Project Grant NH28CE003499

JEFF DAVIS SUBSTANCE ABUSE COALITION - JEFF DAVIS COUNTY IS LOCATED IN RURAL SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. THE COUNTY HAS TWO CITIES, HAZLEHURST (THE COUNTY SEAT) AND DENTON. A MAJOR PART OF ITS ECONOMIC BASE IS AGRICULTURE, ESPECIALLY TIMBER. THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN THE MID-TWENTIETH CENTURY BROUGHT THOUSANDS OF WORKERS TO THE AREA, AND MANY STAYED. JEFF DAVIS IS HOME TO 14,779 PEOPLE AND 5,689 HOUSEHOLDS. THE COUNTY'S DEMOGRAPHICS ARE: 82% CAUCASIAN; 15% AFRICAN AMERICAN/BLACK; 1% ASIAN/PI; 2% MULTI-RACIAL/OTHER. 13% ARE LATINO/HISPANIC. ALMOST 40% OF THE HOUSEHOLDS HAVE CHILDREN UNDER 18, AND 20% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION ARE SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN. WITH A MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF $32,900, 59% OF THE HOUSEHOLDS WITH CHILDREN HAVE INCOMES BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL COMPARED TO 28% FOR GEORGIA. THE SCHOOL SYSTEM INCLUDES JEFF DAVIS PRIMARY SCHOOL, GRADES PK-2, 881 STUDENTS; JEFF DAVIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, GRADES 3-5, 704 STUDENTS; JEFF DAVIS MIDDLE SCHOOL, GRADES 6-8, 688 STUDENTS; AND JEFF DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL, GRADES 9-12, 860 STUDENTS. JEFF DAVIS STUDENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO GRADUATE ON TIME THAN THEIR STATEWIDE COUNTERPARTS. FROM 2013 THROUGH 2017, LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS REALIZED THAT OPIOID USE, ADDICTION AND OVERDOSES AMONG ADULTS WERE INCREASING EXPONENTIALLY COMPARED TO THE REST OF GEORGIA. THE COUNTY'S AGE-ADJUSTED DEATH RATE DUE TO DRUG OVERDOSES WAS 27 PER 100,000, DOUBLE THAT OF THE SOUTHEAST HEALTH DISTRICT, THE 16-COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICT IN WHICH JEFF DAVIS IS LOCATED, WHICH WAS 13.8 PER 100,000. THE EMERGENCY ROOM RATE FOR DRUG USE DISORDERS DURING THIS TIME WAS THE HIGHEST IN THE STATE WITH 237 PER 100,000 COMPARED TO 163 PER 100,000 FOR GEORGIA. OTHER THAN 12-STEP PROGRAMS, THERE WERE NO TREATMENT OR RECOVERY RESOURCES IN THE COUNTY. THESE CONCERNS LED TO THE FORMATION OF THE JEFF DAVIS SUBSTANCE ABUSE COALITION (JDSAC) IN 2018 WITH THE PURPOSE OF PROMOTING INTERAGENCY, COMMUNITY-WIDE, COLLABORATION TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO REDUCE MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY RELATED TO SUBSTANCE USE IN THE COUNTY. ITS PRIMARY FOCUS WAS MEETING THE COUNTY'S NEED FOR TREATMENT AND RECOVERY SERVICES. THE COALITION WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE. THEY KNEW YOUTH WERE BEING EXPOSED TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES IN THEIR FAMILIES. SOME WERE IN FOSTER CARE AS A RESULT OF NEGLECT BY DRUG-INVOLVED PARENTS. THESE YOUTH WERE AT HIGH RISK FOR ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES WHICH OFTEN LEAD TO MANY PROBLEM BEHAVIORS INCLUDING SUBSTANCE USE. THE STRESS OF DEALING WITH PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS AND ISOLATION FOR TWO YEARS ADDED TO THE LOCAL ACCESSIBILITY OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, OPIOIDS AND METH INCREASED THE RISK OF YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE. THE COALITION DECIDED TO EXPAND ITS FOCUS TO INCLUDE YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION. THE COUNTY HAD NO SCHOOL, AFTERSCHOOL OR OTHER PROGRAMMING THAT ADDRESSED SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION. THEY BEGAN STRATEGIC PREVENTION PLANNING IN 2021. MEMBERS REVIEWED DATA AND ATTENDED TRAINING ON RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS, STRATEGIC PLANNING AND STRATEGIES FOR COMMUNITY-LEVEL CHANGE. THEY PRIORITIZED ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO AS THEIR TARGET SUBSTANCES BECAUSE THEY ARE THE MOST WIDELY USED BY LOCAL YOUTH AND USE HAD INCREASED BETWEEN 2020 AND 2021. TO INCREASE COLLABORATION, JDSAC WILL RECRUIT ADDITIONAL MEMBERS AND ADD A YOUTH ACTION TEAM. THEY WILL INCREASE THE KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS OF MEMBERS TO ENGAGE IN STRATEGIC PREVENTION PLANNING AND WILL INCREASE COMMUNITY AWARENESS OF LOCAL YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE PROBLEMS AND THE COALITION'S STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THEM. TO DECREASE YOUTH ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO USE (ESPECIALLY VAPING), THE COALITION WILL FOCUS ON ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS RELATED TO UNDERAGE SALES OF ALCOHOL & TOBACCO. THEY WILL INCREASE YOUTH AND ADULT AWARENESS OF THE HARMS, RISKS AND CONSEQUENCES OF UNDERAGE ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO USE THROUGH FAMILY AND YOUTH EDUCATION AND CHANGES IN POLICIES. JDSAC WILL ALSO IMPROVE THE AVAILABILITY OF PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT PROMOTE POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELO