Host and facilitator of U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Secretary's Initiative Summit for 12 southeastern states and jurisdictions • Member, Mississippi State Department of Education's Goals 2000 Team • Presented alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) prevention briefing to President George Bush, Washington, DC • Offered prevention testimony before U.S. Congress, Washington, DC • Board of Directors—Prevention, Intervention, Treatment Coalition of America (PITCH), Washington, DC • Citizens Advisory Committee—U.S. Senate Drug Enforcement Caucus, Washington, DC • Advisory Board—National Families in Action, Atlanta, GA • Advisory Council—Southwest Regional Center for Drug-Free Schools and Communities, University of Oklahoma • Delegate—Southwest Regional Center for Drug-Free Schools and Communities Think Tank on Prevention, Baltimore, MD • Expert Panelist—nationally televised video conference on Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities legislation, Washington, DC • Member—National Prevention Network, Washington, DC • Member and Former Director—National Federation of Parents for Drug-Free Youth, St. Louis, MO • Member—Committees of Correspondence, Boston, MA • Member—American Council for Drug Education, Washington, DC • Chair and founder, Mississippi Executive Prevention Committee (EPC), Jackson, MS • Advisory Council—Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Mississippi Department of Mental Health, Jackson, MS
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• Advisory Council—Bessie Speed Wellness Center for Drug Education, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS • Grants Review Team—Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC; Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse • Presenter and Consultant—White House Conference for a Drug-Free America, Jacksonville, FL • Co-Chair and Secretary—Southeastern Conference of Alcohol and Drug Programs Prevention and Training Network, Jackson, MS • Member—Governor's Substance Abuse Policy Council, Jackson, MS • Delegate—The National Attorney General's Summit on Law Enforcement Responses to Violent Crime, Washington, DC • Presenter—Pride International Conference, Atlanta, GA • Presenter—National Federation of Parents for a Drug-Free America Conference, Washington, DC • Presenter—Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America Conference, Washington, DC • Consultant—U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment
Awards
DREAM has received numerous awards, commendations, and recognitions for such activities as service delivery and campaign organization. The following list represents some of those noteworthy awards: Department of Health and Human Services—Outstanding Community Health Promotion Award for consistent and quality prevention programming Jackson Advertising Club—Bronze Award for outstanding drug prevention public service announcements Jackson Takes a Stand Community Coalition—Partner of the Year award for outstanding training to public housing communities and consistent support of the coalition’s goals Southwest Regional Center for Drug Free Schools and Communities—Outstanding Service Delivery Award for training schools and community-based organizations on effective prevention strategies
Abridged Corporate Resume Developing Resources for Education in America, Inc. (DREAM)
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National Red Ribbon—Award of Excellence for creativity and outreach for a statewide drug awareness campaign
DREAM staff holds numerous additional board memberships and have assumed other community, state, regional, and national leadership roles. DREAM’s trainers have successfully completed advanced training of trainers conducted by National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Office of Substance Abuse Prevention (OSAP), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Southwest Regional Center for Drug-Free Schools and Communities, and Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) training of trainers and cultural diversity tracks. DREAM’s trainers are sought after nationally and present at numerous alcohol and drug studies schools, conferences, community workshops, and schools on a variety subjects ranging from substance abuse prevention basics, teambuilding, program sustainability, coalition-building, youth involvement and others. Trainers also deliver keynote addresses. Other DREAM staff have completed grant-writing certifications and served as grant reviewers for numerous state and federal grant program applications.