Healing In The Hood

DRUG FREE COMMUNITIES, O.P.P.S. COALITION - HEALING IN THE HOOD (HITH) FUNCTIONS AS A 501C3 AGENCY AND SERVES AS THE FISCAL AGENT FOR THE OPIOID PRESCRIPTION DRUG AND SYNTHETICS COALITION (O.P.P.S.). THE OPIOID PRESCRIPTION DRUG AND SYNTHETICS COALITION (O.P.P.S.), COALITION WAS ORIGINALLY FORMED TO ADDRESS OPIOIDS BUT HAS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE OTHER SUBSTANCES. WE HAVE OPTED TO KEEP THE O.P.P.S. ACRONYM AS IT IS WELL KNOWN WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. THE O.P.P.S. COALITION PROPOSED GEOGRAPHIC AREA FOR THE DRUG FREE COMMUNITIES GRANT IS BLYTHEVILLE CITY (ZIP CODE 72315), THE LARGEST CITY IN MISSISSIPPI COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN ARKANSAS. IT LIES IN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY, ABOUT 70 MILES NORTH OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE. THE MISSOURI STATE LINE IS 5 MILES NORTH AND THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER FORMING THE TENNESSEE BORDER IS 8 MILES TO THE EAST. ALSO INCLUDED WILL BE THE NEIGHBORING CITY OF GOSNELL (ZIP CODE 72319). GOSNELL IS IN THE ARKANSAS DELTA IN NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI COUNTY. THE POPULATION FOCUSES ON THE RESIDENTS OF BLYTHEVILLE CITY AND GOSNELL IMPACTING 16,316 RESIDENTS BASED ON THE HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THOSE LIVING IN POVERTY (SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS), HEALTH DISPARITIES, GEOGRAPHY, AND LIMITED ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE. THE MISSION OF O.P.P.S. IS TO BE A CONDUIT THAT ASSISTS YOUTH AND FAMILIES IN THE REDUCTION OF THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF OPIOIDS, MARIJUANA, UNDERAGE DRINKING, AND OTHER DRUG USE BY INTRODUCING EFFECTIVE PREVENTION MEASURES, STRATEGIES, ACTIVITIES, AND HARM REDUCTION INTERVENTIONS, TO MITIGATE SUBSTANCE MISUSE AMONG YOUTH. ALIGNING TO OUR LOGIC MODEL, THE COALITION WILL REDUCE YOUTH (AGES 12-18) USE OF MARIJUANA AND THE MISUSE OF OPIOIDS/PRESCRIPTION DRUGS BY ADDRESSING ROOT CAUSES AND LOCAL CONDITIONS. WE WILL EXPAND A UNIFIED, MULTI-SECTORAL COMMUNITY COALITION CAPABLE OF FACILITATING THE SUCCESSFUL EXECUTION OF EVIDENCE-BASED AND PRACTICE-BASED STRATEGIES FOR PREVENTING YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE. ALIGNING TO OUR LOGIC MODEL, THE O.P.P.S. WILL REDUCE YOUTH (AGES 12-18) USE OF MARIJUANA AND THE MISU SE OF OPIOIDS/PRESCRIPTION DRUGS BY ADDRESSING ROOT CAUSES AND LOCAL CONDITIONS. OUR STRATEGY FOR THE UPCOMING FIVE YEARS FOCUSES ON LEVERAGING OUR ABILITY TO FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS, BROADEN COALITION CAPABILITIES, AND INTRODUCE INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY LEVEL CHANGE APPROACHES REGARDING THE DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH MARIJUANA AND OPIOID USE. CENTRAL TO THIS APPROACH IS THE EMPHASIS ON BOLSTERING COPING MECHANISMS AND OTHER PROTECTIVE FACTORS, MODIFYING POLICIES, WHILE ALSO PROVIDING CONNECTIONS TO RESOURCES. IN ADDITION, WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROMOTING INCLUSIVITY, CULTURAL SENSITIVITY, AND THE USE OF DESTIGMATIZING LANGUAGE TO EFFECTIVELY ENGAGE WITH AND SUPPORT THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR PREVENTION AND OUTREACH INITIATIVES. O.P.P.S. WILL ENGAGE WITHIN THE LOWER SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEMOGRAPHIC IN THE COUNTY, TO CONCENTRATE ON PROMOTING PROTECTIVE FACTORS. WE AIM TO OFFER EVIDENCE-BASED POSITIVE COPING STRATEGIES WITHIN SAFE AND CULTURALLY RELEVANT ENVIRONMENTS FOR YOUTH. THIS APPROACH ALSO ADDRESSES THE CULTURAL NORMS PREVALENT WITHIN THIS POPULATION. OUR COALITION IS COMMITTED TO COLLABORATION, BRINGING TOGETHER STAKEHOLDERS FROM MULTIPLE SECTORS, AS WELL AS YOUTH AND PARENTS, TO PROVIDE INPUT, AND ACTIVELY ENGAGE TO OWN AND GUIDE THE PROCESS.

