Northeast Communities Against Substance Abuse (NECASA) to Close

On June 6, 2018, the Board of Directors of Northeast Communities Against Substance Abuse (NECASA) voted to close the agency and dissolve its non-profit corporation.

NECASA began serving the twenty-one towns in Northeast Connecticut in 1990 as the second Regional Substance Abuse Action Council formed in Connecticut. Over the organization’s 28-year history it provided substance abuse and suicide prevention information and training throughout the region.

Some of NECASA’s major accomplishments included:

• Bringing Northeastern Connecticut $3 million in additional prevention funding since its inception.
• Providing over $1.2 million to 12 Local Prevention Councils in the region.
• Purchasing evidence-based health curriculums for 10 different school districts in the region.
• Helping establish a Drug Intervention Program in the Superior Court in Danielson to treat non-violent offenders.
• Mentoring the Town of Putnam and the Town of Windham so that they received their own federal Drug-Free Communities Support Grants, the total additional grants will be approximately $1.5 million when they conclude in 2018-2019.
• Conducting school surveys and provided analysis and funding to area school systems to implement programs.
• Distributing over 350,000 Substance Abuse and Suicide warning cards to 5^th-12^th grade students over a fifteen-year period. Local businesses gave discounts for the presentation of the card at purchase.
• Creating the Volunteer with Youth Awards and Judith Nilan Award to honor community volunteers and school personnel for their outstanding work with youth.

NECASA’s Executive Director, Bob Brex, who has directed the organization since its inception, will be retiring.  Bob worked for thirty-two years in human services in the Northeast corner; four with the Info-Line program at United Services and twenty-eight with NECASA. He also was an adjunct instructor at QVCC and a consultant to the Community Anti- Drug Coalitions of America for multiple years over the span of his career.

Bob was involved with many of the region’s human service efforts as well as some statewide organizations.  These efforts involved serving on many boards and commissions including: The Community Assistance Network (Willimantic), the Community Kitchens of Northeastern Connecticut, Windham Area Community Action Program, Community Life Improvement Program (Eastern CT State University), True Colors: Sexual Minority Youth and Family Services, State of Connecticut Distracted Driving Task Force, CT Methamphetamine Task Force, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Advisory Council, and the Connecticut Prevention Network.

In 1998, Bob was the recipient of the Bayard Rustin Award for Community Organizing from the Connecticut Coalition for LGBT Civil Rights and in 1999, he received the George Racine Humanitarian Award from the Northeastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce.  In 2018, Particle Accelerator, an all-day music and art festival to help prevent suicide and raise awareness about depression and substance abuse, recognized Bob for his career of contributions to the community.

State of Connecticut funding for substance abuse prevention services in the northeast has been combined with that in the southeast, along with prevention and education services for mental health issues.

The Board of Directors of NECASA plan to establish a grant fund for Northeastern Connecticut within a local foundation with any remaining fiscal assets after the closing. The fund will be based on NECASA’s mission to reduce the incidence and prevalence of substance abuse in Northeastern Connecticut.