Tuesday, April 23, 2024
4/23/2024
Open Door Family Medical Center (Open Door), supporting the Ossining Communities That Care Coalition (OCTC), will prevent the onset and reduce the progression of substance use and its related problems while strengthening prevention capacity and infrastructure at the community level through the Open Door Partnerships for Success (PFS) project. Joining the project for intervention design, epidemiology support, and culturally competent messaging is KDH Research & Communication, renowned for its efforts such as the FDA's The Real Cost Campaign and the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign's Above the Influence project. Data-driven strategies to address community change will focus on alcohol, marijuana, and e-cig use among Ossining's diverse youth. Ossining, New York is home to 38,257 residents with public school enrollment of 5,076 for 2018-19. Our PFS project will directly impact the 3,231 students in grades 4-12 enrolled in the elementary, middle, and high schools, approximately 600 post-high school young adults, and an estimated 900 parents in Year 1. Over the next four years we expect to impact an additional 1,500 children/teens and 900 parents per enrollment trends. The District student body is 60% Hispanic, 22% Caucasian, 10% African American/Black, and 8% Other. While enrollment is rising, graduation rates are falling. Poverty levels are also rising such that presently 55% of our students are economically disadvantaged. Open Door's behavioral health practice experience indicates that a significant number of young people live with families that struggle with substance use, attachment disorders, depression, anxiety, homesickness, acculturation challenges, and economic insecurity. Alcohol use in the past 30 days among 8th, 10th and 12th graders is well above national averages: 16.1 v 7.3%, 24.8 v 19.9%, and 48.1 v 33.2%, respectively. Binge drinking numbers are above the national norms by as much as half to double. Marijuana use is on the rise among 8th graders, and e-cigs among 8th, 10th, 12th graders. Open Door in partnership with the OCTC coalition will address risk and protective factors influencing substance use and strengthen the Coalition to meet substance use problems in the future. Principle interventions include providing education and information to students, training school administrators and other community leaders, a culturally competent messaging campaign, positive activities like after-school activities and engaging young people in prevention activities, and achieving school and local policy change to reduce access to and use of alcohol, marijuana, and e-cigs. Measurable goals and objectives include 1) For those in middle childhood (ages 9-12), decrease the likelihood of future substance use by obtaining and acting on baseline risk factors; 2) Decrease adolescent & teen substance use (specifically alcohol, marijuana, e-cigs) and reduce overall rates to close the gap with national trends; 3) Achieve procedure and policy changes to promote healthy behaviors, including codes of conduct and a response plan for marijuana legalization; and 4) Increase capacity and sustainability through alternative fiscal supports, adding human resource capacity, and building up OCTC infrastructure.
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).
