Houston partnerships for success - bethel's global reach (BGR), INC

Houston partnerships for success project will expand houston's prevention infrastructure by forming three new substance misuse prevention and reduction coalitions serving the three communities constituting houston independent school district (hisd) high schools (kashmere, sterling, and wisdom) catchment areas. Eight community partners including hisd and houston police department have committed to support SPF-PFS implementation through the expansion of a mix of evidence-based prevention programs and activities. Houston, TX is a city of 2.3 million people, 50% of harris county's population and the 4TH largest in the country. (census, 2020) the racial and ethnic makeup include: 51.5% white, 22.8% black, 6.9% asian, 7% multiracial; 44.5% of the population identified as hispanic of any race. Hisd is in stark contrast with the city. Most of the students (90%) represent one or more racial minority group, of whom 61.7% identify as hispanic in ethnicity. Furthermore, poverty is predominant among hisd students - 78.5% are considered below the poverty line (hisd, 2021) compared to 19.6% citywide (census, 2020). BGR will facilitate implementation of each component of the SPF (assessment, capacity, planning, implementation, and evaluation) ensuring a high degree of cultural competence and probability for sustainability. The assessment step will begin with updating the existing houston epidemiology profile within the first 60 days along with a behavioral heath disparities impact statement. The updated epidemiology profile will provide more complete information on the origin and effect of substance misuse, addiction, and recovery in kashmere, sterling, and wisdom high school communities. In addition, the project will engage houston youth in GEO mapping and environmental scans to identify root causes of alcohol, marijuana, and opioid misuse and associated problem behaviors. This new information will be used to strengthen prevention capacity, build infrastructure, and leverage other funding streams and resources using coordinated outreach and messaging strategies. Planning will result in three additional EPI reports. At the end of the 5-year project, BGR will have expanded houston prevention infrastructure to serve over 8,020 high school youth and significantly prevent and reduced youth and adult alcohol, marijuana, and opioid misuse.