ENFIELD — In Enfield, community well-being is a shared mission — and at the heart of that effort is the Enfield Together Coalition, a collaborative group dedicated to promoting mental health and preventing substance misuse across all ages.
“ETC is a collaborative group comprised of cross-sector representation of those committed to substance misuse prevention and mental health promotion of Enfield residents across the lifespan,” explained Cynthia Guerreri, director of social services for Enfield.
“We understand the intersection of mental health and substance misuse is significant, and we cannot address one without addressing the other,” she continued.
Originally focused solely on youth substance misuse, the coalition has expanded its mission in recent years to include mental health and wellness initiatives for people of all ages. “We also know that youth do not live in a vacuum,” Guerreri explained. “They are surrounded by parents, grandparents, and siblings. To improve the well-being of youth, we need to support and build the capacity of the people around them.”
The coalition’s approach is data-driven and community-focused. It begins by collecting information to understand the challenges facing Enfield’s youth. That research then guides local workshops, parent education sessions, and outreach to businesses to ensure alcohol, tobacco and cannabis laws are being followed.
The results are promising. “Since 2017, we can see a downward trend in alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and opioid/prescription misuse,” Guerreri said, citing data from the Youth Voices Count Survey. “For example, in 2017, 20.4% of Enfield High School students reported drinking alcohol in the past month. In 2025, that number has reduced to 3.1%.” Vaping misuse has also dropped sharply, from 13.1% to 5.5%.
One of ETC’s strengths is its ability to amplify youth voices. “Although we support people across the lifespan, we do center youth voices in everything we do,” Guerreri said. The Enfield Youth Council, a leadership group for local high school students, plays a key role.
“The Enfield Youth Council can provide insight to the coalition leadership on a variety of topics. They can provide new, innovative ideas. The EYC also engages in peer-to-peer messaging. Youth listen to adults all day: parents, teachers, coaches, etc. When prevention messaging comes from their peers, youth are more likely to listen. The ETC gets creative by making attention-grabbing and informative messaging on social media and in their high school,” Guerreri said.
A recent project that embodies ETC’s focus on connection is Enfield Connects, a new social marketing campaign launched in October 2025 to strengthen social ties throughout the community. “We heard about how social connections can improve physical health, mental health, and even impact community economics,” Guerreri said. The campaign includes resources on the ETC website that help residents connect with volunteer groups, faith communities and local initiatives.
Partnerships are also key to the Coalition’s success. “ETC relies heavily on our community partners,” Guerreri emphasized. “For example, the Enfield Police Department houses the medication drop box and hosts Drug Take Back Day twice a year.” Other collaborations include efforts between Community Health Resources and Johnson Memorial Hospital to streamline access to mental health and substance misuse services.
Still, challenges remain. Sustaining funding and community engagement are ongoing priorities. “Social marketing is about changing perceptions and behaviors that lead to improved health and well-being — this is a marathon, not a sprint,” Guerreri said.
Looking ahead, the coalition hopes to continue reducing substance misuse while also tackling loneliness and isolation — a growing public health concern. “ETC would like to see reports of loneliness decrease across all age cohorts as a result of the Enfield Connects initiative,” Guerreri said.
For those who want to make a difference, Guerreri’s message is simple: “The change ETC hopes to make is communitywide, so the work must include the whole community.”
