The mission of the East Multnomah Youth Substance Prevention Coalition (EMYSPC) is to empower and
educate community members to promote resiliency among youth. Through advocacy and engagement with
community partners, we prevent youth substance misuse.
EMYSPC will implement protective factors considerate of social determinants of health to reduce
youth alcohol, marijuana, and opioid abuse in East Multnomah County by; sustaining and empowering
coalition partnerships, recruiting the support of community members, centering and engaging youth,
providing education, removing barriers, decreasing access to harmful substances and changing
physical design, providing information by implementing a mass media campaign (television, radio,
print and social media, etc.), and distributing prevention materials in Spanish in English, geared
towards improving outcomes for Youth 12-18 with special focus on Hispanic and Latino(a/x)
populations.
The geographical region selected as the subject of this proposal is the Gresham-Barlow School
District, comprising Gresham, Damascus, and Orient Oregon. Gresham-Barlow School District is
located in East Multnomah County and is considered part of the greater Portland, Oregon
metropolitan area. 24,043 residents out of a total population of 89,998 in the school district
identify as Hispanic or Latino(a/x) according to US Census data. Since 2000, the number of Gresham
residents living in poverty has increased by 150% and percentage of non-white residents have
increased by over 60%
EMYSPC proposes long-term outcomes that align with the objectives outlined in the DFC Framework,
and also utilize the CDC Seven Strategies for Community Change. These outcomes include:
1. Establish and strengthen the collaboration among communities, public and private non- profit
agencies, as well as federal, state, local, and tribal governments through the expansion of the
East Multnomah Youth Substance Prevention Coalition (EMYSPC) to support the efforts of community
coalitions working to prevent and reduce substance use among youth ages 12-18.
2. Reduce alcohol, marijuana, and opioid substance use among youth and, over time, reduce
substance use among adults by addressing the factors in Gresham, Oregon, that increase the risk of
substance use and promote the factors that minimize the risk of substance use.
EMYSPC will implement a sweeping set of specific strategies detailed in this proposal to achieve
these outcomes, including mass media and resource distribution campaigns in English and Spanish,
education and provision of resources to youth and parents to change physical design and support
safeguards to substance misuse, and advocacy for policy changes to promote
stronger protections for youth in conjunction with community partners and stakeholders.