Community Synergy Inc

COMMUNITY SYNERGY AWARE PROJECT - THE COMMUNITY SYNERGY AWARE (CS-AWARE) PROJECT WILL INCREASE MENTAL HEALTH LITERACY, REDUCE STIGMA AND INCREASE RESPONSIVENESS AND REFERRALS FOR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN ROCKLAND COUNTY, NEW YORK, THE EVIDENCE-BASED YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID (YMHFA) PROGRAM WILL BE IMPLEMENTED VIRTUALLY AS WELL AS IN-PERSON. THOSE WHO WORK WITH YOUTH WILL BE TRAINED AS YMHFA INSTRUCTORS AND THEY IN TURN WILL TRAIN INDIVIDUALS WHO INTERACT WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AS “FIRST AIDERS.” INSTRUCTORS TO BE TRAINED WILL INCLUDE LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRST RESPONDERS, COACHES, SCHOOL PERSONNEL, SPANISH SPEAKING PROFESSIONALS, AND COUNSELORS, CULMINATING IN 29 CERTIFIED LOCAL INSTRUCTORS TRAINED. INSTRUCTORS WILL THEN FORMALLY TRAIN AND TRAIN 350 INDIVIDUALS WHO INTERACT WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN YEAR ONE OF THE PROJECT, 400 PERSONS IN YEAR TWO, 450 PERSONS IN YEAR THREE, 500 PERSONS IN YEAR FOUR AND 500 PERSONS IN YEAR FIVE FOR A TOTAL OF 2,200 INDIVIDUALS TRAINED TO ASSIST YOUTH, WHO ARE EXPERIENCING A MENTAL HEALTH OR SUBSTANCE USE-RELATED CRISIS, AGES 12 TO 18, THE TARGET POPULATION. COMMITTED PARTNERS IN THIS PROJECT INCLUDE THE ROCKLAND COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH, NORTH ROCKLAND CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, CLARKSTOWN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, CLARKSTOWN COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER, ROCKLAND TEACHER CENTER, VILLAGE OF HAVERSTRAW HAVERSTRAW CENTER, POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE. THIS PROJECT WILL SERVE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY; ROCKLAND COUNTY IS MADE UP OF RACIALLY, ETHNICALLY AND CULTURALLY MIXED POPULATION. DEMOGRAPHICALLY, THE COUNTY HAS A LARGE HISPANIC AND LATINO NONWHITE POPULATION FACING LANGUAGE BARRIERS, SOCIOECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY AND HIGH RISK FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE INVOLVEMENT. ADOLESCENCE IS THE PEAK AGE OF ONSET FOR MENTAL ILLNESS AND EARLY ONSET OF MENTAL ILLNESS IS A SIGNIFICANT PREDICTOR FOR FUTURE EPISODES. YET, ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS ARE LESS LIKELY THAN ADULTS TO SEEK OR RECEIVE TREATMENT FOR A MENTAL ILLNESS. THIS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS THIS CRITICAL NEED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

NORTH ROCKLAND COALITION FOR DRUG AWARENESS AND PREVENTION (NRC-DAP)

COMMUNITY SYNERGY AWARE PROJECT

NRC-DAP STOP ACT - PROJECT ABSTRACT SUMMARY DESCRIPTION NORTH ROCKLAND COALITION FOR DRUG AWARENESS PREVENTION WITH COMMUNITY SYNERGY AS THE FISCAL AGENT IS APPLYING FOR THE SOBER TRUTH ON PREVENTING UNDERAGE DRINKING ACT GRANT FOR FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $60,000 PER YEAR FOR FOUR YEARS. THE COALITION SERVES THE TOWNS/VILLAGES OF HAVERSTRAW, STONY POINT, GARNERVILLE, THIELLS, AND WEST HAVERSTRAW, NEW YORK, A COMMUNITY OF APPROXIMATELY 50,000. THE GOALS OF THE COALITION ARE TO ESTABLISH AND STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY COLLABORATION IN SUPPORT OF LOCAL EFFORTS TO PREVENT YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE. THE COALITION WILL ACHIEVE ITS GOALS BY IMPLEMENTING THESE STRATEGIES: INCREASING COALITION PARTICIPATION; EDUCATING ALCOHOL VENDORS AND RECOGNIZING THEIR POSITIVE COMMITMENT TO COMPLIANCE; PROMOTING THE ENFORCEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES TO LIMIT THE ACCESS OF ALCOHOL TO UNDERAGE YOUTH; ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PRACTICES RELATED TO ALCOHOL USE VIOLATIONS; PROVIDING TRAINING ON ALCOHOL POISONING USE, SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS FOR TEACHERS, PARENTS, AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS WORKING WITH YOUTH; HOSTING EVENTS THAT EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE HEALTH, SOCIAL, AND LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF ALCOHOL USE AMONG YOUTH; AND IMPLEMENTING ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES RELATED TO ALCOHOL USE. THE AWARD OF THE SOBER TRUTH ON PREVENTING UNDERAGE DRINKING GRANT WILL ENHANCE THE SUCCESS OF THE NORTH ROCKLAND COALITION FOR DRUG AWARENESS PREVENTION DRUG-FREE COMMUNITIES SUPPORT PROGRAM GRANT THAT WAS AWARDED IN 2018 BY THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY, IN COOPERATION WITH THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION. NOW IN ITS FIFTH YEAR OF DFC FUNDING, FUNDING FROM THE STOP-ACT GRANT WILL ENABLE THE COALITION TO EXPAND ITS REACH AND FOCUS ON UNDERAGE DRINKING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. SPECIFIC GOALS WILL INCLUDE A FOCUS ON EXPANDING PARTICIPATION IN AND AWARENESS OF THE COALITION, CLOSING THE GAPS BETWEEN THE PERCEPTIONS AROUND, AND THE REALITY OF, UNDERAGE DRINKING; ENHANCING INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION AND COMMUNICATING AND ENFORCING CONSEQUENCES RELATED TO SELLING ALCOHOL TO MINORS; CONTINUED WORK TOWARD INCREASING PEER DISAPPROVAL TOWARD ALCOHOL USAGE. WE WILL UTILIZE THE OUTCOMES OF THE PRIDE SURVEY 2020 TAKEN BY STUDENTS IN GRADES 8, 11 AND 12, WHICH PROVIDE INSIGHT AS TO PERCEPTIONS OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE AMONG THEMSELVES AND THEIR PEERS, AS WELL AS INDIVIDUAL USE OVER THE PAST YEAR. ADDITIONALLY, WE WILL INCORPORATE THE FINDINGS OF THE COALITION DEVELOPED PARENT SURVEY (2022), WHICH REFLECTS THE ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS OF PARENTS AROUND THE USE OF ALCOHOL BY THEIR CHILD AND THEIR CHILD’S PEERS. ADDITIONAL STATISTICS FROM OUR TWO POLICE DEPARTMENT PARTNERS WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION AROUND DWI ARRESTS WITHIN THESE COMMUNITIES. THROUGH INCREASED AND ENHANCED EFFORTS OF THE WORK CURRENTLY IN PLACE, AND THE ADDITIONAL WORK PROPOSED THAT NECESSITATES ADDITIONAL FUNDING, NRC-DAP WILL BE POISED TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF PARENTS, YOUTH, VENDORS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS TO THIS ONGOING PROBLEM, AND SHOW MEASURABLE REDUCTIONS IN YOUTH ACCEPTANCE OF UNDERAGE DRINKING.