WBT Flipbooks

5 TFAH • WBT • PaininTheNation.org All these evidence-based coalition models engage with schools as key partners and provide access to technical experts and training, help with collecting and analyzing data and metrics, allow for continuous improvement, and increase sustainability through braided funding. Schools often work with their local police department, juvenile justice system, child welfare system, healthcare organizations and others to help steer youth with mental health or substance use disorders into treatment rather than into the justice system. Most high schools have a School Resource Officer, typically a law enforcement official deployed in the school setting to ensure safe learning environments and develop positive relationships with troubled youth. And, some communities have special recovery high schools designed for students recovering from a substance use disorder as an alternative to the justice system. 26 A study of recovery high schools found that complete avoidance of alcohol or other drugs increased from 20 percent during the 90 days before entering such schools to 56 percent after. 27 Working together with various community partners, schools can help mitigate the devastating epidemic of drug overdoses, alcohol-related fatalities and suicides among the next generation of Americans. BRAIDING AND BLENDING OF FUNDING Braiding is coordinating funding and financing from various sources to support a single initiative or portfolio of interventions, generally at the community or program-level. 21 Braided funds remain in separate and distinguishable strands, to allow close tracking and accounting of expenses related to each separate funding source. Funding sources can include both traditional and non-traditional sources from both the private and public sectors — including private foundation funding, categorical funding from federal, state or local government, dedicated revenue streams, as well as hospital community benefit dollars, Medicaid and commercial health insurance reimbursement, or community development funds. Blending, in contrast, combines different funding/financing streams into one pool, under a single set of reporting and other requirements such that expenses can no longer be traced to their original source. Blending makes dollars from different streams indistinguishable from one another as they are combined to meet the needs on the ground that are unexpected or not covered by other sources. Braiding can increase opportunities to obtain larger amounts of funds, and is often more politically feasible then blending since each funder can track how funds are spent. Percentage of students avoiding drugs or alcohol 90 days before and after entering a recovery high school 90 days before 90 days after 56% 20%

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