SPF-PFS 2024 an evidenced-based program for youth of middle and high school age that combines community-based and youth-guided environmental strategies. - northern santa FE and southern RIO arriba…

SPF-PFS 2024 an evidenced-based program for youth of middle and high school age that combines community-based and youth-guided environmental strategies. - northern santa FE and southern RIO arriba counties in new mexico will be the catchment area for the strategic prevention framework-partnerships for success (PFS) grant. The connecting our voice program through the national latino behavioral health association will collaborate with the schools and community partners to strengthen prevention infrastructure. The connecting our voices PFS will implement universal evidence-based initiatives to prevent the onset and progression of substance abuse, specifically alcohol, marijuana, and opioids. School age youth across the both the espanola and pojoaque school districts will receive universal prevention programming. The youth advisory council will be grown and trained in evidence-based prevention. Capacity to address higher risk students and disparities among lgbtq youth, hispanics, native americans, and adults with four or more adverse childhood experiences (aces) will be built. Connecting our voices program goals include: •increasing substance abuse prevention infrastructure and capacity to collect and use local data to assess needs and readiness, develop a data-driven strategic plan, and implement evidence-based substance abuse prevention approaches. •reducing underage drinking, marijuana use, and delaying early initiation of alcohol and marijuana use among youth. •reducing opioid misuse and overdoses among youth and adults. •reducing behavioral health disparities in the espanola valley and pojoaque valley, including access to mental health and substance use services. The proposed activities will reach the entire county populations of nearly 200,000 people, 1,500 youth and young adults through in-school evidence-based programming and youth advisory council meetings and events, 100 parents, and an additional subset of adults who participate in forums or other events over the course of the five-year grant. Annually, 200 youth, and 50 community members and parents will receive prevention training. Media and messaging will to reach the entire community through radio, outdoor ADS, newspaper, and social media. This comprehensive approach will prevent the onset and reduce the progression of substance abuse and its related problems while strengthening prevention capacity and infrastructure, to sustain efforts at the community level.