Penobscot Bay Ymca

PENOBSCOT BAY PARTNERSHIPS FOR YOUTH PREVENTION: KNOX AND WALDO COUNTIES - TITLE: PENOBSCOT BAY PARTNERSHIPS FOR YOUTH PREVENTION: KNOX & WALDO COUNTIES, ME COALITION: PENOBSCOT BAY COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERSHIPS | APPLICANT: PENOBSCOT BAY YMCA | UEI: HX54F1K96BE5 FUNDING OPP: CDC-RFA-CE-26-0220 | DISTRICTS: ME-01 (KNOX), ME-02 (WALDO) PROJECT SUMMARY: PENOBSCOT BAY COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERSHIPS (PBCHP) IS A MULTI-SECTOR COALITION SERVING THE RURAL MIDCOAST COMMUNITIES OF KNOX AND WALDO COUNTIES, MAINE. LED BY THE PENOBSCOT BAY YMCA AS THE LEGAL APPLICANT, PBCHP UTILIZES THE SAMHSA STRATEGIC PREVENTION FRAMEWORK (SPF) TO REDUCE YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE. THE COALITION INCLUDES ACTIVE REPRESENTATION FROM ALL 12 MANDATORY SECTORS, INCLUDING YOUTH, SCHOOLS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS. COMMUNITY OVERVIEW AND NEED: KNOX AND WALDO COUNTIES ARE REGIONAL HOTSPOTS FOR YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE. PER 2025 MIYHS DATA, PAST 30-DAY ALCOHOL USE (24.1% KNOX; 19.8% WALDO) AND CANNABIS USE (20.4% KNOX; 18.2% WALDO) SIGNIFICANTLY EXCEED THE MAINE AVERAGES OF 16.5% AND 14.6%. PRESCRIPTION MISUSE (6.1% KNOX; 5.4% WALDO) ALSO OUTPACES THE STATE AVERAGE OF 4.7%. HIGH-RISK FACTORS INCLUDE EARLY INITIATION—59.2% OF WALDO STUDENTS WHO USE CANNABIS TRIED IT BEFORE AGE 14—AND HOUSEHOLD INSTABILITY, WITH 31% OF WALDO MIDDLE SCHOOLERS LIVING WITH ADULT SUBSTANCE MISUSE. THIS IS COMPOUNDED BY A "RISK PERCEPTION GAP," WHERE OVER 65% OF LOCAL STUDENTS PERCEIVE "NO OR SLIGHT RISK" IN WEEKLY CANNABIS USE. PROJECT STRATEGIES: PBCHP WILL IMPLEMENT THE SEVEN STRATEGIES FOR COMMUNITY-LEVEL CHANGE TARGETING YOUTH AGES 12–18. PRIMARY FOCUS AREAS INCLUDE ALCOHOL, TOBACCO (SPECIFICALLY NICOTINE POUCHES), CANNABIS, AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS. KEY ACTIVITIES INCLUDE MONTHLY SCHOOL-BASED OUTREACH, YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, AND SCHOOL STAFF TRAINING. THE COALITION WILL DRIVE SYSTEMIC CHANGE BY INTEGRATING RESTORATIVE PRACTICES INTO SCHOOL DISCIPLINARY POLICIES AND PARTNERING WITH REGIONAL PARKS AND LIBRARIES TO COORDINATE YOUTH-LED PROGRAMMING IN SAFE, DRUG-FREE ENVIRONMENTS. GOALS AND EVALUATION: THE PROJECT GOALS ARE TO: (1) ESTABLISH AND STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY COLLABORATION; AND (2) REDUCE YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE. PBCHP WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL CROSS-SITE EVALUATION, USING BIENNIAL MIYHS DATA TO TRACK THE FOUR REQUIRED CORE MEASURES: PAST 30-DAY USE, PERCEPTION OF RISK, PARENTAL DISAPPROVAL, AND PEER DISAPPROVAL. EXPECTED IMPACT: THROUGH THIS PROJECT, PBCHP WILL INSTITUTIONALIZE A PREVENTION INFRASTRUCTURE ACROSS FOUR REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS. BY SHIFTING COMMUNITY NORMS, INCREASING THE PERCEIVED HARM OF SUBSTANCE USE, AND STRENGTHENING RESTORATIVE POLICIES, THE COALITION EXPECTS TO SEE A MEASURABLE DECREASE IN YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE RATES AND AN INCREASE IN PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR HIGH-RISK YOUTH IN KNOX AND WALDO COUNTIES.