Hingham Cares Inc

SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION AND REDUCTION AMONG YOUTH AND COMMUNITY LEVEL CHANGE IN HINGHAM, MA

HINGHAM CARES COMMUNITY-BASED YOUTH ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA USE REDUCTION AND PREVENTION PROJECT - HINGHAM CARES IS A COMMUNITY-BASED COALITION WHOSE MISSION IS TO PREVENT AND REDUCE YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE IN HINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO IMPROVE COLLABORATION AMONG COMMUNITY SECTORS AND ACHIEVE POPULATION-LEVEL REDUCTIONS IN UNDERAGE ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA USE AS WELL AS ADULT USE OVER TIME BY ADDRESSING IDENTIFIED LOCAL CONDITIONS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO USE AND BY STRENGTHENING PROTECTIVE FACTORS THROUGH EVIDENCE-BASED COMMUNITY STRATEGIES, CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION, AND DATA-DRIVEN PREVENTION EFFORTS. HINGHAM IS A SUBURBAN COMMUNITY OF APPROXIMATELY 24,400 RESIDENTS WITH A RELATIVELY LARGE POPULATION OF YOUTH AND NEARLY 300 HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES EACH YEAR. WHILE THE COMMUNITY IS OFTEN CHARACTERIZED AS AFFLUENT AND HIGH-ACHIEVING, LOCAL DATA REVEAL RISK FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO ELEVATED RATES OF YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE. YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY (YRBS) DATA INDICATES THAT DRINKING AMONG YOUTH AND PERMISSIVE PARENTAL ATTITUDES TOWARD ALCOHOL ARE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN STATE AND NATIONAL AVERAGES, AND PRESSURES TO SUCCEED, COMBINED WITH FAVORABLE COMMUNITY NORMS TOWARD ALCOHOL USE, CONTRIBUTE TO A LOCAL PARTY CULTURE THAT ELEVATES RISK FOR UNDERAGE ALCOHOL USE. OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, MARIJUANA USE AMONG YOUTH HAS DECREASED, AND EFFORTS WILL BE MADE TO ENSURE THAT THIS TREND CONTINUES AMID THREATS FROM A GROWING INDUSTRY. TO ADDRESS THESE CONDITIONS, HINGHAM CARES WILL IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE, COMMUNITY-WIDE PREVENTION APPROACH THAT TARGETS MULTIPLE DFC CORE MEASURES. STRATEGIES WILL FOCUS ON REDUCING FAVORABLE ATTITUDES TOWARD YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE, INCREASING PERCEIVED RISK AND DISAPPROVAL AMONG PARENTS AND PEERS, AND DECREASING YOUTH ACCESS TO ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA. PLANNED ACTIVITIES INCLUDE COMMUNITY-WIDE PREVENTION MESSAGING TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF THE EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE USE ON THE DEVELOPING BRAIN; PARENT AND CAREGIVER EDUCATION WORKSHOPS; SCHOOL-BASED, DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PREVENTION PROGRAMMING; AND THE EXPANSION OF SUBSTANCE-FREE SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH DURING HIGH-RISK TIMES. LOCAL BUSINESSES WILL ALSO BE ENGAGED TO REINFORCE PREVENTION MESSAGING. PROGRESS TOWARD PROJECT OUTCOMES WILL BE MEASURED USING EXPANDED EFFORTS IN YRBS DATA COLLECTION FROM GRADES 7, 9, AND 11, AS WELL AS BIANNUAL MINI SURVEYS IMPLEMENTED IN THE HIGH SCHOOL AND ANNUAL COMMUNITY SURVEYS. KEY OUTCOMES INCLUDE REDUCTIONS IN PAST 30-DAY SUBSTANCE USE ALONG WITH INCREASES IN YOUTH PERCEPTION OF RISK, PERCEPTION OF PARENTAL DISAPPROVAL AND PERCEPTION OF PEER DISAPPROVAL OF SUBSTANCE USE. DATA WILL BE USED TO MONITOR TRENDS, GUIDE STRATEGIC DECISIONS, BUILD CAPACITY, AND ENSURE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. HINGHAM CARES WILL ENGAGE AND COORDINATE WITH MULTIPLE COMMUNITY SECTORS. WHILE THE COALITION WILL CONTINUE TO ACTIVELY SEEK TO LEVERAGE LOCAL AND STATE RESOURCES, THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS ALLOCATED BY THE TOWN OF HINGHAM FOR PREVENTION ACTIVITIES, AND THERE ARE LIMITED STATE-LEVEL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES DEDICATED TO COMMUNITY-BASED YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION. AS A RESULT, DFC FUNDING REMAINS THE PRIMARY AND ESSENTIAL SOURCE OF SUPPORT FOR PRESERVING THE COALITION’S PREVENTION INFRASTRUCTURE AND ADVANCING ITS MISSION. CONTINUED DFC SUPPORT IS CRITICAL TO SUSTAINING COALITION CAPACITY, MAINTAINING EVIDENCE-BASED PREVENTION STRATEGIES, AND ENSURING LONG-TERM PROGRESS TOWARD REDUCED YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE IN THE ABSENCE OF OTHER DEDICATED PREVENTION FUNDING. THE COALITION WILL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A SUSTAINABILITY PLAN FOCUSED ON IDENTIFYING DIVERSE FUNDING SOURCES, STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP, AND INSTITUTIONALIZING EFFECTIVE PREVENTION STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT THE CONTINUATION OF EFFORTS BEYOND THE DURATION OF DFC FUNDING IN ORDER TO ENSURE LONG-TERM SUCCESS.