Youth prevention partnership project for young adults with substance use risk in alameda and SAN francisco counties - the youth prevention partnership (YPP) project aims to prevent and reduce…

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded the Public Health Institute $600,000 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.492) to implement the Youth Prevention Partnership Project for young adults with substance use risk in Alameda and San Francisco Counties, California.

The project delivers substance use prevention and early intervention services to young adults ages 18–29 through a navigation approach combining evidence-based practices and peer-support specialists. The Public Health Institute, in collaboration with Rouse Relational Wellness, a community mental health service agency in San Francisco, recruits participants via in-person and social media outreach and provides interventions including motivational engagement intervention and digital storytelling at individual and community levels. For consented participants, the project also delivers substance use and mental health treatment based on evidence-based practices. Work is performed in Oakland, California.

The project establishes measurable objectives spanning needs assessment, community partnership, and recruitment activities: conducting a literature review identifying at least ten risk and protective factors; executing five focus groups to identify service gaps and confirm three prevention priorities; identifying at least three high-risk sub-populations; establishing points of contact with at least five youth-serving and five state and community prevention programs; partnering with twenty-two community-based agencies; and recruiting twenty Youth Advisory Committee members, twenty-four Community Advisory Board members, and sixteen Community Ambassadors.

The period of performance runs through September 29, 2031.

Youth prevention partnership project for young adults with substance use risk in alameda and SAN francisco counties - the youth prevention partnership (YPP) project aims to prevent and reduce substance use and related behavioral and mental health problems for young adults with substance use risks (yasur) of age 18-29 years in alameda and SAN francisco counties, CA based on a navigation approach, utilizing evidence-based practices (ebps) and tailored peer-support specialists [youth prevention navigators (ypns) and community ambassadors (CA)]. YPP project is a collaboration between the health intervention projects for underserved populations (hipup) of the public health institute (PHI) and the rouse relational wellness (RRW), a community mental health service agency in SAN francisco. Through in-person and social media outreach, we will recruit yasur and provide ebps [e.g., motivational engagement intervention (MEI) and digital storytelling (DST)] for substance use prevention at individual and community levels. Also, we will provide substance use and mental health treatment for consented participants based on ebps with RRW. We will attain the following measurable objectives: 1) conduct literature review to identify at least 10 risk/protective factors; 2) conduct 5 focus groups to identify service gaps and confirm 3 prevention priorities; 3) identify at least 3 high-risk sub-populations yasur; 4) establish points of contact with at least 5 youth-serving and 5 state and community prevention programs; 5) submit a needs assessment; 6) partner with 22 community-based agencies (cbos) and identify 20 websites for substance use prevention for yasur; 7) recruit 20 youth advisory committee (YAC) members, 24 community advisory board (CAB) members, and 16 CAS; 8) meet with the prevention technology transfer center network, strategic prevention technical assistance center, state and community prevention programs, or other SPF-PFS recipients (2 times per project year); 9) have quarterly YAC and CAB meetings; 10) confirm 3 key factors for the intervention; 11) develop a logic model for YPP within the first 180 days; 12) confirm appropriateness of ebps for yasur; 13) establish an evaluation team and complete the evaluation plan within the first 180 days; 14) develop an implementation plan within the first 180 days; 15) hold quarterly meetings with state/community prevention programs; 16) begin implementing YPP activities on april 1, 2027; 17) review and improve the implementation plan every 6 months; 18) conduct YPP intervention activities and attain the following unduplicated numbers: community and online outreach (2,250 contacts); 1,800 screening; refer 450 potential participants who are screened out; enroll 180 yasurs into YPP; provide all 180 participants with MEI and DST; enroll 120 participants in support groups; 162 participants (90%) complete all intervention sessions; 144 participants (80%) complete 6-month follow-up assessment; 91 out of 144 participants (63%) significantly reduce substance use and/or reduce mental health or behavioral problems; 19) conduct process evaluation monthly and outcome evaluation annually; 20) estimate the impacts of YPP; 21) conduct annual review of the evaluation plan and impact estimates; 22) disseminate DST videos and prevention experience through community forums (10 total) and project website/SNS (5,400 clicks total); 23) create 5 annual impact reports and share findings with state/community prevention partners. Through the above activities, the YPP project will significantly extend the prevention capacity of hipup and have a strong impact on preventing substance use and improving mental health for young adults who have been stigmatized and experiencing barriers to substance use prevention services.