Pinetree Institute

GREATER PORTSMOUTH YOUTH WELLNESS COALITION DRUG FREE COMMUNITIES PROGRAM

GREATER PORTSMOUTH YOUTH WELLNESS COALITION - THE GREATER PORTSMOUTH YOUTH WELLNESS COALITION (GPYWC) WILL ADDRESS ALARMING RATES OF ALCOHOL USE AMONG YOUTH IN THE GREATER PORTSMOUTH (GP), NEW HAMPSHIRE REGION. THIS REGION IS COMPRISED OF FIVE COMMUNITIES IN WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE SEACOAST AREA OF NEW HAMPSHIRE; PORTSMOUTH, GREENLAND, RYE, NEWCASTLE AND NEWINGTON. COLLECTIVELY, THESE COMMUNITIES ARE HOME TO SLIGHTLY OVER 33,600 INDIVIDUALS AND MAKE UP APPROXIMATELY 11 PERCENT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE'S 2ND MOST POPULOUS ROCKINGHAM COUNTY. GPYWC WILL ENGAGE YOUTH IN PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMMING THAT ADDRESSES THE CONDITIONS IN WHICH THEY LIVE, WORK, LEARN AND PLAY. COALITION ACTIVITIES WILL BE ENHANCED WITH STOP ACT RESOURCES AND WILL ADDRESS CONCERNING RATES OF ALCOHOL USE IN THE REGION. GPYWC STOP ACT GOALS INCLUDE 1) ENHANCE COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF UNDERAGE DRINKING LAWS AND RISKS, PROMOTE COMPLIANCE WITH LOCAL ORDINANCES, AND DETER YOUTH FROM ENGAGING IN UNDERAGE DRINKING THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS IN THE GREATER PORTSMOUTH AREA, AND 2) PROMOTE SAFE AND ALCOHOL-FREE CELEBRATIONS DURING PROM AND GRADUATION SEASONS IN THE GREATER PORTSMOUTH AREA THROUGH TARGETED MESSAGING AND INTERVENTIONS. BY THE END OF THE FOUR-YEAR PROJECT, THE COALITION WILL HAVE REACHED AT LEAST 500 INDIVIDUALS WITH EDUCATION MATERIALS, CONDUCTED TWO COMMUNITY AWARENESS PRESENTATIONS, COMPLETED RETAIL ALCOHOL SALE COMPLIANCE CHECKS, CONDUCTED AT LEAST TWO TRAININGS WITH ALCOHOL RETAINERS, AND HELD A LEAST ONE TOWN HALL MEETING TO RAISE AWARENESS AROUND SOCIAL-HOST ISSUES IN THE REGION. THE PROJECT WILL ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS WITH A 30+ MEMBER COALITION AND A TEAM OF STAFF DEDICATED TO GPYWC OPERATIONS INCLUDING A PROJECT DIRECTOR, PROJECT COORDINATOR, PROJECT EXECUTIVE ADVISOR, AND PROJECT ADMINISTRATOR. THE PROJECT DIRECTOR WILL CONDUCT REGULAR ANALYSIS OF PROGRAM DATA AND SUBMIT REPORTS TO SAMHSA TO ENSURE ALL GOALS ARE MET AND COORDINATION WITH GPYWC’S EXISTING DFC GRANT OCCURS.