Project Grant H79SP083799

TUALATIN TOGETHER AND TIGARD TURNS THE TIDE'S YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION & MENTAL HEALTH/WELLNESS FUNDING APPLICATION - THIS PROJECT WILL WORK WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES TO HELP REDUCE THE ONSET AND PROGRESSION OF YOUTH SUBSTANCE MISUSE. THROUGH A PROCESS OF GATHERING DATA BOTH THROUGH IN-PERSON FOCUS GROUPS AND ANONYMOUS SURVEYS, WE WILL GET TO THE ROOT OF WHY AND WHAT YOUTH ARE USING AND WHAT THEY SEE IN THEIR COMMUNITY AT A PROTECTIVE FACTOR AS WELL AS THE RISKS THEY SEE AROUND MENTAL HEALTH, WELLNESS AND SUBSTANCE USE. CHOOSING PROGRAMS GUIDED BY YOUTH INPUT WILL BE ONE WAY WE WILL ACHIEVE OUR GOALS OF REDUCING YOUTH SUBSTANCE MISUSE. THE OTHER IS TO UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNITY'S NORMS THROUGH LOOKING AT THE ACCESS TO SUBSTANCES, ENGAGEMENT OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UNDERSTANDING WHAT PARTNERS ARE DOING SUCH AS OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND ENGAGE OTHERS SERVING OUR YOUTH, ESPECIALLY PARENTS TO BUILD THEIR SKILLS ON HOW TO TALK TO PRODUCTIVELY TALK & LISTEN WITH YOUTH. THIS CREATES INCREASED PROTECTIVE FACTORS IN THE COMMUNITY AS THE COMMUNITY BECOMES MORE CONNECTED. CONNECTION = PREVENTION IS A KEY MANTRA WE HOPE TO INFUSE IN OUR COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE WORK OF THIS GRANT. WE WILL ACHIEVE THIS BY USING A PROCESS THAT HAS A LONG HISTORY OF SUCCESS IF YOU FOLLOW IT TO FIDELITY. THE PLAN INCLUDES FIVE KEY STEPS THAT INCLUDE ASSESSING THE COMMUNITY NEEDS, LOOKING AT OUR CAPACITY TO MEET THE NEEDS, MAKING PLANS BASED ON THE DATA FROM THE ASSESSMENT AND INCREASING OUR ABILITY TO DO THE WORK BY ENGAGING AND COLLABORATING WITH KEY PARTNERS, IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMS THAT HAVE SHOWN TO BE PROMISING OR GOLD STAR IN OUTCOMES THAT MATCH OUR NEEDS, EVALUATING THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAMS AND DOING IT ALL OVER AGAIN. RAISING UP ALL YOUTH AND FAMILIES IS CRITICAL TO THIS WORK. THAT MEANS WE WILL INVEST SIGNIFICANT TIME BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES AND WORK SPECIFICALLY ON PROGRAMS, MESSAGING AND EVENTS THAT MEET THEIR NEEDS IN A WAY THAT MAY NOT MEET OTHERS. THIS WORK TAKES TIME, TALENT AND TREASURE WHICH WILL BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AS PART OF A SUSTAINABILITY PLAN SO THIS WORK CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT YOUTH AND FAMILIES TO LIVE HEALTHY AND PRODUCTIVE LIVES.