Recognition & Accomplishments

The TRACC Coalition has been successful in partnering with many organizations and agencies since 2008 to bring awareness of substance use issues to the community. TRACC and its partners have accomplished the many successful joint ventures which have positively impacted Tangipahoa Parish.

 

The TRACC Coalition has been honored to receive National Recognition for the efforts in our community.

• Recipient of the CADCA’s 2023 National Major General Arthur T. Dean Chairman’s Award

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• Recognized as a 2023 National Blue Ribbon Coalition Award by the Executive Office of the President - Office of National Drug Control Policy

 

The TRACC Coalition has been successful since 2008 in the following endeavors:

• Hosted 12 Annual Town Hall/Legislative Forum meetings to discuss the issues surrounding underage drinking and other substance use. During these meetings, parish leaders participated in panel discussions about youth and alcohol other drug use affecting our community. 

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• Hosted an Annual Youth Leadership Forum since 2009 to offer local high school teen leaders the opportunity to learn about ways they can make a positive impact on substance use prevention in our communities.

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• Formed partnerships with law enforcement agencies to establish a Multi-agency DWI Taskforce and an Underage Drinking Taskforce.

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• Coordinated training for over 150 local officers in Juvenile Underage Drinking Enforcement (JUDE), Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST), and Intoxilyzer Training.

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• Partnered with Southeastern Louisiana University faculty, staff, and students to complete a comprehensive community needs assessment of alcohol through service-learning opportunities as graded class assignments.

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• Facilitated the implementation of a Litter Abatement Program as an added consequence for a 1st and/or 2nd offense DWI conviction that operated through the parish’s Office of Public Works. The program was created as a direct result of the collaboration between Tangipahoa Parish Government (TPG) and TRACC Coalition, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office (TPSO) and the 21st Judicial District Courts-Probation Department. All DWI offenders are now required to serve 16 hours of community service work picking up trash on the parish highways. The offenders are transported and supervised by the TPG's Office of Public Works  and referred by TPSO.

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• Facilitated the partnership between Southeastern Louisiana University’s Counseling Center and 21st Judicial DA’s Office Pretrial Diversion Program for referrals for SLU Students who are mandated to get substance use assessments done at the Counseling Center on campus.

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• Created the Keeping Every Youth Safe (KEYS) Alliance Youth Group. Since 2011, KEYS Alliance has been the youth voice of the coalition, providing us with different ways we can reach their peers to promote substance use prevention. Representing many different schools in the parish, KEYS Alliance has been a great asset to substance use prevention on a peer-to-peer level.

  • As of today, the coalition is changing their approach on KEYS Alliance, and is working to create a club at different schools, instead of one collective parish-wide group. This will allow more youth to be reached at their school, addressing specific needs of each campus, and broaden the capacity for youth advocacy!

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• Established a Youth Leadership Training Academy emphasizing in leadership/skills building to promote advocacy for policy change to allow youth to make a positive impact on substance use prevention in our communities.