Strategic Prevention Partnerships Inc

STRATEGIC PREVENTION PARTNERSHIP DFC

STRATEGIC PREVENTION PARTNERSHIPS MHAT - STRATEGIC PREVENTION PARTNERSHIPS’ MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING IN NEWPORT COUNTY, RHODE ISLAND (POPULATION 82,888), PROVIDE RESOURCES TO THOSE RECEIVING TRAINING TO REFER TARGET POPULATIONS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE AND STRENGTHEN CURRENT EFFORTS TO ENSURE MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS ARE ADDRESSED QUICKLY. THE POPULATIONS OF FOCUS FOR THIS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS PROJECT ARE VETERANS, MILITARY PERSONNEL, AND THEIR FAMILIES AND OUR SPANISH SPEAKING COMMUNITY MEMBERS. OUR FOCUS POPULATIONS WILL BE REACHED THROUGH THE SCHOOLS, FAITH ORGANIZATIONS, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT SPECIFICALLY SERVE THEM. TO MEET THE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING GOALS, SPP WILL TAKE A THREE PRONG APPROACH TO IMPACT OUR TARGET POPULATIONS: 1) MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING; 2) GIVE AN HOUR®’S CAMPAIGN TO CHANGE DIRECTION; AND 3) NO WRONG DOOR SYSTEM OF CARE. MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID (MHFA): SPP WILL PROVIDE MHFA TRAINING TO MILITARY PERSONNEL AND FAMILIES IN NEWPORT COUNTY AND TO INDIVIDUALS/ORGANIZATIONS THAT IMPACT THOSE FAMILIES PARTICULARLY SCHOOLS, FAITH ORGANIZATIONS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT. MHFA TRAINING WILL INCLUDE NEWPORT’S SPANISH-SPEAKING RESIDENTS WITHIN THE HIGHLY CONCENTRATED PUBLIC HOUSING NEIGHBORHOODS. RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY AS AN EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAM, MHFA IS A SKILLS-BASED TRAINING COURSE THAT TEACHES PARTICIPANTS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE-USE ISSUES, HOW TO IDENTIFY, UNDERSTAND AND RESPOND TO SIGNS OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. CAMPAIGN TO CHANGE DIRECTION: TO COMPLEMENT MHFA TRAINING, SPP WILL IMPLEMENT CAMPAIGN TO CHANGE DIRECTION. CHANGE DIRECTION TEACHES THE FIVE SIGNS OF EMOTIONAL SUFFERING SO THAT PARTICIPANTS CAN IDENTIFY SOMEONE’S SUFFERING. SPP WILL USE THE FIVE SIGNS FRAMEWORK FOR COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS, PARTICULARLY IN SCHOOLS AND FAITH ORGANIZATIONS. CHANGE DIRECTION MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES AND WILL BE DISTRIBUTED IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. NO WRONG DOOR SYSTEM OF CARE: NWD WAS LAUNCHED TO HELP CLOSE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE GAPS IN THE COUNTY. NWD IS DEVELOPING A SOFTWARE SYSTEM THAT WILL IMPROVE THE COMMUNICATION AND REFERRAL TRACKING BETWEEN ALL EIGHT BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS TO ENSURE VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS DO NOT “FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS.” THROUGH NWD, RESOURCE MATERIALS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO POTENTIAL MENTAL HEALTH CLIENTS. INFORMATION DETAILING WHERE AND HOW TO ACCESS SERVICES WILL BE DISTRIBUTED IN THE COMMUNITY PARTICULARLY THROUGH THE SCHOOLS, FAITH ORGANIZATIONS, MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT, AND THE NORTH END. WE ANTICIPATE PROVIDING TRAINING TO 1,740 PEOPLE IN MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID AND 10,640 IN CAMPAIGN TO CHANGE DIRECTION OVER THE COURSE OF THE FIVE-YEAR PROJECT; APPROXIMATELY 2,476 INDIVIDUALS PER YEAR.

