Paterson (NJ) / Montclair State University Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking (STOP-Act) Initiative - The Paterson (NJ)/Montclair State University Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking (STOP-Act) Initiative seeks to develop and coordinate comprehensive, data-driven strategies focused on preventing alcohol misuse among underserved Hispanic/Latinx and Black/African American youth (age 12-17) and young adults (age 18-20) in the city of Paterson, New Jersey, which is an economically disadvantaged and resource-poor urban community. This initiative intends to serve approximately 400 youth and young adults annually with a four-year goal of serving about 1,600 unduplicated urban minority adolescents and young adults. The goals of the STOP-Act Grant program will be met by (1) Increasing the capacity of the Paterson Coalition Against Substance Abuse (P-CASA) to engage in evidence-based prevention activities that will reduce alcohol use/misuse among underserved, urban minority adolescents (age 12-17) and young adults (age 18-20) in Paterson, NJ; (2) Decreasing the incidence of alcohol misuse among racial and ethnic minority adolescents and young adults throughout Paterson’s 1st and 4th Wards; and (3) Increasing equitable access to alcohol prevention and treatment services, mental health programs, and community resources to reduce behavioral health disparities among our target population. Measurable objectives to meet the goals mentioned above include: (1a) P-CASA will utilize its infrastructure to grow the Youth Leadership Council (YLC) by 50% (adding 10 members) and add three mental health practitioners to our Coalition by Yr. 2.; and (1b) Increase program/site partners for the STOP-Act Grant by 10% for each project year; (2) Increase participation, shared decision-making, and advocacy among YLC by 10% annually; (3) By Yr. 3, P-CASA will train 50% of liquor license holders on both the Paterson Beverage Education Seminar (PABES) and Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS), addressing the service, sale, and consumption of alcohol; (4) By the end of Yr. 4, P-CASA will implement two awareness campaigns to strengthen and reinforce previously passed ordinances focused on alcohol misuse, targeting approximately 2,000 Paterson residents (1st and 4th Wards); (5) By Yr. 1, P-CASA will increase students’ participation by 20% in evidence-based alcohol prevention education initiatives at our partnering schools in the 1st and 4th Wards (80% increase by the end of Yr. 4); (6a) Reduce past 30-day alcohol use among program participants by 5% each project year (20% by the end of Yr. 4); (6b) Increase perception of risk or harm of alcohol use among program participants by 5% each project year (20% by the end of Yr. 4); (6c) Increase perception of parental disapproval of alcohol use among program participants by 5% each project year (20% by the end of Yr. 4); (6d) Increase perception of peer disapproval of alcohol use among program participants by 5% each project year (20% by the end of Yr. 4); (7) By the end of Yr. 4, P-CASA will collaborate with its community partners to identify youth and young adults in need of linkages to behavioral health programs (e.g., alcohol prevention and treatment and mental health services) and referrals to community resources (reaching 75-100 youth and young adults annually); and (8) By the end of Yr. 4., the YLC and the behavioral health arm of P-CASA will work together to implement awareness campaigns (4 in total) addressing the link between alcohol use and mental health, targeting 2,500 youth and young adults, and their parents/caregivers (1st and 4th Wards) annually. This project will be rigorously evaluated to assess process and outcome variables at different levels of analysis. Also, intensive efforts will be implemented at the inception of the project to plan and develop sustainability activities that will contribute to the permanent expansion of comprehensive alcohol misuse prevention programs with the ultimate goal of decreasing underage drinking and mitigating behavioral health disparities in Paterson.
