Welcome to The Staten Island Foundation
The Staten Island Foundation is an independent, private foundation serving the borough of Staten Island, New York. We are interested in outcomes in the areas of education, health, arts and culture, and strengthening community services. The Foundation funds direct services, capacity building, and a limited number of capital projects.
The Staten Island Foundation
260 Christopher Lane, Suite 3B
Staten Island, NY 10314
Phone: (718) 697-2831
Fax: (718) 697-3180
See below for a current major initiative we are supporting.
Tackling Youth Substance Abuse initiative (TYSA)
What is Take Care Staten Island's Tackling Youth Substance Abuse Initiative?
The Tackling Youth Substance Abuse (TYSA) Initiative is a cross-sector coalition aimed at driving major improvements in youth substance abuse in Staten Island, with the ultimate goals of decreased use of alcohol and prescription drugs and youth making healthy choices overall. The Staten Island Foundation has supported this initiative from its creation.
TYSA is not intended to be a new "program" nor an attempt to compete with any of our community's noteworthy community health initiatives. Our aim is for this substance abuse initiative to build strong public awareness of the urgent need to tackle youth substance abuse, help to better align current efforts and fill necessary gaps, and create a strong strategic framework for improved collective impact.
Why?
Staten Island has the highest proportion of youth who binge drink in NYC, with 37.3% of Staten Island youth having consumed at least one drink of alcohol in the past 30 days. Staten Island also has the highest proportion of youth who have ever used a prescription pain reliever without a prescription in NYC. The effects of youth substance abuse are devastating for our youth, parents, families, and community. The need for action is urgent. The well-being and future of our community is at stake.
Who is Involved?
Many individuals, organizations and agencies from across the community, as well as the city and the state, have already joined in the effort to work toward a common vision and set of goals towards decreasing youth substance abuse in Staten Island. Involvement spans city and state agencies, treatment providers, prevention providers, youth development organizations, pharmacies, law enforcement, education, hospitals and other medical professionals, philanthropy, and more.
TYSA is led by a Steering Committee of non-profit, for-profit, and government organizations, agencies, and individuals that share the goal of dramatically decreasing use of alcohol and prescription drugs by Staten Island youth. Steering Committee members believe we can improve our collective impact if we work off a common strategic framework and effectively engage our communities, parents, youth and a broad array of nonprofits, government agencies, and civic organizations in this effort.
What is the Timeline?
This effort began in early 2011 when Take Care Staten Island, the Staten Island Partnership for Community Wellness, and the Staten Island Foundation convened people interested in tackling community health issues together. Planning work began in earnest in early Summer 2011. A high-level strategic framework was adopted in November 2011, including a common agenda with problem data, goals, and indicators, and a blueprint for implementation covering organizational structures and processes to transform the plan into action.
The current phase of work involves in-depth action planning through workgroups to develop detailed strategies and related performance measures, also generously supported by the Staten Island Foundation. Work has begun to turn to supporting implementation by players operating at the community, borough, city, and state levels. Results will be measured using a common set of metrics. Progress will hinge on strong community engagement and on our ability to foster innovation and effective collaboration across the substance abuse and community health continuum.
How do I get Involved?
Join the TYSA Community Network, to receive periodic emails and stay informed about developments, meetings, and volunteer activities in the community (to be launched Spring 2012);
Help spread the word by letting others on Staten Island know about this important effort;
Consider how you or your organization may support the strategies developed by the workgroups as an implementing partner (more information will be forthcoming after strategies are finalized).
For more information, please download and complete this form and email it to us at TYSA2020@gmail.com.
*If you are experiencing any difficulty accessing our website you may have to update your web browser. Click here.