Graham County Substance Abuse Coalition

YOUTH SUBSTANCE PREVENTION INITIATIVE IN GREENLEE COUNTY, ARIZONA - GREENLEE COUNTY IS THE LEAST POPULOUS COUNTY IN ARIZONA AND THAT CREATES A UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT WHERE SUBSTANCE USE, ESPECIALLY AMONGST YOUTH, IS AS PREVALENT AS ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY, BUT WHERE PREVENTION EFFORTS AND RESOURCES ARE HINDERED BY THE RURAL NATURE OF THE AREA. TO ASSESS THE SEVERITY OF THE PROBLEM, DATA WAS GATHERED THROUGH SEVERAL METHODS, AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SUBSTANCES OF MOST CONCERN AMONGST YOUTH UNDER THE AGE OF 18 ARE MARIJUANA, ALCOHOL, AND OPIOIDS. TO REMEDIATE THE ISSUE, RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS WERE THEN ANALYZED; IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE GREATEST RISKS ALIGNED WITH A COMMUNITY ACCEPTANCE OF YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE, FAMILY ATTITUDES THAT LEANED TOWARD ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR, AND LOW COMMUNITY ATTACHMENT. THE PLAN IN PLACE OUTLINED IN THE PROJECT NARRATIVE IS TO PROVIDE FAMILY AND YOUTH SUPPORT TO FOSTER RESILIENCY AND HEALTHIER DECISION-MAKING. THE LONG-TERM GOALS OF THIS INITIATIVE ARE TO: (1) REDUCE ALCOHOL, MARIJUANA, AND OPIOID USE AMONG YOUTH BY 20% EACH; AND (2) REDUCE SUBSTANCE USE DISPARITIES AMONG OUR YOUTH RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH, RESILIENCY FACTORS, AND UNMITIGATED TRAUMA AND ACES.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION IN GRAHAM COUNTY, ARIZONA

GRAHAM COUNTY SUBSTANCE ABUSE COALITION

GRAHAM COUNTY SUBSTANCE ABUSE COALITION STOP ACT GRANT - THE GRAHAM COUNTY SUBSTANCE ABUSE COALITION STOP ACT GRANT PROJECT FOCUSES ON PREVENTING UNDERAGE DRINKING AND PROBLEM DRINKING AMONG YOUTH AGES 12-20 YEARS LIVING IN GRAHAM COUNTY, ARIZONA. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL ENHANCE THE CAPACITY THAT THE COALITION ESTABLISHED THROUGH DFC FUNDING AND INCREASE THE COALITION’S EFFECTIVENESS FOR ADDRESSING UNDERAGE DRINKING BY ADDRESSING CONTEXTUAL FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO UNDERAGE DRINKING AND PROBLEM DRINKING. OUR EFFORTS INCLUDE IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS, PROVIDING EDUCATION AND AWARENESS ACTIVITIES AND PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SKILL BUILDING TO ADDRESS ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH YOUTH ALCOHOL USE. ANTICIPATED YEARLY REACH IS 20,000 ADULTS AND 3,000 YOUTH. MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES FOR THIS PROJECT INCLUDE: (1) STRENGTHENING COOPERATION, COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION BY 15% AMONG ALL 12 SECTORS OF THE COALITION, KEY GOVERNMENT STAKEHOLDERS AND THE CITIZENS OF THE COMMUNITY TO REDUCE ALCOHOL USE AMONG YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS; (2) INCREASING KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF COALITION MEMBERS AND KEY STAKEHOLDERS BY 25% ON CURRENT BEST-PRACTICES IN PREVENTING UNDERAGE DRINKING, TRAUMA-INFORMED APPROACHES, YOUTH RESILIENCY BUILDING AND ADDRESSING HEALTH INEQUITIES; (3) INCREASING COALITION SKILLS FOR USING DATA-DRIVEN DECISION-MAKING TO RESPOND TO AND PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING AND PROBLEM DRINKING BY 20%; (4) OBTAINING 10% INCREASES IN YOUTH, PARENT AND COMMUNITY MEMBER PERCEPTION OF THE RISKS OF UNDERAGE DRINKING, PROBLEM DRINKING AND COMBINING ALCOHOL WITH OPIOIDS; (5) OBTAINING A 5% DECREASE IN YOUTH ACCESSING ALCOHOL THROUGH LOCAL ALCOHOL RETAILERS; (6) OBTAINING A 20% INCREASE IN PARENT/CAREGIVER SKILLS TO DISCUSS THE RISKS OF UNDERAGE DRINKING AND WAYS TO FOSTER HEALTHY COPING STRATEGIES AND RESILIENCY SKILLS WITH THEIR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS; AND (7) OBTAINING A 20% INCREASE IN RESILIENCY, COPING AND STRESS MANAGEMENT SKILLS AMONG HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH. STRATEGIES OF IMPLEMENTATION INCLUDE PROVIDING INFORMATION, BUILDING SKILLS, CHANGING CONSEQUENCES AND CHANGING PHYSICAL DESIGN THROUGH USE OF A BE A THINKER NOT A DRINKER CAMPAIGN, A STICKER SHOCK CAMPAIGN IN LOCAL ALCOHOL RETAILERS, STUDENT, PARENT/CAREGIVER AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND TRAININGS, AND UTILIZATION OF THE BOTVIN LIFE SKILLS EVIDENCE-BASE PROGRAM TO INCREASE LIFE SKILLS AND DEVELOP YOUTH RESILIENCY SKILLS.

