WEST CHESTER COMMUNITIES THAT CARE

West Chester Communities That Care (WCCTC) was established in 1998 with the support of West Chester Area School District (WCASD) to maintain a standard of excellence in both schools and the community. Based on research out of the University of Washington, the national, evidence-based, Communities That Care (CTC) model for community development uses prevention science to promote healthy youth development, improve youth outcomes, and reduce problem behaviors. The process uses an early intervention and prevention framework to guide communities to identify their local needs, set priorities, and implement tested, effective strategies to address those needs. ​ Each CTC across the country collects data from teens in participating schools on youth exposure and behavior with regard to addictive substances, violence and mental health through the PA Youth Survey (PAYS). PAYS is the data collection tool used by all CTC's in Pennsylvania. Thanks to the longevity of the relationship between WCCTC and WCASD, West Chester has over 20 years of local data on which to base conclusions and set priorities.