Wholistic Stress Control Institute, Inc, a 35-year-old award-winning community-based organization, located in Atlanta, GA will implement a community wide substance abuse prevention project, entitled the, “Community Ambassadors Partnership for Success (CAPS).” The goal and objectives are: Goal I: Increase the capacity and infrastructure in the City of Newnan, Coweta County, GA to prevent the onset and reduce the progression of substance abuse and its related problems among youth and young adults (9 to 20 years old) over a five-year period.
Objective 1: By the end of March 2020, CAPS will have convened a Coalition of citizens and representatives from various sectors of the community to strengthen Newnan’s substance abuse prevention capacity and infrastructure by completing Steps 1-5 of the SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework. Objective 2) Each year, CAPS will have maintained 90% of partnerships with the 1) City Council, 2) Mayor Office, 3) Clergy, 4) substance abuse providers; 5) community-based organizations; 6) local businesses and 7) community members in order to increase capacity to fill gaps and address other problems related to substance abuse. Objective 3) By end of 2025, CAPS Coalition will have increased infrastructure to reinforce Newnan City Council and Mayor’s Office policy compliance via three (3) new strategies. Objective 4) By end of 2025, CAPS will have increased Newnan infrastructure by training 150 youth and young adults (30 annually) as Community Ambassador Leaders to disseminate substance abuse prevention information. Objective 5) By end of 2025, the Health Educators and Community Ambassador Leaders will have provided 10 evidenced based prevention mixed best practices sessions to 1,000 youth and young adults (150 to 225 annually) to increase knowledge, perceived risk of harm, and behavioral change regarding alcohol, marijuana and opioid abuse from pre to posttest as measured by the GPRA. Objective 6: By end of 2025, CAPS staff and coalition will have conducted twenty (4 annually) alcohol and drug free activities to provide healthy alternatives to encourage alcohol, marijuana and opioid avoidance. Objective 7: By end of 2025, CAPS will have implemented fifteen (15) traditional and media campaigns (three a year) to reach 5,000 (1,000 a year) youth and young adults targeting the prevention of underage drinking, marijuana use and opioid abuse.
Population: The program will reach 1,000 9 – 20-year-old, males and females annually (5,000 over the 5-year grant period), who reside in the City of Newnan, Georgia, zip codes 30263, 30264 and 30365 over the five-year grant cycle. Twenty-two percent of teens and young adults (aged 16 – 24) are considered “disconnected youth” because they are neither working nor in school.
Partnerships: The program will collaborate with Newnan City Council and Mayor’s Office, Boys and Girls Clubs, Coweta County Recreation and Parks Department, local businesses and citizens to strengthen the collaboration among the community and governmental agencies to implement comprehensive direct and indirect strategies. The program design is built upon epidemiological research data and utilization of SAMHSA Strategic Prevention Framework process.