Hialeah Community Coalition

HIALEAH COMMUNITY COALITION INC. DRUG-FREE COMMUNITY COALITION

HIALEAH VIBE CHECK PROJECT - IF 95.3 % OF FLORIDA YOUTH THINK USE OF ILLICIT DRUGS IS WRONG, THEN WHY ARE THE 30- DAY PAST USERATES FOR METHAMPHETAMINES 12 TIMES HIGHER IN HIALEAH THAN IN M-DC?ADOLESCENCE REPRESENTS BOTH A CRITICAL AT-RISK PERIOD FOR SUBSTANCE USE INITIATION AS WELL AS AN OPPORTUNE TIME TO INTERVENE AND PREVENT BEHAVIORS FROM DEVELOPING INTO MORE ACUTE HEALTH PROBLEMS. NOT ALL KIDS WHO EXPERIMENT WITH DRUGS WILL DEVELOP A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER; HOWEVER, ALL PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES HAVE NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON THE STILL DEVELOPING ADOLESCENT BRAIN, AND HAVE ALSO BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH OTHER RISK BEHAVIORS, SUCH AS SUICIDAL IDEATION, YOUTH VIOLENCE, AND RISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIORS. HIALEAH YOUTH CURRENTLY EXHIBIT ELEVATED 30- DAY PAST USE RATES FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AND METHAMPHETAMINES IN COMPARISON TO BOTH NATIONAL AND STATE PEERS; PAST -YEAR USE RATES FOR PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS WITHIN MIAMI- DADE ALSO EXCEED NATIONAL NUMBERS. THESE ELEVATED USE RATES, AS WELL AS THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH YOUTH INITIATION OF THESE SUBSTANCES UNDERLINE THE NEED FOR ENHANCED EFFORTS TO ADDRESS SUBSTANCE MISUSE AS A WHOLE.HIALEAH VIBE CHECK IS A MULTI-MODAL INITIATIVE, GROUNDED IN MEANINGFUL YOUTH ENGAGEMENT AND DATA-DRIVEN PROGRESS, TO IMPACT YOUTH DRUG USE IN HIALEAH. UTILIZING A DIVERSE COMBINATION OF COMMUNITY LEVEL STRATEGIES, HIALEAH VIBE CHECK WILL DIRECTLY TARGET EXISTING CHALLENGES WITH PRESCRIPTION DRUG MISUSE, WHILE EXPANDING THE EVIDENCE BASE ON OPIATES AND METHAMPHETAMINES FOR FUTURE INTERVENTION. THE PROJECT IS COMPRISED OF THE FOLLOWING SIX STRATEGIES, THE CORRESPONDING STRATEGY FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE FROM SAMHSA IS ALSO NOTED:? IN-SERVICE FOR LOCAL MEDICAL STAFF (ENHANCE SKILLS)? BUILD CAPACITY IN YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID (ENHANCE SKILLS)? DRUG TAKE BACK INITIATIVE (ENHANCE ACCESS/REDUCE BARRIERS)? CONVENE TWO YOUTH DIALOG DAYS (ENHANCE SKILLS)? DEVELOP AND ADMINISTER COMMUNITY ONLINE SURVEY (PROVIDE SUPPORT)? PRODUCE THREE EPISODES OF A YOUTH-LED INT ERNET SHOW ON INSTAGRAM LIVE (PROVIDE INFORMATION)PREVENTION OF USE IN YOUTH AGED 12-18 WILL DECREASE BOTH ITS WIDESPREAD SOCIAL ACCESS AND AVAILABILITY. DECREASING NORMS AND ACCEPTANCE OF USE IN ADULTS AND YOUTH WILL ADDRESS THE PERCEPTIONS OF BOTH ACUTE AND CHRONIC CONSEQUENCES CAUSED BY UNDERAGE SUBSTANCE USE, AS WELL AS THE SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE, AND PERCEIVED WRONGFULNESS BY PARENTS AND PEERS. TRAINING WILL INCREASE UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTRICACIES OF YOUTH DRUG USE FOR COMMUNITY PROVIDERS WHILE BUILDING THE SKILLS TO ENHANCE THEIR PRACTICE. SYNTHESIZING AND DISSEMINATING EVIDENCE-BASED INFORMATION PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE AND CHANGE SOCIAL NORMS AMONG ADULTS AND YOUTH ABOUT THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH RISKS OF THESE ADDICTIVE DRUGS. A COMMUNITY SURVEY OF LOCAL SECTORS AND STAKEHOLDERS WILL BOLSTER AN EMERGING EVIDENCE BASE THAT CAN BE UTILIZED TO INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS AND STRATEGIES. VIBE CHECK, IS THE NEXT ITERATION FOR HCC, AND THE COALITION?S ROLE IS FRAMED BY ITS MISSION STATEMENT: ?TO SERVE AS A COMMUNITY COALITION DEDICATED TO THE COMPREHENSIVE AND LONG-TERM REDUCTION/PREVENTION OF UNDERAGE DRINKING AND SUBSTANCE USE AND ABUSE OF DRUGS WHILE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP TO CREATE A SAFE, HEALTHY ANDDRUG-FREE COMMUNITY FOR THE YOUTH OF HIALEAH, FL.?.

HIALEAH COMMUNITY COALITION, INC. DRUG-FREE COMMUNITY COALITION