This project, Enhancing Communication to Comprehensively Support Youth Substance Use Prevention, led by Community Action for Health Living (CAHL) aimed to develop a communications strategy to promote and expand outreach, enhance prevention efforts and support a more comprehensive approach to youth substance use and mental health across Northeast Wisconsin.
Community Action for Healthy Living (CAHL) has a strong history of success in tobacco prevention but is now facing the challenge of evolving to meet more complex and interconnected youth health needs across Northeast Wisconsin. As substance use patterns shift and increasingly intersect with mental health, CAHL must expand beyond a singular focus on tobacco to address a broader range of issues, including vaping, cannabis use and youth well-being. However, this transition is limited by gaps in communication infrastructure and strategy. Without clear, consistent messaging, defined target audiences and optimized communication channels, CAHL’s ability to effectively provide community support and deliver prevention programming is constrained. At the same time, reaching diverse audiences requires more tailored and intentional outreach approaches. Existing communication efforts are not fully equipped to support this level of engagement, which creates barriers to increasing awareness, strengthening partnerships and advancing health equity.
The primary goal of this project was to strengthen Community Action for Healthy Living’s (CAHL) ability to develop and implement a comprehensive communication strategy. The aims of this project were to:
Through this award, Community Action for Healthy Living (CAHL) strengthened its communication infrastructure and overall organizational capacity, positioning the organization for sustained impact in substance misuse prevention across Northeast Wisconsin. CAHL developed a fully executable marketing and communications plan that provides a clear roadmap for outreach, engagement and long-term sustainability. This plan includes a well-defined, audience-specific prevention campaign that not only reinforces key substance misuse prevention messages but also offers actionable steps to guide future efforts. As a result, CAHL is now equipped to communicate more clearly, consistently and effectively with its target audiences, which was an area previously identified as a critical need in its strategic planning.
The award also enabled CAHL to enhance its internal communication systems and establish a more cohesive and unified messaging framework. This strengthened voice has improved the organization’s ability to engage partners and community members around shared prevention goals, while expanding its reach across youth, families, schools, and broader community networks.
This work came at a pivotal time. As CAHL navigated shifts in the funding landscape, the tools, strategies and communication capacity built through this project allowed the organization to remain agile and responsive.
This project was awarded as part of WPP’s 20th anniversary grant program.
