Project Grant H79SP083672

TUCSON YOUTH 411 PROJECT - THE TUCSON YOUTH 411 PROJECT (411 MEANING A WAY TO TALK ABOUT COMMUNICATING INFORMATION) WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE TUCSON METRO AREA OF PIMA CONTY IN TUCSON, AZ AND FOCUSING ON VULNERABLE, HIGH-RISK YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES. TUCSON, AZ IS A MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY WITH A RICH HISTORY OF THE SOUTHWEST, INCLUDING 38% (US CENSUS, 2021) OF HISPANICS DUE TO ITS PROXIMITY TO THE U.S-MEXICO BORDER (ABOUT 60 MILES). THE TUCSON YOUTH 422 PROJECT WILL ADDRESS THE ONSET AND PROGRESSION OF UNDERAGE DRINKING AND YOUTH MARIJUANA USE BY PROVIDING SUBSTANCE MISUSE EDUCATION TO YOUTH AND PARENTS/GUARDIANS THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION OF EVIDENCE-BASED INDIVIDUAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES: WITH TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE AND CULTURAL RELEVANCE AT THE CORE OF THE PROJECT. THE TUCSON YOUTH 411 PROJECT WILL ALSO TEACH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE DANGERS OF FENTANYL. UTILIZING THE STRATEGIC PREVENTION FRAMEWORK (SPF) AS A ROADMAP TO GUIDE THE PROJECT, THIS PROJECT WILL USE A NEEDS ASSESSMENT AS A BASIS FOR DATA DRIVEN STRATEGIC PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION WHILE BUILDING THE COMMUNITY'S CAPACITY TO INCREASE PREVENTION UNDERSTANDING AND MOVE THE NEEDLE IN PREVENTING AND REDUCING UNDERAGE DRINKING AND YOUTH MARIJUANA USE. A TOTAL OF 1,375 YOUTH AND PARENTS/GUARDIANS WILL BE SERVED OVER THE FIVE YEARS. THROUGH THE COMPLETION OF THE FIVE STEPS OF THE SPF, THE COMMUNITY WILL FURTHER DEVELOP ITS INFRASTRUCTURE TO ADDRESS SUBSTANCE MISUSE AND DEVELOP A NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND STRATEGIC PLAN TO INFORM THE PREVENTION INITIATIVE. EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES AND PROGRAMS WILL BE IDENTIFIED AS PART OF THE SPF PROCESS AND ADAPTED (WHILE MAINTAINING FIDELITY TO THE PROGRAM) AS NECESSARY TO ENSURE CULTURE RELEVANCY AND LANGUAGE FOR PROJECT PARTICIPANTS. THE TUCSON YOUTH 411 PROJECT WILL IMPLEMENT A COMBINATION OF INDIVIDUAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE THE FOLLOWING GOALS: GOAL 1: REDUCE THE ONSET AND PROGRESSION OF UNDERAGE DRINKING AND YOUTH MARIJUANA USE IN THE TUCSON METRO AREA. GOAL 2: INCREASE AWARENESS AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN YOUTH AND ADULTS ABOUT SUBSTANCE MISUSE AND ITS PREVALENCE. GOAL 3: INCREASE MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION IN THE TUCSON METRO AREA. IN COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS COMMITTED TO THE TUCSON YOUTH 411 PROJECT; INCLUDING MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOLS, A NON-PROFIT SERVING NATIVE AMERICANS, AND A PRIMARY CARE/BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDER, THE TUCSON YOUTH 411 PROJECT IS WELL-POSITIONED TO ADDRESS YOUTH SUBSTANCE MISUSE WITH MAXIMUM IMPACT TO THE COMMUNITY.