NEWPORT COUNTY CARA GRANT - OPIOID OVERDOSE IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH IN RHODE ISLAND (RI DEPT OF HEALTH, 2020) THE PERCENTAGE OF RI YOUTH IN GRADES 9-12 REPORTING EVER USING HEROIN IS HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE (2.4% VS. 1.8%: YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY 2019). STRATEGIC PREVENTION PARTNERSHIPS, (SPP) IS A CURRENT DFC RECIPIENT FOR NEWPORT COUNTY PREVENTION COALITION (NCPC), WHICH ADDRESSES UNDERAGE DRINKING AND MARIJUANA USE IN NEWPORT COUNTY, RI (POPULATION 82,888) NEWPORT, RI IS THE MOST HEAVILY POPULATED IN NEWPORT COUNTY AND THE MOST DIVERSE, WITH A GROWING NUMBER OF SPANISH SPEAKING RESIDENTS. WHILE IT HAS THE LOOK OF WEALTH AND PRIVILEGE OF A TOURIST GET-AWAY, NEWPORT ALSO HAS THE HIGHEST POVERTY RATE IN THE COUNTY AT 14.6%. NEWPORT?S WEALTH DISPARITY CONTRIBUTES TO CHALLENGES ATTRACTING AND SUSTAINING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ITS ECONOMICALLY DIVERSE POPULATION. NEWPORT?S NORTH END REGION IS THE MOST DIVERSE AND WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION FOR THIS PROPOSAL TO ADDRESS OPIATE USE AND PRESCRIPTION (RX) DRUG MISUSE AND THE FACTORS IMPACTING USE. NCPC SEEKS TO PREVENT OPIOID, METHAMPHETAMINE, AND/OR RX DRUG USE AMONG YOUTH AGES 12-18 IN NEWPORT?S NORTH END WHILE CHANGING THE CULTURE AND CONTEXT REGARDING THE ACCEPTABILITY OF YOUTH USE AND MISUSE OF THESE SUBSTANCES. USING THE SPF FRAMEWORK AND THE SEVEN STRATEGIES FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE, NCPC WILL ADDRESS THE FACTORS DRIVING THE USE OF RX PAIN MEDICATION AND ILLICIT OPIATES. NCPC WILL TARGET STRATEGIES TO THE POPULATIONS MOST AFFECTED BY THESE ISSUES, PARTICULARLY THOSE FOR WHOM RACIAL DISPARITIES ARE A FACTOR.LONG TERM OUTCOME ONE: REDUCE OPIOID, METHAMPHETAMINE, AND/OR RX DRUG USE/MISUSE AMONG YOUTH WITHIN NEWPORT?S NORTH END BY IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS BEHAVIORS AND PERCEPTIONS THAT MAY LEAD TO OF USE. NCPC WILL DECREASE YOUTH ACCESS TO OPIOID, METHAMPHETAMINE, AND/OR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS BY DECREASING DIVERSION AND MEDICATION SHARING AND BY ADDRESSING FACTORS THAT INCREASE THE RISK OF YOUTH USE. LONG TERM OUTCOME TWO: CHANGE THE CULTURE AND CONTEXT REGARDING ACCEPTABILITY OF YOUTH OPIOID, METHAMPHETAMINE, AND/OR RX DRUG MISUSE BY INCREASING CAPACITY TO ADDRESS THE DIVERSE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO OPIATE USE USING SPF FRAMEWORK AND STRATEGIES FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE. NCPC HAS EXPERIENCE ENGAGING ALL COMMUNITY SECTORS. INCREASED CAPACITY OF LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND YOUTH SERVING INDIVIDUALS (SUCH AS COACHES, DENTISTS, FAITH LEADERS) AS WELL AS INCREASED INTERGOVERNMENTAL COLLABORATION CAN SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY IN FINDING SOLUTIONS TO LOCAL ISSUES. NCPC BELIEVES THE SOLUTIONS TO COMMUNITY PROBLEMS LIE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, SUPPORT AND LEADERSHIP BRING THOSE SOLUTIONS INTO ACTION. THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES TWO SUB-POPULATIONS: YOUTH FROM SPANISH-SPEAKING HOMES AND LGBTQ YOUTH. RECOGNIZING THAT LGBTQ YOUTH ARE AT A STATISTICALLY HIGHER RISK FOR SUBSTANCE USE, SELF-HARM, AND SUICIDE, NCPC HAS MADE THIS SUB-POPULATION A PRIORITY FOR INCLUSION OF FURTHER ASSESSMENT, PLANNING, AND IMPLEMENTATION. CAPACITY BUILDING WILL ASSIST THE COALITION TO BEST MEET THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF OUR LGBTQ YOUTH. STRATEGIES HAVE BEEN SELECTED TO IMPACT INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS. NCPC STAFF HAVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE USING THE SPF FRAMEWORK AS A THOUGHTFUL PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH TO ADDRESS SUBSTANCE USE AND HAVE ALIGNED THIS PROPOSAL WITH THE SPF PROCESS. CULTURAL COMPETENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY ARE INTEGRATED IN THE SPF STEPS AND UNDERLAY ALL STRATEGIES.