Project Grant H79SP083356

CITY OF DOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE'S PARTNERSHIP FOR SUCCESS GRANT - THE DOVER COALITION FOR YOUTH (DCYF) WILL BUILD CAPACITY TO LAUNCH EFFECTIVE, DATA-DRIVEN COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY-BASED PREVENTION STRATEGIES TO PREVENT ONSET AND REDUCE THE PROGRESSION OF SUBSTANCE MISUSE AND COLLATERAL PROBLEMS WHILE PROMOTING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING. DCYF SERVES THE DOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE COMMUNITY WHICH HAS A POPULATION OF 31,771 PEOPLE WITH THE POPULATION OF FOCUS FOR THIS GRANT WILL BEING SCHOOL AGE YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE IS ENGLISH AS THE PRIMARY LANGUAGE AND 83% OF THE STUDENT BODY REPORTING BEING WHITE, 12% REPORT AS ASIAN AND 7% BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN. 18% OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IDENTIFY AS LGBTQ+ AND 34% OF STUDENTS REPORT HAVING LIVED WITH SOMEONE WITH A SUBSTANCE USE PROBLEM. DCYF HAS IDENTIFIED THREE COMMUNITY PREVENTION PRIORITIES: (1) ADDRESSING UNDERAGE DRINKING AND ITS RELATED CONSEQUENCES, (2) DECREASING VAPING USE (BOTH THC AND NICOTINE) AND (3) REDUCING THE ONSET AND PROGRESSION OF OPIOID/PRESCRIPTION DRUG MISUSE. WE PROPOSE ADDRESSING THESE PRIORITIES THROUGH PRIMARY PREVENTION STRATEGIES, EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND INTERVENTION, AND EVIDENCE BASED STRATEGIES TO IMPACT HIGH RISK POPULATIONS FACING HEALTH DISPARITIES. DCFY WILL STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND PREVENTION CAPACITY TO DELIVER EVIDENCE BASED PREVENTION PROGRAMS BY INCREASING COALITION MEMBERSHIP BY 30% AND CONDUCTING AT LEAST TWO MEMBERSHIP TRAININGS EACH YEAR. THE COALITION WILL REDUCE YOUTH ALCOHOL USE IN THE PAST 30 DAYS, REDUCE YOUTH BINGE DRINKING, AND INCREASE THE PERCEPTION OF ALCOHOL-RELATED RISK AMONG MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL AGED YOUTH BY 15% AT THE END OF THE PROJECT PERIOD. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF 4 EVIDENCE-BASED PREVENTION STRATEGIES AND THE LAUNCH OF A NEW SOCIAL NORMING CAMPAIGN. DCFY WILL INCREASE CAPACITY TO REDUCE VAPING OF THC/NICOTINE/OTHER SUBSTANCES, INCREASE THE PERCEPTION OF PEER DISAPPROVAL OF VAPING, AND INCREASE PERCEPTION OF VAPING-RELATED RISK AMONG MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL AGED YOUTH BY 20% AT THE END OF THE PROJECT PERIOD. THE COALITION WILL WORK WITH PARTNERS TO CHANGE POLICIES, CONDUCT PARENT TRAININGS AND IMPLEMENT EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES. DCFY WILL REDUCE PRESCRIPTION DRUG AND OPIOID MISUSE, INCREASE THE PERCEPTION OF HARM TO RATES LOWER THAN STATE AND NATIONAL AVERAGES. THE COALITION WILL INCREASE CAPACITY TO IDENTIFY YOUTH SUBSTANCE MISUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS BY EXPANDING DIVERSION PROGRAMS RESULTING IN INCREASED REFERRALS TO TREATMENT AND RECOVERY SERVICES BY ADOPTION NEW POLICIES AND INCREASING REFERRALS TO SERVICES THROUGH DIVERSION AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROGRAMS. LASTLY DCFY WILL INCREASE CAPACITY TO IDENTIFY YOUTH SUBSTANCE MISUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS BY CREATING AND EXPANDING PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON HEALTH EQUITY. WE WILL IMPLEMENT AN ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE RESPONSE TEAM, PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAININGS AND IMPLEMENT INTERVENTIONS FOR HIGH RISK GROUPS. WE EXPECT TO SERVE OVER 5,000 PEOPLE ANNUALLY AND 8,000 BY 2027 AT THE END OF THE PROJECT PERIOD.