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As a non-profit organization, the STAR Task Force relies on grants and donations for its funding. Since 1987, STAR's operating budget has come in large part from a state grant from the Department of Community, Trade & Economic Development. This grant program is entitled "Community Mobilization Against Substance Abuse" and has created a statewide network of prevention and intervention services working to mobilize communities around substance abuse and other problem behaviors. Community Mobilization uses the premise that the entire community needs to be involved to affect any type of change. This call is for involvement from local government, law enforcement, schools, businesses, parents, youth, clergy, social service agencies, health agencies, courts, probation, housing and many others. STAR strives to maintain this type of diverse representation on its board of directors as well as representing the various communities in Whatcom County. Also important is the recognition of contributing factors to substance abuse and other problem behaviors. Community assessments to determine local contributing factors are a required step to putting together any type of effective prevention strategy. Locally, here in Whatcom County, STAR has looked at reported drug use through school surveys, arrest rates, MIP, along with many other "indicators" such as trends in employment, housing, population growth, school attendance, academic performance, and reported community attitudes that demonstrate our local norms. We can then gauge the types of community changes we are experiencing, as well as compare Whatcom County to other areas around the state. All of this helps to target specific prevention steps that we can take to reduce alcohol and other drug abuse in Whatcom County
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