The Alabama Strategic Prevention Framework Prescription: Only Yours As Prescribed 2.0 (ASPFRx OYAP 2.0) project seeks to prevent and reduce prescription drug misuse and the negative consequences associated with it while improving capacity and infrastructure in communities with health disparities, less access to care, and poorer behavioral health outcomes in young adults in the identified high need populations within the state. The targeted regions will have high concentrations of individuals with significant health disparities, elevated levels of substance use, poverty, and less access to care resulting in poorer behavioral health outcomes. The population of focus will be young adults aged 18-25 with a specific focus on deaf and/or hard of hearing individuals. The project seeks to continue utilization of a structured approach set forth by the existing strategic planning framework, the strategic prevention framework for prescription drugs, and implementation of evidence-based practices and programs with sound evaluation to reach identified populations. The goals of the project are to: (1) Prevent and reduce young adult prescription drug misuse in communities with health disparities; (2) Reduce prescription misuse-related problems in Alabama communities that have less access to care and poorer behavioral health outcomes; and (3) Improve prevention capacity, coordination and infrastructure at the state and community levels. The objectives the project seeks to attain are: (1) By 2026, prevent and reduce prescription drug misuse and its negative consequences among young adults aged 18-25 by 3%; (2) Annually identify and collaborate efforts with pharmaceutical and medical communities, per region (four regions), to address the risks of overprescribing; and (3) Provide outreach and awareness initiatives, tools, trainings, and technical assistance to a minimum of 400 individuals per year, 100 individuals per region, on approaches to ensure successful outcomes are sustained over time resulting in a minimum of 2,000 individuals reached during the project period. A comprehensive approach utilizing the six CSAP strategies will comprise the strategies/interventions to address the goals and objectives. Information Dissemination, Education, Alternatives, Community Based Processes, Environmental and Problem Identification and Referral strategies will address risk and protective factors and include culturally appropriate information about prescription drug misuse as it relates to individual communities. The inclusion of the educational system collaborative efforts and supportive services, youth/parent after-school involvement with prescription drug misuse initiatives and youth mentorship/recruitment efforts, representation of the recovery community, constituent initiatives to address policies such as prescription drug availability, Alabama Department of Mental Health's Office of Deaf Services, Alabama's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), prescribers and patient awareness will be integral to the success of the ASPFRx OYAP 2.0 project.
