Friday, November 22, 2024
11/22/2024
The Youth Leadership in Prevention and Reduction of Opioid and Prescription Drug Misuse projects educate and empower youth ages 12-18 year olds in Chesterfield County, VA, about prescription drug and opioid misuse. The goal of grant initiatives is to reduce youth past 30-day opioid and prescription drug misuse by 1% by 2021. Youth will actively engage in two projects to educate themselves and their peers about prescription drug and opioid misuse prevention: an interactive digital presentation for 6th graders about the health, social and legal consequences of substance use and a public service announcement contest prescription drug and opioid misuse on local mass and social media. Youth from local middle and high schools will be recruited to revise the content and format of the Student vs. Drugs project and to create a brand-new PSA about the dangers of prescription drug and opioid misuse. Over the course of the three year grant, at least 27,316 youth ages 12-18 year olds will be educated about prescription drug and opioid misuse prevention. The goals of the grant projects are to increase youth leadership in SAFE’s opioid and prescription drug misuse prevention strategies by strengthening collaboration at the local level by increasing engagement of middle and high school youth in SAFE’s opioid and prescription drug misuse prevention strategies by 10% as compared to June 2018 and to reduce youth opioid and prescription drug misuse with a decrease in reported past 30-day use of narcotics of 8th, 10th and 12th graders by 1% by June 2021. Participants will also be encouraged to utilize their new substance abuse, prescription drug misuse and opioid use knowledge and leadership skills by attending and presenting their projects and PSAs to the SAFE Opioid and Heroin Prevention Task Force, to become members of the task force, to host and present their PSAs at a media release event with school and community members and to advocate at the state level with legislators during the coalition’s annual Rally Day at the Virginia General Assembly. The grant projects will be implemented by enhancing coalition partnerships with Chesterfield County Mental Health Support Services Prevention Services, Chesterfield County Public Schools, Chesterfield County Communications and Media and private media businesses. The projects will be evaluated by change in youth use behavior as measured by the 2019 and 2021 Prevention Needs Assessment Youth Survey, youth participation attendance rosters, student surveys for feedback on the projects and number of youth reached by the media campaign spots and impression. In the first year of the grant, approximately 2,473 students will be impacted at one middle school and one high school by grant projects. In the second year, approximately 10,644 students at nine middle and three high schools will be impacted. In the third year, approximately 14,199 students at nine middle and five high schools will be impacted. Over the course of the grant, at least 27,316 youth ages 12-18 year olds will be educated about prescription drug and opioid misuse prevention.
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).
