CE20-2004 - Ramsey County Opioid Prevention & Unified Services Drug Free Community Coalition Application - Project Abstract| Rasmey County Opioid Prevention & Unified Services Coalition The Ramsey County Opioid Prevention and Unified Services Coalition (OPUS) Coalition formed as a community entity in 2017 to address youth substance use in the Ramsey County community. The mission of OPUS has been to engage, advocate, inform, with the overall goal to prevent and reduce substance use with youth in Ramsey County. With funding awarded from the Drug-Free Communities solicitation, OPUS will address youth access to substances, youth beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions of substance use, and will support healthy behaviors while promoting protective factors in the community through primary prevention strategies that impact the Policy, System, and Environmental (PSE) change to reduce youth substance use. In partnership with coalition members and local organizations, OPUS will work with Ramsey County youth, 6th-12th grade, on evidence-based strategies such as peer recovery supports and peer education to reduce youth substance use in the three focus areas of alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drugs. OPUS strategies will limit youth access to substances, change culture and context to how decisions are made, shift consequences on youth substance use, and address health disparities while promoting health equity. These strategies encompass the CADCA’s Seven Strategies for Community Change. OPUS will work with the Ramsey County community to serve as a catalyst to create comprehensive systemic change in schools, businesses, law enforcement, and government, by influencing legislation, policy, and practice with decision-makers. OPUS employs a multifaceted approach, collaborating with law enforcement, schools, cultural communities, and support organizations. Key initiatives include strengthening youth engagement through the Youth Advisory Council, launching a Positive Community Norms marketing campaign, and providing training for coalition members. Additionally, OPUS will continue prevention education efforts in schools and advocate for policies addressing substance use. The OPUS Coalition Framework outlines strategies aimed at strengthening community coalitions, enhancing stakeholder skills, promoting drug-free activities, improving access to prevention services, and modifying policies to reduce substance use among youth. These strategies are expected to lead to improved knowledge, increased community capacity, and ultimately, reduced substance use among youth. Outcomes: Continued funding will sustain OPUS's efforts and allow for the expansion of prevention strategies. The focus will be on reducing substance use rates, particularly alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drugs, among 6th-12th grade students. OPUS will prioritize populations at higher risk of substance use, including students of color and those with adverse childhood experiences.
