Our Mission:
The Change Collaborative of Manchester works toward building a vibrant, safe, and healthy community for our youth through substance misuse prevention programs.
We unite the 12 sectors of our community to create and implement innovative substance misuse awareness, education, and prevention initiatives.
Meet Our Staff
Prevention Program Coordinator John Dalterio (and his dog Bugbear).
“Connection is the opposite of addiction.
I grew up in a town without safe, inclusive, or engaging youth programs. My friends and I longed for connection - to our community, to mentors, to friends, even to our families. Manchester is not that town. Here, we have a wealth of wonderful youth programs led by caring community members who are eager to engage with their neighbors.
My goal is to make sure this wealth of resources is fully embraced by everyone in our community. The thoughtful programs developed by our coalition members expand both awareness of and access to these resources, creating opportunities for children, youth, families, and older adults alike to stay connected and supported throughout their entire lives.”
Molly Finnegan, Program Support Specialist
“Substance misuse impacts communities in more ways than we realize. The Change Collaborative aims to bring some reassurance that the youth will have safe and healthy outlets to express themselves.”
CADCA Conference
Adults and youth alike learn about best practices in prevention work, the latest research, and coalition development through the CADCA Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. Our Manchester youth had the opportunity of attending this past January, 2023.
We Are Dedicated To Providing Educational Materials To Our Community
Our efforts target youth and their families to make a healthier community that thrives to inform and educate through evidence-based interventions
Check out what our research says
Join Us
We welcome all members of the public who are interested in helping with our cause. Currently we have two groups that meet regularly to work on grassroots initiatives to engage youth and the community at large to raise awareness of alcohol and drug abuse. For more information about this group, contact our Prevention Program Coordinator at ccm@manchesterct.gov