Hernando County Drug Court
A successful drug court is one of the key to managing alcohol and drug problems within the community.  Hernando County has an excellent drug court that is effective in helping non-violent drug offenders to get treatment that increases their chances of full recovery.  This is a cost effective way to lower criminal recidivism, lowering the number of people in prison, and helping addicted people and their families.

Hernando Correctional Institution (Hernando County Jail)
The Hernando County Jail, currently operated under a contract with Corrections Corporation of America, has an alcohol and drug program available to some of its inmates.  Hernando County is fortunate to have have a jail that provides alcohol and drug services.  Providing treatment during incarceration is a proven way to lower criminal recidivism.  At five years after release about 60% of released inmates in Florida have been re-arrested where only about 30% of inmates receiving drug treatment during incarceration are rearrested.

D.A.R.E Program (Hernando County Sheriff's Office)
The Hernando County Sheriff's Department provides strong support to prevention efforts in Hernando County.  The DARE program is one of the many excellent services provided by the Sheriff's Department to prevent and effectively manage drug problems among our youth.  D.A.R.E. is a highly recognized national program. (Get more info on D.A.R.E. from their national website)

Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) and related Twelve Step Groups such as Narcotics Anonymous, are proven and successful non-professional fellowships that promote recovery from addiction.  Membership is open to anyone with a desire to recover from addiction.  Meetings are available throughout Hernando County at numerous locations seven days per week.  The recovering community of Hernando County is a critical antidrug resource that is committed to be there whenever anyone reaches out for help with an alcohol or drug problem.

School Readiness Coalition
Early childhood education is one of the most important antidrug activities.  Parents, their child's first teacher, play a crucial role in preparing children to learn and grow as sober responsible people.  The Hernando County School Readiness Coalition provides a system of interagency partnerships to ensure that all children are emotionally, physically, socially and intellectually ready to enter school, to learn, and to succeed. 

The Harbors Behavioral Health Care Institute
In order to effectively manage alcohol and other drug problems, communities need readily available treatment resources.  The Harbors provide a wide variety of substance abuse and mental health services for adults, adolescents, and children in both Hernando and Pasco County. They have a 24 hour crisis line - (352) 544-6233.

New Beginnings Youth Shelter
The primary goal of the Antidrug Coalition is to prevent alcohol and drug problems in our children and respond with effective treatment should a problem develop,  The New Beginnings Youth Shelter provides a variety of prevention and treatment services and plays an important role in the county antidrug network.

The Dawn Center
Providing a helping hand when the crisis of domestic violence occurs is a powerful antidrug activity. There is a strong connection between domestic violence and serious problems with alcohol and other drugs. Many perpetrators have serious alcohol or other drug (AOD) problems. Some victims of domestic violence turn to alcohol and other drugs to find temporary relief from the pain of domestic violence and can develop serious AOD problems as result. The dawn center provides a source of information and help for all victims of domestic violence and, when needed, provides referrals for help with alcohol and other drug problems. 

The National Association of Children of Alcoholics (NACOA)
This is National Association of Children of Alcoholics.  It is the one of the oldest associations focusing upon prevention and providing services to children of addicted people.  They have useful information for prevention, early identification and the treatment of affected children/

Healthy Start - Services for Pregnant Women
Preventing alcohol and other drug problems begins with proper prenatal care, teaching women the danger of using alcohol and other drugs, and providing treatment assistance if they find they are unable to stop using by themselves. Florida's Healthy Start Program serves all women with risks that could cause problems for themselves or their babies. The focus is on promoting healthy pregnancies and ensuring access to early, comprehensive prenatal care. The use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs that harm unborn children and adversely affect the ability of pregnant women to effective mother their infants are screened for and appropriate referrals for treatment are made.  Contact Harriet Martin   Hernando County Health Department
Telephone: 352-754-4067.   A related program is Women Infants and Children (WIC). To find out more about WIC contact: Sandra Dixon   Nutrition Program Director, Hernando County Health Department, 352-540-6800.  Florida has an Association of Healthy Start Coalitions.  There is also a coalition called Central Healthy Start which provides funding coordination to the healthy Start Program in Hernando County.

Kids Count Data Base:  This is an excellent data-base for getting national and state level data on children welfare measures. 

State Rankings:         http://www.aecf.org/cgi-bin/kc.cgi?action=newranking

Florida Description:  http://www.aecf.org/cgi-bin/kc.cgi?action=profile&area=Florida