GCSAC FY2026 CARA LOCAL DRUG CRISES GRANT - THE GRAHAM COUNTY SUBSTANCE ABUSE COALITION (GCSAC) SEEKS FUNDING THROUGH THE FY2026 COMPREHENSIVE ADDICTION AND RECOVERY ACT (CARA) LOCAL DRUG CRISES GRANT PROGRAM TO STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND COMMUNITY-BASED PREVENTION EFFORTS ADDRESSING OPIOID, FENTANYL, METHAMPHETAMINE, AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG MISUSE AMONG YOUTH IN GRAHAM COUNTY, ARIZONA. BUILDING UPON A SUCCESSFUL TEN-YEAR DRUG-FREE COMMUNITIES (DFC) INITIATIVE, GCSAC WILL LEVERAGE ESTABLISHED PARTNERSHIPS, PROVEN PREVENTION STRATEGIES, AND STRONG COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO ADDRESS EMERGING SUBSTANCE USE CHALLENGES WHILE STRENGTHENING SUSTAINABLE, COMMUNITY-LED PREVENTION INFRASTRUCTURE. SERVING A RURAL COUNTY OF APPROXIMATELY 40,000 RESIDENTS, GCSAC COLLABORATES WITH SCHOOLS, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, YOUTH-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS, RECOVERY PARTNERS, TRIBAL COMMUNITIES, PARENTS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS TO REDUCE YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE AND PROMOTE HEALTHY, DRUG-FREE LIFESTYLES. THROUGH PREVIOUS DFC FUNDING, THE COALITION STRENGTHENED PREVENTION CAPACITY THROUGHOUT GRAHAM COUNTY, EXPANDED YOUTH ENGAGEMENT, IMPLEMENTED ENVIRONMENTAL PREVENTION STRATEGIES, AND SUPPORTED MEASURABLE REDUCTIONS IN YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE INDICATORS. CARA FUNDING WILL SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF YOUTH LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL AND INCREASED PEER-TO-PEER PREVENTION ACTIVITIES. THE PROJECT WILL STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP OF PREVENTION EFFORTS BY ENHANCING THE CAPACITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE COALITION'S YOUTH, ADDICTION AND RECOVERY, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT SUBCOMMITTEES WHILE INCREASING PARTICIPATION FROM COMMUNITY PARTNERS ACROSS MULTIPLE SECTORS. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE YOUTH-LED PREVENTION EDUCATION, IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ANNUAL GRAHAM COUNTY YOUTH SYMPOSIUM, COMMUNITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS ADDRESSING OPIOID, FENTANYL, METHAMPHETAMINE, AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG MISUSE, PARENT EDUCATION ACTIVITIES, MEDICATION SAFETY INITIATIVES, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PREVENTION STRATEGIES DESIGNED TO REDUCE YOUTH ACCESS TO SUBSTANCES AND INFLUENCE COMMUNITY NORMS REGARDING SUBSTANCE MISUSE. THE COALITION WILL ALSO EXPAND OVERDOSE PREVENTION EFFORTS THROUGH NALOXONE EDUCATION, COMMUNITY DISTRIBUTION PROGRAMS, AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. THROUGH YOUTH ENGAGEMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL PREVENTION STRATEGIES, COALITION CAPACITY BUILDING, COMMUNITY EDUCATION, OVERDOSE PREVENTION, AND MEDICATION SAFETY INITIATIVES, GCSAC WILL STRENGTHEN PROTECTIVE FACTORS, REDUCE RISK FACTORS, AND CREATE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY-LEVEL CHANGE. THE PROJECT WILL INCREASE YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN PREVENTION LEADERSHIP, STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY COORDINATION, EXPAND IMPLEMENTATION OF EVIDENCE-BASED PREVENTION STRATEGIES, AND CONTRIBUTE TO LONG-TERM REDUCTIONS IN YOUTH PRESCRIPTION DRUG MISUSE AND OTHER SUBSTANCE USE BEHAVIORS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT DIRECTLY SUPPORTS CARA'S GOAL OF REDUCING OPIOID, METHAMPHETAMINE, AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG MISUSE AMONG YOUTH WHILE STRENGTHENING THE COMMUNITY SYSTEMS NECESSARY TO SUSTAIN PREVENTION EFFORTS BEYOND THE GRANT PERIOD.