Under the SAFIR STOP Act project, the coalition’s overall goal is to reduce youth alcohol use in Indian River County. We will enhance our efforts within the city of Fellsmere by implementing additional strategies, in both English and Spanish. These strategies will address increasing perception of harm of alcohol use and reducing social access. We will also educate and provide pediatric health care providers with SAMHSA’s Talk. They Hear You messaging. This campaign stresses the importance of parents talking to their children at an early age on alcohol and other substance use.
The catchment area for the proposed project is the growing city of Fellsmere. Fellsmere has 5,719 residents with 75.3% being Hispanic. Sixty-eight percent of the Fellsmere population speak Spanish. This growing population has been underserved by the Coalition, especially the Hispanic population. The coalition plans to extend its reach by increasing support and collaboration of key leaders in the city of Fellsmere. We are planning to conduct a town hall event that will educate 50 parents each year on brain development and social hosting. The Coalition will conduct this town hall each year which will target over 200 participants by September 2026. We will hold two presentations on brain development and underage alcohol use to youth in Fellsmere each year, with a total of eight presentations over the course of the grant. A Friday Night Done Right event for the Fellsmere youth will be held each year and will continue each year of the grant. This event promotes fun without drugs and alcohol. In addition, we will expand our Parents Who Host Lose the Most and Talk. They Hear You campaigns to the Fellsmere population, which will reach over 700 parents/adults by September 2023, and over 2,800 parents/adults by September 2026. These campaigns will be made available in English and Spanish. We will also implement the Sticker Shock project in Fellsmere, with 1,000 stickers (250 per year) being printed in Spanish and English and displayed over the four year grant. This campaign will send a message to adults that it is illegal to supply alcohol to youth and can reach a large percent of our population.
In an effort to delay early onset of substance use, the coalition will target five pediatric health care providers each year with information on alcohol use and encourage them to display SAMHSA’s Talk. They Hear You campaign messaging. This campaign encourages parents to talk to their child at an early age on alcohol and substance use. Over the four year grant, a total of 20 unduplicated physicians will be educated and 2,000 materials (500 per year) will be shared to parents through this initiative.
The STOP ACT grant will go a long way in helping to enhance and imbed these strategies into the community.