Thursday, January 2, 2025
1/2/2025
Project Abstract – WOW Coalition The Way Out West Coalition was established in 2010 and became a DFC grantee in 2017. Based on the prevalence data, corresponding contextual factors, and what our youth tell us they need, the coalition intends to focus its efforts on three target substances for the DFC work: (1) marijuana and marijuana concentrates; (2) nicotine; and (3) opioids, with particular emphasis on fentanyl and counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl. Our work and effort have impacted the community over the past five years of DFC work; we have made tremendous strides on alcohol and Rx drugs, now we're focusing on these and fentanyl." Our coalition proposes to use community-based strategies to equip youth ages 18 and younger with knowledge and skills to maximize their potential and increase healthy decision-making. Our previous track record provides us with proven strategies to reduce youth substance use in the Buckeye community. We aim to reduce marijuana use, nicotine use, and opioid use, emphasizing fentanyl and counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl; strategies include community collaborations via a culturally diverse coalition committed to ongoing growth and involvement and education of the members. We will continue working with well-established community partners. Our coalition will promote health equity due to reduced economic stability, limited education attainment, non-English speakers, ethnic minority populations, and limited access to services in our service area. We will reduce risk factors specific to our area, including lack of school involvement, access and availability of substances, and parent attitudes towards substance use. We will increase protective factors, including youth engagement and school social and emotional learning. The WOW Coalition will focus on the following four strategies for community change to create positive change in our community: 1. Provide information about youth substance use: educational presentations, workshops or seminars, and data or media presentations (e.g., Public Service Announcements (PSAs), brochures, town halls, forums, web communication, social media). 2. Enhance skills so youth/adults and community members can build positive social and enhance their decision-making capabilities: Workshops, seminars, or activities designed to increase the skills of participants, members, and staff (e.g., training and technical assistance, parenting classes, strategic planning retreats, model programs in schools). 3. Provide support to increase opportunities that reduce risk factors or enhance protective factors for youth/adults: Creating opportunities for participation in activities that reduce risk or enhance protection (e.g., alternative activities, mentoring, referrals for services, support groups, youth clubs). 4. Educating and informing about modifying or changing policies that reduce access and availability to substances among youth: Change in written procedures, by-laws, proclamations, rules, or laws, to the extent applicable law and policies allow (e.g., workplace initiatives, law enforcement procedures, and practices, public policy actions, systems change). Through these strategies, we will increase the resiliency of youth and increase the perception of risk related to marijuana use, opioid/fentanyl use, and nicotine use. We will improve parent/caretaker and child communication, increase youth connectedness at school and home, and decrease the targeted substance use by 10%.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).