ABOUT

Riverhead Community Awareness Program, Inc. (CAP) is a non-profit community-based organization founded in 1979 by volunteers to address growing problems caused by alcohol and other drugs within the Riverhead schools and community. In 1982 CAP embarked on an ambitious agenda of providing a monthly prevention education to all students in Pulaski Street Elementary School; this program continues today and is referred to by most students as “CAP.” It is taught by community volunteers who are assisted by Peer Leaders from the 8th grade and High School.

In 1986, CAP expanded its mission from school and community awareness and education programs to include counseling services and crisis intervention to students and families of students at risk for present or future drug problems. Presently CAP provides licensed master social workers for the Riverhead School District in the High School, Middle School, and Roanoke Avenue and Phillips Avenue Elementary Schools. In 2006, CAP became the lead coordinating agency for the Riverhead Community Coalition for Safe and Drug-Free Youth. In 2013, CAP was awarded a $625,000 federal grant ($125,000 a year for five years) from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to further its community-based coalition efforts.

Riverhead CAP’s mission is to reduce and prevent alcohol and other substance abuse within the Riverhead schools and community. The three specific goals of CAP are:

(1) To prevent or delay experimentation with alcohol or any drug by school-age population.

(2) To prevent experimentation from leading to abuse.

(3) To prevent the abuse of alcohol and drugs from leading to serious harm to the individual, the individual’s family, peers and community, namely to prevent accidents, automobile crashes, health problems and addiction.

Today, CAP is the major provider of drug and alcohol prevention, counseling services, and community coalition initiatives in the Riverhead Central School District and community.