Rural Outreach Center Inc

DRUG FREE COMMUNITIES (DFC) SUPPORT PROGRAM - THE PROJECT GOALS HAVE NOT CHANGED WITH THESE BUDGET CHANGES. THE ORIGINAL ACTION PLAN IS IN PLACE. THE CONTRACTS PROVIDED FOR BY THE BUDGET CHANGES WILL FACILITATE THE STRATEGIES SUBMITTED WITH THE ORIGINAL GRANT APPLICATION.

SPRINGVILLE REGIONAL COALITION: SHARING RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY! OUR DRUG FREE COMMUNITIES MISSION: TO LEVERAGE THE COLLABORATION OF EVERY SECTOR WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY TO REDUCE SUBSTANCE USE. - THE SPRINGVILLE REGIONAL COALITION (SRC) WAS FOUNDED IN 2014 BY A GROUP OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND PARTNER AGENCIES TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF THE SPRINGVILLE REGION. PREVENTION OF SUBSTANCE USE WAS CONSIDERED A PRIORITY BY THE GROUP. THROUGH CAPACITY BUILDING, DATA COLLECTION, AND STRATEGIC PLANNING, THE COALITION MEMBERS APPLIED AND WERE AWARDED DFC FUNDING IN 2021 WITH COALITION PARTNER, THE RURAL OUTREACH CENTER, ASSUMING THE ROLE OF FISCAL AGENT FOR THE GROUP. SRC SERVES A 361 SQUARE MILE AREA OF 35,472 RESIDENTS AT THE SOUTHEASTERN EDGE OF ERIE COUNTY, NEW YORK. ERIE COUNTY (POPULATION 954,236) IS AT THE WESTERN END OF NEW YORK STATE, BORDERED TO THE WEST BY LAKE ERIE. THE REGION IS MAINLY RURAL (98.0 POPULATION DENSITY), WITH BUFFALO, NEW YORK AS ITS CLOSEST METROPOLITAN AREA. ERIE COUNTY AND ITS NEIGHBORING COUNTIES TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH ARE HIGH-INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING AREAS. OVER THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF DFC FUNDING, SRC CONTRIBUTED TO COMMUNITY CHANGE IN SPRINGVILLE. DURING THIS TIME, SRC BUILT A COALITION ROSTER OF MORE THAN 100 MEMBERS, WITH 60% OR MORE PARTICIPATING IN MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SPRINGVILLE GRIFFITH INSTITUTE SCHOOL DISTRICT, BERTRAND CHAFFEE HOSPITAL, THE SPRINGVILLE CENTER FOR THE ARTS, AND OTHER COALITION PARTNERS, SRC’S EDUCATIONAL MESSAGES REACH 1,500 STUDENTS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND THE BROADER COMMUNITY. SRC HAS SUPPORTED DISTRICT-WIDE RED RIBBON ACTIVITIES; PROM SAFETY; STUDENT AND FACULTY WELLNESS AND HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES; STUDENT-LED ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE; EVIDENCE BASED PEER-LEADERSHIP NICOTINE VAPING PREVENTION PROGRAM; SPEAKING EVENTS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SUBSTANCE USE EXPERTS; AND HAS COLLABORATED WITH OTHER COALITIONS IN EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS AND YOUTH LEADERSHIP TRAINING. SRC CONTRIBUTED TO DECREASES IN YOUTH ALCOHOL, MARIJUANA, AND NICOTINE USE; INCREASES IN PERCEPTION OF HARM OF ALCOHOL AND CIGARETTES; AND ACHIEVED HIGH, STEADY RATES (~80-90%) OF PERCEIVED PARENTAL AND PEER DISAPPROVAL OF SUBSTANCE USE. IN PROJECT YEARS 6-10, SRC PROPOSES TO USE FEDERAL FUNDING TO CONTINUE AND EXPAND COALITION EFFORTS. THE COALITION’S FOCUS POPULATION IS YOUTH AGES 12-18, AND THE COALITION’S OBJECTIVES ARE TO CONTINUE TO BUILD CAPACITY TO DECREASE YOUTH USE OF ALCOHOL, MARIJUANA, AND NICOTINE. ADDITIONALLY, THE COALITION AIMS TO INCREASE THE YOUTH’S PERCEPTION OF HARM FROM THE PROJECT’S TARGET SUBSTANCES. THESE COALITION EFFORTS ARE NEEDED NOW MORE THAN EVER, AS NEW YORK STATE’S NORMS CONTINUE TO CHANGE WITH THE LEGALIZATION AND NORMALIZATION OF MARIJUANA USE. IN ADDITION TO YOUTH AGES 12-18, SRC AIMS TO ADDRESS SUBSTANCE USE NORMS ACROSS POPULATIONS WITH A FOCUS ON WELLNESS AS IT AFFECTS SUBSTANCE USE ISSUES. SRC PLANS TO ACCOMPLISH THE PROPOSED OBJECTIVES BY CHOOSING ACTIONS THAT IMPLEMENT EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES, USING THE SEVEN STRATEGIES FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE AND THE STRATEGIC PREVENTION FRAMEWORK IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE DFC LOGIC MODEL. THE COALITION HAS DEVELOPED AN ACTION PLAN THAT ADDRESSES ALCOHOL, NICOTINE, AND MARIJUANA. THIS INCLUDES CAPACITY BUILDING ACROSS COMMUNITY SECTORS, REDUCTION OF SOCIAL ACCESS TO TARGET SUBSTANCES; INCREASING YOUTH PERCEPTION OF HARM OF USING TARGET SUBSTANCES; AND INCREASING BOTH PERCEIVED PARENT AND PEER DISAPPROVAL OF USING TARGET SUBSTANCES. SUCCESS WILL BE MEASURED THROUGH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE EVALUATIONS; SRC WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL CROSS-SITE EVALUATION EVERY 2 YEARS BY COLLECTING ALL REQUIRED DFC CORE MEASURES. THE COALITION WILL ALSO USE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA SOURCES TO EVALUATE COALITION PROCESSES AND OUTCOMES. THIS INCLUDES SURVEYS, FOCUS GROUPS, KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS, LISTENING SESSIONS, AND MORE. IF AWARDED, ALL DATA COLLECTED THROUGH THIS PROPOSED PROJECT WILL BE FORMALIZED IN AN UPDATED DATA MANAGEMENT PLAN.