Challenge
How do you translate a large, federally directed funding pool into actionable, cross-campus initiatives? ONDCP’s mandate at the time prioritized reducing drug misuse among young people, but success required aligning legislation-driven parameters with university expertise.

Solution
Dr. Rosenthal built a multi-disciplinary team spanning Applied Sciences, Education, and Pharmacy at the University of Mississippi, with external partners from Baylor University’s School of Education and the nonprofit Shatterproof. Each team applied its expertise to a shared mission: reducing substance misuse, expanding access to mental health services, and strengthening leadership across the education continuum.

Highlights from Year One:

• Partnered with 30 school districts and colleges and collected feedback from 7,400+ students, parents, and teachers.

• Delivered Youth Mental Health First Aid training to 46 instructors, who in turn trained 123 community members.

• Provided direct services to 263 active clients and emergency grief counseling to 8 students.

• Trained 200+ healthcare professionals to reduce addiction-related stigma (Stigma Unraveled).

Impact
The initiative has established sustainable programming, created enduring academic-community partnerships, and positioned the university as a statewide leader in evidence-based substance misuse prevention.