Saturday, November 23, 2024
11/23/2024
Chestnut Health Systems will enhance and expand its adolescent outpatient substance use screening, assessment, early intervention, treatment, and recovery support services in school-based settings. The population of focus is students and their families from five high schools in Jefferson County, Missouri. Recent estimates indicate that only 6% of adolescents with a substance use disorder (SUD) received treatment during a time when the county saw an alarming increase in suicide. Since the vast majority of adolescents are enrolled in school, this is a practical setting to identify and assist them. In fact, research shows that bringing these services to youth in schools may reduce gender/ethnic disparities often found in specialty community clinics. We anticipate that participants in this project will be 14-18 years old and have SUD, with a higher than normally expected number presenting with mental health problems driven by the exceptionally high rate of positive COVID-19 cases in the county. Students referred to the program will be screened, and assessed as indicated. Students enrolled in the program will receive evidence-based SUD treatment and recovery support services and, when indicated, trauma and tobacco cessation treatment. The primary goals of this project include: 1) Increasing the number of youth/families served with evidence-based practices; 2) Improving recovery outcomes from the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs; 3) Improving mental health; and 4) Increasing access to health services for underserved families. These goals will be achieved by implementing the project’s measurable objectives: provide evidence-based screening and assessment; provide evidence-based, trauma-informed, and family focused early intervention, outpatient treatment, and recovery support services for substance use to 50 adolescents and their families in year 1 and 100 adolescents and their families each year in years 2 through 5; provide evidence-based tobacco prevention/cessation services; provide education and messaging on making healthy choices to students; decrease participant rates of substance use between baseline and six-month follow-up by at least 50%; reduce participant stress between baseline and six-month follow-up for at least 50% of participants; reduce participant emotional problems between baseline and six-month follow-up for at least 50% of participants; improve participant life satisfaction between baseline and six-month follow-up for at least 50% of participants; initiate connection to mental health programs for 100% of adolescents and families identified as in need; and initiate connection to medical centers for 100% of adolescents and families identified as in need.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
