The Taylor Alliance for Prevention, or TAP, is a volunteer-led coalition whose aim is to implement environmental strategies and policy changes to reduce the rates of substance abuse in the communities within Taylor County.

The TAP coalition has been in existence for more than ten years now. Its beginnings were from the concerns of a handful of individuals from Abilene, Texas. The concern of these community members was the lack of resources for teens in recovery. Because of this, the central premise of the coalition has always been to secure and search for prevention and treatment services for teens and other community members.

After gaining ground, the coalition applied for grant funding from the Department of State Health Services (DSHS). DSHS awarded the Community Coalition Partnership (CCP) grant to the TAP coalition on a five-year term starting in September 2008. The coalition maintains its funding by fulfilling contractual requirements to DSHS.

The environmental strategies and policy changes that are implemented by the coalition are stemmed from evidence-based research and strategies. TAP’s initiatives are manifested from the issues identified within an annual survey the coalition conducts during each Fall within the high school campuses of Taylor County.

Previous participating campuses include: Abilene High School, Cooper High School, Jim Ned High School, Merkel High School, Trent High School, and Wylie High School