Decatur Prevention Initiative-A Drug Free Communities Coalition - Project Abstract
The Decatur Prevention Initiative (DPI) seeks a Drug-Free Communities Support Program Continuation (DFC) grant to sustain and expand evidence-based services for the City of Decatur, Georgia. DPI and its committed coalition partners will work to prevent substance use among youth ages 12 to 18, with a focus on youth experiencing multiple risk factors and health disparities. These disparities will include LGBTQIA+ youth, those experiencing poverty or familial substance abuse, members of underserved racial and ethnic groups, and those with mental health challenges. As a recipient of five years of DFC funding, DPI has seen significant improvements in the community, but much work remains to be done to bring about community-level change. The Georgia Student Health Survey has allowed DPI to track data trends for over 13 years. Decatur youth continue to report some of Georgia’s highest alcohol and marijuana 30-day use rates. This is also true when compared to other Metropolitan Atlanta area school systems. The City of Decatur has 24,344 residents and is located in a major metropolitan area. This community has many city-specific services, such as law enforcement, schools, fire and rescue, public housing, and parks and recreation, allowing for a clearly defined community. A DFC continuation project award enables DPI to refine and build upon past successes. The project's first goal is 1) Establish and strengthen collaboration among community stakeholders and organizations to address youth. The long-term objectives include growing the coalition's membership and increasing the community’s willingness to address youth substance abuse. In the short term, DPI will track outcomes showing increased coalition capacity, outreach, intergovernmental cooperation, and improved knowledge of the local incidence of youth substance use and the coalition's efforts. The project’s second goal is to 2) Reduce substance use among youth and, over time, reduce substance use among adults
by addressing risk and protective factors. The long-term objective for all three targeted substances (alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana) is to decrease use by at least 5% over the next five years. Intermediate outcomes (3-4 years)are to reduce community risk and protective factors, decrease availability and access to substances, and increase access to services and settings that prevent substance use, with a particular focus on youth experiencing adverse childhood experiences and mental health challenges,
DPI uses the Strategic Prevention Framework to assess root causes and local conditions. The root causes have shifted over the past five years, and DPI will adjust to reflect current conditions. DPI utilizes the seven proven strategies to bring about community-level change. With a focus on the root causes of Access and Availability, Community Norms Favorable To Drug Use, and Favorable Youth Attitudes Toward Drug Use, DPI will focus on expanding media campaigns, building skills among parents, and changing consequences. DPI’s Youth Action Team will focus on physical design, local policy, and positive youth events. PSAs will be positive, inclusive, and empowering. DPI will continue to support and expand the Decatur Parents Network, an evidence-based strategy, to help parents raise drug-free children. DPI has over 32 years of experience providing quality prevention services in Decatur and has twice been awarded the prestigious Blue Ribbon status by CADCA for its ability to bring about community-level change. The grant funds will be used to implement high-quality programs, practices, and policies that are recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and equity-based.
