Missouri will use a data driven approach to implement a comprehensive prevention program, built on a positive youth development framework, to target substance use among youth ages 12 to 18. In addition, community education will be utilized to prevent methamphetamine use among adults. Eighty-one counties with a total of 2,985,567 Missourians (49.9% of population) will be touched.
The goals of the Partnership for Success 2020 grant are to 1) prevent or reduce prescription drug misuse as well as alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs among youth ages 12-18, residing in the selected areas, 2) prevent or reduce use of methamphetamine in adults, residing in the selected areas, and 3) enhance training for individuals who work in the substance use prevention field. Four community-based, non-profit prevention agencies that currently serve as Prevention Resource Centers will implement the grant at the local level. In Missouri, the majority of the population is Caucasian (82.8%) or African-American (11.6%) and these are smilar demographics for the selected counties. However, there are a few outliers, Jackson County has over twice the percentage of African-Americans (23.9%) and 12 other counties have a higher percentage of those of Hispanic or Latino origins (MO average 3.5%). Missouri does not have any federally recognized tribes. In the slected counties, prescription drug misuse is higher than the state average for youth. Some counties also show higher alcohol, marijuana, cigarette and inhalant youth misuse. Missouri also has higher adult methamphetamine misuse when compared to the national rates, and treatment admissions have roughly doubled in the last several years. To address the goals, Missouri will implement two media campaigns across the selected areas that highlight youth protective factors (40 Developmental Assets) and the risks of methamphetamine misuse (Meth360). In addition, subrecipients will complete a strategic plan. This plan will identify a subsection of counties based upon needs, readiness and resources and these counties will receive additional prevention evidence-based interventions. The number of individuals receiving interventions will be based upon need and budget. Finally, experienced prevention workers will be trained in the Universal Prevention Curriculum (UPC). The UPC is designed to build on the foundational skills prevention workers learn in the first few years of their career and will target needs identified in Missouri's 2019 Workforce Develpment Survey (WDS). These combined efforts will serve to 1) decrease the amount of youth reporting prescription drug misuse between the 2020 and 2026 Missouri Student Survey by at least 10%, 2) decrease the amount of adults being admitted to the Department of Mental Health for methamphetamine treatment between 2020 and 2025 by at least 5%, and 3) increase the amount of participants selecting they are at least "Somewhat more knowledgeable than others" in the WDS in key areas, from 2019 to 2024 by at least 20%. An Evidence-Based Programs Workgroup will oversee implementation of the evidence based intervetions. Missouri's State Advisory Council, Subcommittee on Prevention, will serve as the project's Advisory Council.