Helping communities build a healthy environment with policies, enforcement, & norms that support the positive & drug-free development of Maine youth.

What is MESAP?  |  What does MESAP offer?  |  What does MESAP cost? 
Who is MESAP?  |  What people are saying about MESAP  |  Partners/Resources   

Medical Care Development, Inc. - (207) 773-7737 - mesap@mcd.org

What is MESAP? (return to top)

MESAP is Maine’s Environmental Substance Abuse Prevention Center, established through funding from the Maine Office of Substance Abuse to provide training, technical assistance, and information sharing for community-level prevention efforts across the state.  MESAP’s goal is to help build local, county, regional, and statewide capacity in four interconnected strategy areas: enforcement, policy, communications and collaboration.  MESAP trainings and materials are developed according to the latest research and best practices, and are rooted in the model program, Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol (CMCA).


What does MESAP offer? (return to top)

• On-site training: MESAP offers individualized, on-site trainings in research-based environmental prevention for project staff, partners, and volunteers.  Training content is grounded in our own real-life experience (including what works… and what doesn’t), and is developed in consultation with project leaders according to your needs and interests.

• Ongoing technical assistance: Ongoing TA is offered through a combination of site visits, telephone, and email communication. In addition, sample project materials are continuously being created, reviewed, and disseminated for use by OSA grantees.

• Regional and statewide trainings: Topic areas are selected according to needs and interests expressed by participants, and are guided by OSA priorities.  Collaborating organizations are invited as partners in planning and implementation of these meetings.

 Sample training topics:

• Environmental Prevention 101

• Recipes for Success: A System for Change Using Evidence-based Environmental Strategies

• Community Organizing and Coalition-building: Building Blocks for Environmental Change

• The CMCA Model: Real-life Successes and Lessons Learned in Portland, ME

• The Role of Community Organizing: Lessons from CMCA and CTI

• A Comprehensive Approach: Weaving Environmental Strategies into Prevention Planning

• Environmental Prevention and the Strategic Prevention Framework

• Law Enforcement: Key to Prevention

• Law Enforcement & Community Partnership to Reduce Underage Drinking

• Real-World Environmental Prevention: Lessons Learned in the Field

• Media & Marketing Strategies for Substance Abuse Prevention

• Mobilizing Your Community for Alcohol Policy Change

What do MESAP services cost?  (return to top)

Many MESAP services are available at no cost to OSA grantees. Please contact us for more information about free services.  The cost for additional services is outlined below. We aim to offer affordable rates.  If your organization has budget restrictions that make any of these costs prohibitive, please let us know. 

• Phone consultation:   $75/hr

• On-site consultation:  $75/hr + mileage at $.38/mile + $25 per half hour (30 miles) of travel

• Half-day workshops & presentations (3 hrs presentation time): $400

• Full-day workshops & presentations (6 hrs presentation time): $750
   

Who is MESAP? (return to top)

MESAP is a project of Medical Care Development, Inc., a non-profit organization that has worked to improve the health of Maine citizens since 1966.  MCD has provided capacity-building, training, technical assistance, and facilitation of collaborative endeavors around substance abuse prevention in Maine since 2001.  In 2005, this role was formalized through the creation of MESAP: Maine’s Environmental Substance Abuse Prevention Center.  MESAP trainers are not only knowledgeable and experienced in environmental prevention strategies—they are actively involved in the day-to-day realities of planning and implementation.

Erica Schmitz, MPP, balances her time between serving as Director of MESAP and Coalition Coordinator of 21 Reasons (formerly Portland CMCA).  Erica has ten years of experience in community organizing, multi-sector collaboration, coalition-building, substance abuse prevention, youth development, and youth-adult partnership.  Erica initiated CMCA projects in two rural Massachusetts communities prior to joining MCD as Coordinator of Portland CMCA in 2004. 

Kate Perkins, MPA, is Director of Population Health Programs at MCD. Kate has more than 20 years of experience in community organizing, health promotion, program development, strategic planning, and social marketing project management.  Kate provided technical assistance and training to many of the One Maine coalitions and intensive assistance to three communities to support implementation of the CMCA model program.   

What people are saying about MESAP… (return to top)

Here are just a few of the anonymous responses we’ve received on our workshop and training evaluations, regarding what participants have found most helpful:

“You are a wealth of info.  Thanks!” 

“It clued me in to how complex the problem is and therefore how complex the solution must be.”

 “Excellent materials & networking”

 “Presenter’s knowledge & energy”

 “Information about available research & data.”

 “Distinction between environmental and individual change”

 “The thoroughness of it, and the open exchange of ideas”

 “It was all very helpful”

 “Activities to reinforce concepts”

 “Fantastic tools for future use”

           “The whole thing - I didn't know any of it - didn't know what I didn't know…”

 “Identifying sources of tools & tactics to reach the grass roots of the community”

 “How to get started; Erica as a resource person.”

 “Having facts to back up assumptions”

 “Discussion & group forum & motivated instructor”

Partners & Resources (return to top)

MESAP is pleased to partner with the following organizations to support substance abuse prevention efforts across the state:

Prevention Center of Excellence
http://www.ccids.umaine.edu/research/prevention/
The Prevention Center of Excellence at the University of Maine Orono conducts research and provides technical assistance and evaluation to improve relevant substance abuse prevention in Maine's communities. Its website has research and resource materials related to substance abuse prevention as well as links to other helpful websites.

Maine Association of Prevention Programs
http://www.masap.org/site/prevention.asp
MAPP is a grassroots network that was created in 1999 to provide an advocacy voice for substance abuse prevention. Its primary functions are to advocate at the Maine State Legislature and to educate the general public regarding the need and benefit of substance abuse prevention activities.

HEAPP
http://www.maineheapp.org/
Maine's Higher Education Alcohol Prevention Partnership offers Maine campuses an opportunity to assess and improve their substance abuse prevention practices.

Youth Empowerment and Policy Project, AdCare Educational Institute
http://www.neias.org/YEP/

YEPP brings together students from around the state of Maine to develop Findings and Recommendations about drug and alcohol policy.  Their website includes recommendations around school policy, law enforcement, and alcohol advertising.