O.P.P.S. COALITION PREVENTING UNDERAGE DRINKING - THE O.P.P.S. COALITION PREVENTING UNDERAGE DRINKING PROJECT WILL IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE, COMMUNITY-BASED UNDERAGE DRINKING PREVENTION INITIATIVE SERVING THE CITIES OF BLYTHEVILLE (72315) AND GOSNELL (72319) IN MISSISSIPPI COUNTY, ARKANSAS. THE PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON YOUTH AGES 12-20 AND THEIR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS AND ADDRESS LOCAL CONDITIONS CONTRIBUTING TO UNDERAGE DRINKING, INCLUDING SOCIAL ACCESS TO ALCOHOL, LOW PERCEPTION OF HARM, FAVORABLE COMMUNITY NORMS, AND ALCOHOL AVAILABILITY WITHIN THE HOME. UTILIZING THE STRATEGIC PREVENTION FRAMEWORK (SPF), EVIDENCE-BASED PREVENTION PROGRAMMING, ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES, AND COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION, THE COALITION WILL STRENGTHEN PREVENTION CAPACITY, REDUCE YOUTH ACCESS TO ALCOHOL, INCREASE PERCEPTIONS OF RISK, AND PROMOTE HEALTHY, ALCOHOL-FREE LIFESTYLES. THE INITIATIVE WILL ENGAGE YOUTH, PARENTS, SCHOOLS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, RETAILERS, BUSINESSES, FAITH ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS IN COORDINATED PREVENTION EFFORTS. PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND OUTCOMES WILL ALIGN WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STOP ACT AND SAMHSA PRIORITIES FOR UNDERAGE DRINKING PREVENTION. GEOGRAPHIC AREA: THE PROJECT WILL SERVE BLYTHEVILLE AND GOSNELL, ARKANSAS, LOCATED IN MISSISSIPPI COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN ARKANSAS, WITH AN ESTIMATED COMBINED POPULATION OF APPROXIMATELY 16,316 RESIDENTS. THE SERVICE AREA INCLUDES BLYTHEVILLE HIGH SCHOOL, BLYTHEVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL, GOSNELL HIGH SCHOOL, AND GOSNELL MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHICH SERVE A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE LOCAL YOUTH POPULATION. POPULATION OF FOCUS: THE PRIMARY POPULATION OF FOCUS IS YOUTH AGES 12–20, INCLUDING MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, AND YOUNG ADULT POPULATIONS, ALONG WITH THEIR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS. THE PROJECT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO UNDERAGE DRINKING AND ALCOHOL MISUSE AMONG ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS WITHIN THE SERVICE AREA. PROJECT GOAL 1: INCREASE COMMUNITY CAPACITY TO PREVENT AND REDUCE YOUTH UNDERAGE DRINKING THROUGH STRENGTHENED PARTNERSHIPS, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL PREVENTION STRATEGIES, AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION. KEY OBJECTIVES INCLUDE ESTABLISHING AN ALCOHOL TASKFORCE, ENGAGING ALCOHOL RETAILERS IN PREVENTION INITIATIVES, IMPLEMENTING STICKER SHOCK CAMPAIGNS, EXPANDING PARENT EDUCATION EFFORTS, AND INCREASING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN PREVENTION ACTIVITIES. PROJECT GOAL 2: PREVENT AND REDUCE UNDERAGE DRINKING AND ALCOHOL MISUSE AMONG YOUTH AGES 12–20 THROUGH EVIDENCE-BASED PREVENTION PROGRAMMING, YOUTH ENGAGEMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES, AND COMMUNITY AWARENESS EFFORTS. OBJECTIVES INCLUDE REDUCING PAST 30-DAY ALCOHOL USE AMONG YOUTH, INCREASING PERCEIVED RISK OF ALCOHOL USE, DECREASING ALCOHOL AVAILABILITY WITHIN THE HOME, INCREASING PEER DISAPPROVAL OF UNDERAGE DRINKING, STRENGTHENING PARENT KNOWLEDGE AND COMMUNICATION THROUGH THE EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDING GOOD CHOICES PROGRAM, REDUCING PARENTAL PROVISION OF ALCOHOL TO YOUTH, CONDUCTING TOWN HALL MEETINGS, AND EXPANDING ALCOHOL-FREE YOUTH ACTIVITIES. THROUGH THESE COORDINATED STRATEGIES, THE O.P.P.S. COALITION SEEKS TO ACHIEVE MEASURABLE REDUCTIONS IN UNDERAGE DRINKING, STRENGTHEN PROTECTIVE FACTORS, INCREASE COMMUNITY AWARENESS, AND CREATE SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES THAT SUPPORT HEALTHY YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND LONG-TERM REDUCTIONS IN ALCOHOL-RELATED HARM THROUGHOUT MISSISSIPPI COUNTY.