The Gandara Center led, Stop Access Drug Free Communities Coalition, is an established community-based youth alcohol and substance use prevention coalition with broad cross-sector representation, and proven capacity to effect community-level change in the majority/minority city of Springfield, MA. The Coalition works to prevent and reduce youth alcohol, marijuana & tobacco use through strategies and initiatives designed to affect environmental, policy, and behavioral changes.
The target population is an expansion of current DFC services, and includes youth between the ages of 11-18 years old and a resident of Springfield, MA., with an emphasis on youth of color and/or Hispanic heritage. The Springfield Public Schools district serves a diverse, high risk population of 25,297 youth & families comprised of approximately 66.6% of Hispanic identified youth, 19% as African American, with over 77% of total youth who are Economically Disadvantaged, 27% youth with English as not their 1st language, and 82% who are determined to be High Need. According to the 2016 PNAS, there is a high prevalence of depression among Latino, Asian and LGBTQ youth.
Interventions: All activities under this funding request will be implemented by the Stop Access Coalition supported by a Project Director and Coordinator. The Coalition will leverage existing momentum to expand member recruitment; plan & facilitate town halls; provide parent/guardian trainings; support school and community-based alcohol and substance free family activities; and reduce underage youth access to alcohol, marijuana, tobacco through retailer surveys and cashier training, and education events targeting youth, families and community to change norms/perceptions regarding safety and underage use. Goals & Objectives: 1)increase & strengthen community collaboration to reduce youth alcohol use within new target neighborhoods by: recruiting new coalition membership, facilitate town hall meetings to solicit local qualitative data for annual action planning; strengthen participation in PNAS and enhanced information dissemination efforts; 2) reduce alcohol, marijuana & tobacco use among youth through reducing retail access by: providing underage sale training to cashiers, conducting Alcohol purchase surveys (compliance monitoring), & exploring the creation of a marijuana Purchase Survey; 3) increase the number of parents/guardians who report it is wrong/very wrong for youth to use alcohol by providing trainings and dialogue resources to parents. 4) Encourage and support schools & youth-serving agencies create prevention curricula.
Numbers served: Outreach/Education/Information: YR 1=3,150 YR2=6,150 YR 3=3,150 YR 4=6,150 YR 5=3,150 Training/Direct service: YR 1=110 YR 2=110 YR 3=110 YR 4=110 YR 5=110 TOTAL: 22,300.