Houston Health Foundation

HOUSTON RECOVERY INITIATIVE/DRUG FREE COMMUNITIES TARGETING SPRING BRANCH - THE MISSION OF THE HOUSTON RECOVERY INITIATIVE IS TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ON YOUTH PREVENTION, RECOVERY FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS, AND BROADEN THE RECOVERY SUPPORT NETWORK FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN AT RISK, INDIVIDUALS WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS, AND THEIR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA. THIS COMBINATION PROJECT WITH THE HOUSTON RECOVERY INITIATION AND THE CDC “DRUG FREE COMMUNITIES” GRANT WILL FOCUS ON THE SPRING BRANCH AREA OF HOUSTON, TEXAS IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE SUBSTANCE USE AMONG YOUTH. THE AREA COLLECTIVELY KNOWN AS “SPRING BRANCH” RESIDES WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF HOUSTON, TEXAS WITHIN HARRIS COUNTY. ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES VITAL STATISTICS, HARRIS COUNTY ACCOUNTS FOR NEARLY 30% OF ALL THE OVERDOSES FOR THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS. SPRING BRANCH INCLUDES 2 MAJOR ZIP CODES -- 77080 AND 77055 – AND IS CENTRALLY LOCATED IN THE WEST SIDE OF HOUSTON. SPRING BRANCH IS BORDERED ON EVERY SIDE BY A MAJOR HIGHWAY – I-10, BELTWAY 8, HWY 290, AND THE 610 LOOP. SPRING BRANCH IS A LARGELY IMMIGRANT POPULATION WITH MAJORITY HISPANIC AND ASIAN IMMIGRANTS LEADS TO SIGNIFICANT LINGUISTIC ISOLATION. THE PROJECT WILL IDENTIFY CURRENT USE AND PERCEPTION ISSUES IN SPRING BRANCH. THIS QUESTIONNAIRE WILL FOCUS ON ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, MARIJUANA (AS REQUIRED BY DFC), PRESCRIPTION PILLS (DUE TO ACCESSIBILITY), "NON-PRESCRIPTION OPIOID CONTAINING MEDICATIONS" AND METHAMPHETAMINE (DUE TO THEIR PREVALENCE IN THE HOUSTON AREA). ACCORDING VITAL STATISTICS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES, HARRIS COUNTY -- WHICH HOUSES THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE SPRING BRANCH AREA – CONTRIBUTES MORE THAN 30% OF THE OVERDOSES FOR THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS. DEMONSTRATING HOW GREAT THE NEED FOR YOUTH SERVICES, HOUSTON IS THE ONLY CITY IN THE US THAT HAS TWO SOBER HIGH SCHOOLS – FORTIS ACADEMY IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON, AND ARCHWAY ACADEMY IN CENTRAL HOUSTON WHICH IS THE LARGEST SOBER HIGH SCHOOL IN THE NATION. HOWEVER, WHILE FORTIS ACADEMY IS PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE FACILITY IS 30 MINUTES AWAY VIA A TOLL ROAD AND WOULD LIKELY NOT BE AN OPTION FOR A COMMUNITY THAT RELIES ON WALKING OR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO GET TO WORK. ARCHWAY ACADEMY ALSO REQUIRES A 30 MINUTE DRIVE WHICH IS A BARRIER FOR THOSE WITH TRANSPORTATION ISSUES. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE THE COST OF TUITION IS OFFSET BY DONATIONS, TUITION IS $1000/MONTH WHICH IS PAID FOR BY THE FAMILY. THIS IS DEFINITELY A BARRIER FOR A COMMUNITY WITH A MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF $45,182 COMPARED TO HARRIS COUNTY $57,791. WHEN COMPARED TO RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, OR THE UNITED STATES, INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN THE SPRING BRANCH AREA ARE MORE LIKELY TO LACK HEALTH INSURANCE, GET ROUTINE CHECKUPS (INCLUDING CERVICAL AND COLON CANCER SCREENINGS AND DENTAL CARE), HAVE DIABETES, COPD, OR BE 65+ WITH TOTAL TOOTH LOSS. THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE LIVING IN POVERTY, ON SNAP (FOOD STAMPS), SPEND MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR INCOME ON RENT, AND HAVE A MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF $45,182 WHICH DRASTICALLY DIFFERS FROM HARRIS COUNTY ($57,791). SPRING BRANCH FAMILIES ARE ALMOST TWICE AS LIKELY AS HOUSTON FAMILIES TO BE LIVING IN LINGUISTIC ISOLATION OWING IN A LARGE PART TO THE IMMIGRANT POPULATION. THEY ARE ALSO MORE LIKELY TO LIVE IN AN APARTMENT VERSUS THEIR OWN HOME, LESS LIKELY TO BE EMPLOYED IF THEY ARE FEMALE, AND HAVE HIGHER REPORTS OF POOR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. MULTIPLE SURVEYS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE AT EACH HRI/DFC ACTIVITY, BOTH TO YOUTH WHO HAVE A PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN PRESENT, AND A SEPARATE SURVEY FOR PARENTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND BUSINESS OWNERS. RESULTS OF THE SURVEYS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO SECTOR REPRESENTATIVES AND DISCUSSED AT COMMUNITY FORUM MEETINGS EVERY 3 MONTHS. THE WORK OF IDENTIFYING AND RECRUITING PARTICIPATING STAKEHOLDER SITES TO ALLOW HRI/DFC EVIDENCE-BASED PRESENTATIONS WILL BE ONGOING.