Southern Midcoast Communities for Prevention: Preventing Underage Substance Use and Promoting Community, Youth and Family Assets - Project Abstract Summary (Community Overview) The Southern Midcoast Communities for Prevention project will all communities located in Sagadahoc County and the northern Cumberland County communities of Brunswick and Harpswell. Although crossing county boundaries, this area is historically considered one region as the districts intersect through high school and a technical center, some Town services and community organizations as well. The total population of the region is 60,637 (2018 Census). We have 13 elementary schools and our four largest towns (Brunswick, Bath, Richmond and Topsham) each house a regional middle and high school, serving nearly 8,000 students in all. Each of the largest towns are served by local police departments. We also serve several smaller more rural communities outside our town centers, each having their own challenges. These communities have limited town services and resources, and law enforcement is provided by our County Sheriff’s Department. Although our racial diversity is limited, it is also changing regularly with increased employment opportunities and “new” Mainers or asylum seekers moving into our communities. Residents are largely non-hispanic Caucasian with diverse educational backgrounds and employment, including higher education, shipbuilding, healthcare (including a large area hospital system), thriving small business community, private and community colleges, seafaring industry, and call centers. Culture varies by our more isolated “peninsular” and island communities with many families working in the fishing industry (i.e. lobsters/clams/scallops) living beside higher income, seasonal visitors, reflected in the demographics of Harpswell, which has the highest median household income, but according to local school data, still has a 35% free and reduced school lunch rate. Many of our smaller and “fishing” communities often distinguish between those “from away” – whose advice and observations are often dismissed, and those who are “native” – whose advice can be trusted. Cultural norms are often influenced by employment – we have many blue collar jobs provided by Bath Iron Works (BIW- the largest employer in the state), as well as manual jobs provided by smaller farms, independent fishermen, construction and landscaping companies. These norms, often include substances, due to physical demands of a job, stress due to the financial instability, as well as the work environment. Our project primarily aims to focus on a positive norming approach for families through developmental assets (i.e.parent involvement, family communication, role modeling) to assist the family as a unit, through existing community partnerships and trusted sources with a strong focus on early childhood and the fishing community, targets that have not historically been a focus of prevention work as well include some traditional environmental impacts. Sagadahoc Co. Brunswick Harpswell Population 35,277 20,481 4879 Median Age 46.9 45.3 55.9 Median household income $62,131 $60,326 $77,500 Families below poverty level 9.8% 10.2% 9.5% Race White Black or African American Hispanic or Latino 95.6% .8% 1.6% 91.3% 2.0% 3.5% 99% 0% .4%
