Schools Together Allowing No Drugs

SCHOOLS TOGETHER ALLOWING NO DRUGS (STAND)

WORKFORCE TRAINING

STANDS PREVENTING UNDERAGE DRINKING - STANDS (SCHOOLS TOGETHER ALLOWING NO DRUGS) SERVES SCOTT COUNTY, TENNESSEE, A RURAL COUNTY NESTLED IN EAST TENNESSEE, BORDERING KENTUCKY TO ITS NORTH AND SITUATED IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS. OUR COMMUNITY IS MADE UP OF RURAL COUNTRY AREAS, WITH A POPULATION OF 21,850. THE STOP GRANT WILL IMPACT ALL YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS IN SCOTT COUNTY, TO PREVENT AND REDUCE UNDER AGE ALCOHOL USE. THE SPECIFIC POPULATION OF FOCUS FOR THIS GRANT WILL BE YOUTH AGES 12-20 WHO ARE AT HIGH RISK FOR ALCOHOL USE; SPECIFICALLY, THE UNDERSERVED POPULATION (AT RISK), LGBTQ+ YOUTH, YOUTH IN RURAL AREAS, STUDENTS AGES 18-20 AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND LOCAL LEVEL. WE FURTHER AIM TO DESTIGMATIZE HIGH-RISK GROUPS THROUGH CULTURAL COMPETENCY DUE TO THE UNACCEPTANCE OF MARGINALIZED GROUPS WITHIN THE REGION. THESE GROUPS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY, THOSE WHO ARE HOMELESS/AT-RISK OF HOMELESSNESS, AND INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN POVERTY. IMPLEMENTING PREVENTION STRATEGIES BASED ON THE STRATEGIC PREVENTION FRAMEWORK MODEL IN THE COMMUNITY WILL REDUCE UNDERAGED DRINKING BY 4 PERCENT, REDUCE SOCIAL AVAILABILITY OF ALCOHOL AMONG YOUTH, AND WILL INCREASE YOUTH AND PARENTAL PERCEPTION OF THE HARM OF UNDERAGE DRINKING THROUGH PROGRAMMING AND CAMPAIGNS. STAND, FUNDED BY THE DRUG-FREE COMMUNITIES SUPPORT PROGRAM OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS, HAS STRENGTHENED SUCCESSFUL LOCAL PREVENTION STRATEGIES. STAND'S COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH INCLUDES COMMUNITY EDUCATION ON UNDERAGE DRINKING CONSEQUENCES, INCREASING THE PERCEPTION OF HARM ASSOCIATED WITH UNDERAGE DRINKING, SUPPORTING LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS, TARGETING SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTED AREAS AND AT-RISK SUBPOPULATIONS. STAND WILL ACHIEVE THIS BY LAUNCHING COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS TO RAISE AWARENESS OF UNDERAGE DRINKING DANGERS, AND FOSTERING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS TO PRIORITIZE UNDERAGE DRINKING PREVENTION IN THE COUNTY. THESE STRATEGIES AIM NOT ONLY TO REDUCE UNDERAGE DRINKING BUT ALSO TO BUILD STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS AMONG LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS FOR SUSTAINED IMPACT. WITH A FOCUS ON LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY, THE PLAN INVOLVES ENGAGING MULTIPLE COMMUNITY SECTORS TO COORDINATE UNDERAGE DRINKING PREVENTION EFFORTS AND DRIVE CHANGE ACROSS THE COUNTY.

HEALTH EDUCATION

CAMPBELL UNITED - CAMPBELL COUNTY, TENNESSEE, LOCATED IN THE NORTHEASTERN APPALACHIAN REGION OF THE STATE, IS A RURAL COMMUNITY OF APPROXIMATELY 40,000 RESIDENTS. WHILE THE COUNTY BENEFITS FROM STRONG COMMUNITY TIES AND A SMALL-TOWN CHARACTER, IT FACES ONGOING CHALLENGES RELATED TO ECONOMIC HARDSHIP, LIMITED HEALTHCARE ACCESS, AND ELEVATED RATES OF SUBSTANCE MISUSE. CAMPBELL COUNTY RANKS 87TH IN CHILD WELL-BEING AMONG TENNESSEE COUNTIES, WITH 25.3% OF CHILDREN LIVING IN FINANCIALLY STRAINED HOUSEHOLDS, HIGH RATES OF CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM, AND NEARLY 10% OF RESIDENTS LACKING HEALTH INSURANCE. THESE CONDITIONS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH LOCAL RISK FACTORS THAT INCREASE YOUTH RISK FOR SUBSTANCE USE. THE CAMPBELL UNITED ANTI-DRUG COALITION (CUADC) HAS IDENTIFIED PRESCRIPTION DRUG MISUSE AND MARIJUANA USE AS PRIORITY SUBSTANCES UNDER THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY. LOCAL DATA INDICATE EARLY INITIATION, HIGH LEVELS OF SOCIAL ACCESS THROUGH SIBLINGS AND PEERS, LIMITED PARENT-CHILD COMMUNICATION ABOUT SUBSTANCE-RELATED RISKS, AND A STRONG ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE. IN 2022, CAMPBELL COUNTY REPORTED THE HIGHEST DRUG OVERDOSE RATE IN TENNESSEE, AND OPIOID DISPENSING RATES REMAIN HIGH, INCREASING THE AVAILABILITY OF UNUSED MEDICATIONS IN HOMES. CUADC WILL IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE, COMMUNITY-DRIVEN PREVENTION STRATEGY GUIDED BY THE STRATEGIC PREVENTION FRAMEWORK AND THE SEVEN STRATEGIES FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE. THE COALITION WILL LEVERAGE MULTI-SECTOR COLLABORATION, ACTIVE YOUTH AND PARENT ENGAGEMENT, AND DATA-DRIVEN ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES TO REDUCE YOUTH ACCESS TO MARIJUANA AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS. PLANNED ACTIVITIES INCLUDE EXPANDING THE YOUTH COALITION, IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL- AND COMMUNITY-BASED PREVENTION EDUCATION, SUPPORTING EDUCATION- AND REFERRAL-BASED ALTERNATIVES TO PUNITIVE RESPONSES, AND STRENGTHENING COMMUNICATION THROUGH CONSISTENT, LOCALLY RELEVANT PREVENTION MESSAGING. THROUGH COORDINATED ACTION WITH SCHOOLS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, YOUTH, AND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS, CUADC WILL ADDRESS KEY LOCAL CONDITIONS RELATED TO AVAILABILITY, SOCIAL ACCESS, COMMUNITY NORMS, AND POLICY. BY STRENGTHENING PROTECTIVE FACTORS, REDUCING ACCESS, AND REINFORCING HEALTHY NORMS, CUADC AIMS TO ACHIEVE MEASURABLE REDUCTIONS IN YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE AND BUILD SUSTAINABLE PREVENTION CAPACITY ACROSS CAMPBELL COUNTY.

SCHOOLS TOGETHER ALLOWING NO DRUGS (STAND)

EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT/ATTAINMENT