Community Drug & Alcohol Strategy

Home » Community Drug & Alcohol Strategy

The Community Drug & Alcohol Strategy (“CDAS” or “The Strategy”) is a partnership among community agencies and stakeholders, working in agreement and good faith, to reduce substance-related harms in Grey and Bruce Counties.

Vision, Mission, and Priorities

Our Vision

The Strategy seeks to decrease harms and improve health, well-being, and safety for individual, families, and communities in Grey County, Bruce County, and in the Saugeen Ojibway Nation.

Our Mission

The Strategy seeks to coordinate a collaborative approach to addressing substance-related harms in the various geographical areas by supporting policies, practices, and initiatives that:

• Prevent and/or delay the use of substances among youth;
• Reduce the harms for people who use substances, their family members and communities;
• Support diverse, voluntary treatment options;
• Enhance community safety and wellbeing.

Strategic Priorities

There are five community priorities requiring a collaborative approach to develop and implement rural, grassroots solutions. These priorities are:

1. Enhance community safety and reduce the harms of opioids and the poisonous unregulated drug supply
2. Reduce the harms associated with alcohol use
3. Prevent or delay youth substance use
4. Increase access to inclusive, culturally safe, and respectful care, support, and services.
5. Reduce stigma and its impact through evidence-informed education, training, and communications.

Community Drug and Alcohol Strategy – Coordinator and Committees

CDAS Coordinator

The Strategy is coordinated by a dedicated part-time individual, with the role being funded through grants from Grey and Bruce counties, along with in-kind support from CMHA Grey Bruce. The role of the coordinator is to work with the CDAS Committees (see below sections) and community partners to develop, implement, and evaluate projects and policies that advise the Strategic Priorities.

The current CDAS Coordinator is Liam Nicoll, employed by CMHA Grey Bruce.

CDAS Steering Committee

The Steering Committee exists to give direction, support, and approval to Community Drug and Alcohol Strategy (CDAS) activities and initiatives, providing a starting point for goals, objectives, and shared messaging. The group is responsible for ensuring that CDAS resources and efforts are aligned with the strategic plan priorities and guiding principles. The Steering Committee provides oversight to the coordinator, the Leadership Group, and Working Groups. 

CDAS Leadership Group

The Leadership Group is the core group of organizations that agree to actively work together in good faith, to advance the strategic priorities of the Community Drug & Alcohol Strategy (CDAS), in alignment with the guiding principles. Through a collaborative decision-making process, the Leadership Group identifies strategic direction and project ideas. Working Groups are formed from members of the Leadership Group to implement priority projects.

Peer Advisory Committee (PAC)

The Peer Advisory Committee (PAC) exists to increase opportunities for people with lived experience of addiction to have a say in the way services and programs are shaped in Grey and Bruce Counties. Members of PAC sit on the Leadership Group and Steering Committee, where their lived experience and wisdom provide valuable insight.

Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy

A Comprehensive, Collaborative, Compassionate And Evidence-Based Approach To Drug Policy

Strategic Plan 2025-2029 – Link to the CDAS Strategic Plan

Contact

Please reach out to Liam Nicoll, CDAS Coordinator.

lnicoll@cmhagb.org or 519-371-3642 ext. 1217.

In office – Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays.

For more information about the Community Drug & Alcohol Strategy, please visit HERE