Mission, Vision and History

Mission Statement
To provide quality substance abuse prevention, intervention, and treatment services leading to improved health, wellness, and security in the Brazos Valley.

Vision Statement
To ensure residents of the Brazos Valley have access to optimal substance abuse services.

History
Brazos Valley Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse (BVCASA) was founded in 1984 by Ms. Mary Mattingly in an effort to address the alcohol and drug abuse issues affecting our community.

Initial funding for BVCASA was received from the Texas Commission on Alcoholism (which would later become the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse or TCADA) in the amount of $12,000 to start a council. By 1990, United Way funding was awarded to BVCASA, as well as a $46,000 grant from TCADA. Further help came from the City of College Station and City Councilman Fred Brown with funding for the Straight Talk Hotline. In 1990, BVCASA provided the first workplace intervention initiative with Project REACH, a modified employee assistance program that offered intervention for adults testing positive on company drug screens. Another milestone was reached with the implementation of the Red Ribbon Campaign. BVCASA also became the first practicum site for those individuals seeking their license as chemical dependency counselors.

In the 1990s, BVCASA grew considerably with the addition of a specialized women’s outpatient treatment program and the Therapeutic Treatment Community (TTC). In 1996, BVCASA was awarded the Prevention Resource Center Grant to provide alcohol, tobacco, and other drug clearinghouse services to the thirty counties of Health & Human Services Region 7. In 1999, BVCASA was awarded the Community Coalitions Program grant, which allowed staff to reach out to individuals within the community to form local coalitions to address alcohol and drug issues. During this time, the Women’s Transitional Treatment Facility (WTTC) was also established as a transitional phase for women re-entering their communities from within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice System.

Since 2004, BVCASA prevention services have grown and redirected programs under various categories: Youth Prevention Universal (YPU), Youth Prevention Selective (YPS), Youth Prevention Indicated (YPI), and the Community Coalition Program (CCP). BVCASA currently provides the state authorized Minor in Possession (MIP) Program, the state approved Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) Program, an intensive educational program for both youth and adults entitled Choices Not Chances developed by BVCASA staff, and screening for Burleson County residents via Telehealth. In 2009, BVCASA received funds for the Prevention Resource Center (PRC) for Region 7 and the Pregnant & Postpartum Intervention Program (PPI).