Reducing Substance Use

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Contact Info
Injury and Violence Prevention Section
health.injuryprevention@state.mn.us

Contact Info

Injury and Violence Prevention Section
health.injuryprevention@state.mn.us

Communities That Care (CTC) Minnesota – Youth Substance Use Prevention Grants Request for Proposals

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is seeking proposals to prevent cannabis and other substance use among Minnesota youth using the Communities That Care (CTC) prevention program within local communities.

CTC is a community-based prevention system proven to reduce youth health and behavior problems across communities. The CTC program provides a framework for local coalitions to develop community-specific prevention plans based on their unique levels of health risk behaviors and risk and protective factors. CTC’s five-phase process provides communities with a step-by-step guide and tools to build a high functioning community prevention coalition, develop a community profile using a community youth survey, create a community action plan for prevention, and then implement and evaluate those activities. More information on Communities That Care.

Grant Program Goal: Prevent youth substance use, including but not limited to alcohol, cannabis, and commercial tobacco use, through a multi-faceted approach. Reducing risk factors associated with substance use and enhancing protective factors in a community-wide, sustainable way will reduce youth substance use as well as impact other health (e.g., mental health, violence), and social areas (e.g., academics). Funding will be provided to organizations with the capacity to develop and lead local coalitions, implement prevention strategies, and evaluate progress based on measurable outcomes.

MDH is committed to supporting communities around capacity building and multi-sector partnerships to focus on youth substance use prevention. MDH will fund up to 12 communities to implement the CTC prevention system, with a focus on strengthening protective factors and reducing risk factors for substance use.

Important dates

  • March 25, 2025: RFP informational meeting
  • March 28, 2025: Letter of intent deadline
  • April 10, 2025: Last day to submit RFP questions
  • April 16, 2025: Application deadline
  • April 25, 2025: Notice of funding decisions
  • June 1, 2025: Grant start date
  • May 31, 2030: Grant ends

An annual amount of $1,500,000 is available for up to 12 communities to implement the CTC prevention system for five years. Funding is to be used for one full-time equivalent coordinator/facilitator (at minimum a 0.50 FTE), program implementation and evaluation costs, and if the Minnesota Student Survey is not implemented in the community, funding can be used to implement the CTC Youth Survey. Successful applicants will develop a final approved budget in partnership with MDH.

Funding will be allocated through a competitive process. If selected, you may only incur eligible expenditures when the grant agreement is fully executed, and the grant has reached its effective date.

  • Estimated Amount to Grant: $1,500,000
  • Estimated Number of Awards: 12
  • Estimated Award Maximum: $150,000
  • Estimated Award Minimum: $100,000

Please note: CTC Grants are unique as they are implementing a specific framework for a generalized community. This is separate from another request for funding proposal called “SUPER Focus Grants," which focuses on general prevention, education, and recovery for specific populations or communities.

These competitive funds should be used in partnership with other substance use prevention-related funds received by local communities, for example substance misuse prevention funds provided to local and Tribal health departments pursuant to Minn. Statutes, Sec. 144.197, subdivision 4; substance use treatment, recovery, and prevention grants pursuant to Minn. Statutes, Sec. 342.72; other state funding such as the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP), suicide prevention state grantees, and drug overdose prevention grantees; and federal funding such as CDC: Drug Free Communities.

Questions and RFP information meeting

MDH will host a one-hour meeting (Microsoft Teams Meeting) to assist applicants in preparing an application. All prospective applicants are encouraged to attend, but attendance is not required. 

Microsoft Teams Meeting Link: MDH Communities That Care RFP Informational Meeting Tuesday, March 25 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

All questions regarding this RFP must be submitted by email to health.super.mdh@state.mn.us. In the subject line, include the phrase, “Substance Use Prevention – CTC RFP Question.” All answers will be posted within three business days.

Please submit questions no later than April 10, 2025, 4:30 p.m. (CDT)

The Communities That Care (CTC) Minnesota – Youth Substance Use Prevention Grants Request for Proposals Questions and Answers page contains all questions submitted and answers.

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Last Updated: 03/12/2025