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Our Partners in Prevention
The Mendez Foundation works closely with industry experts to help us develop and deliver the best prevention education programs and make them accessible to the widest possible audience. Here are some of our key partners in this work.
USF Institute for Translational Research
The Institute for Translational Research in Adolescent Behavioral Health is a joint program between the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health and the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences. It is a National Institute on Drug Abuse funded research education program allowing graduate-level scholars the opportunity to carry out their research in a tangible setting. Mendez Foundation researchers and curriculum developers work closely with the institute and its scholars to study the real world implementation of behavioral health programs and interventions to understand the gap between research and practice. Each year, student cohorts from the institute examine areas of implementation to understand the barriers to the fidelity of implementation as well as the areas where successful strategies have yielded replicable results.
Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is a force of healing and hope for individuals, families, and communities affected by addiction to alcohol and other drugs. It is the nation’s largest nonprofit treatment provider, with a legacy that began in 1949 and includes the 1982 founding of the Betty Ford Center. The Foundation offers prevention and recovery solutions nationwide and across the entire continuum of care for youth and adults.
Law Enforcement Against Drugs (L.E.A.D.)
L.E.A.D. provides the leadership, resources, and management to ensure law enforcement agencies have the means to partner with educators, community leaders, and families by providing evidence-based programs to deter youth and adults from drug use, drug-related crimes, bullying, and violence. L.E.A.D. is committed to reinforcing mutual respect and goodwill between law enforcement and their communities. L.E.A.D.’s vision is to create safer, healthier communities free of drugs, bullying, and violence.
Hillsborough County Public Schools
Our commitment to prevention education began in the late 1970s when we recognized the need for prevention education to address substance use. We responded with the development of innovative prevention programming designed to reduce risk factors and enhance protective factors related to the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Through our 37 year partnership with the Hillsborough County Public Schools in Tampa, Florida the Mendez Foundation’s team of Prevention Specialists delivers the Too Good for Drugs program to middle school students district-wide.
Gasparilla Distance Classic Association
The Gasparilla Distance Classic Association, established in 1978, is a nonprofit organization dedicated specifically to raising funds for charitable youth organizations and running programs in the Tampa Bay area. Its mission is carried out through the administration of the annual Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic Race Weekend and Jr. Gasparilla Distance Classic in Tampa. Since then, the Mendez Foundation has supported the Publix I am Too Good for Drugs Jr. Gasparilla Distance Classic bringing thousands of children and families together to demonstrate their commitment to healthy living.
