Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services Inc

MONESSEN COMMUNITIES THAT CARE WILL PREVENT YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE BY DELIVERING EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS, SHIFTING COMMUNITY NORMS, AND STRENGTHENING ENFORCEMENT APPROACHES. - MONESSEN COMMUNITIES THAT CARE (CTC) IS AN ESTABLISHED COMMUNITY PREVENTION COALITION SERVING THE MONESSEN COMMUNITY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. FOR OVER TWO DECADES, MONESSEN CTC HAS IMPLEMENTED A DATA-DRIVEN, COMMUNITY-BASED PREVENTION APPROACH TO REDUCE YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE. THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN THE DRUG-FREE COMMUNITIES (DFC) SUPPORT PROGRAM, THE COALITION WILL ADDRESS YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE BY ALIGNING LOCAL EFFORTS WITH THE DFC FRAMEWORK AND NATIONAL PREVENTION PRIORITIES. YOUTH ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA USE REMAINS A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN IN MONESSEN. DATA FROM THE 2023 PENNSYLVANIA YOUTH SURVEY (PAYS), WESTMORELAND COUNTY NEEDS ASSESSMENT (NARA), AND LOCAL YOUTH FOCUS GROUPS INDICATE ELEVATED RISK FACTORS, DECLINING PROTECTIVE FACTORS, AND COMMUNITY CONDITIONS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO EARLY INITIATION AND ONGOING USE OF THESE SUBSTANCES. YOUTH REPORT HIGH LEVELS OF FAVORABLE ATTITUDES TOWARD SUBSTANCE USE, LOW COMMITMENT TO SCHOOL, AND INCREASED DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. QUALITATIVE DATA HIGHLIGHT EASY ACCESS TO SUBSTANCES THROUGH PARENTS AND PEERS, AND PERMISSIVE COMMUNITY NORMS THAT NORMALIZE USE, WHICH INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF NEGATIVE BEHAVIORAL, ACADEMIC, AND HEALTH OUTCOMES. MONESSEN CTC WILL FOCUS ON REDUCING YOUTH USE OF ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA BY IMPLEMENTING A COMPREHENSIVE, MULTI-SECTOR PREVENTION STRATEGY GROUNDED IN THE CTC FRAMEWORK AND ALIGNED WITH THE DFC SEVEN STRATEGIES FOR COMMUNITY-LEVEL CHANGE. KEY STRATEGIES INCLUDE STRENGTHENING COALITION INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENGAGEMENT ACROSS ALL 12 DFC SECTORS; IMPLEMENTING ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACHES SUCH AS COMPLIANCE CHECKS, POLICY EDUCATION, AND SOCIAL NORMS CAMPAIGNS TO REDUCE ACCESS AND SHIFT COMMUNITY ATTITUDES; AND DELIVERING EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE STRENGTHENING FAMILIES PROGRAM, POSITIVE ACTION, AND GROWING HEALTHY. THESE PROGRAMS WILL BUILD YOUTH SKILLS, STRENGTHEN FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, AND ENHANCE PROTECTIVE FACTORS. YOUTH ENGAGEMENT IS PRIORITIZED THROUGH THE COALITION’S YOUTH COUNCIL, ENSURING THE PERSPECTIVE AND LEADERSHIP OF YOUTH ARE CENTRAL TO PREVENTION EFFORTS. MONESSEN CTC ANTICIPATES ACHIEVING MEASURABLE OUTCOMES ALIGNED WITH THE DFC LOGIC MODEL, INCLUDING INCREASED COMMUNITY COLLABORATION DEMONSTRATED BY ACTIVE PARTICIPATION ACROSS ALL 12 SECTORS AND EXPANDED COALITION ENGAGEMENT, AND IMPROVED COMMUNITY AWARENESS OF SUBSTANCE USE RISKS. INTERMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM OUTCOMES INCLUDE STRENGTHENED PROTECTIVE FACTORS, INCLUDING PARENTAL DISAPPROVAL, IMPROVED YOUTH SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SKILLS, AND SHIFTS IN COMMUNITY NORMS. THE COALITION WILL ACHIEVE MEASURABLE REDUCTIONS IN YOUTH ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA USE, AS INDICATED BY DECREASES IN PAST 30-DAY USE AND INCREASES IN PERCEPTION OF RISK AND PARENTAL DISAPPROVAL MEASURED BY FUTURE PAYS DATA REPORTS. BY LEVERAGING STRONG PARTNERSHIPS, A STRUCTURED WORK PLAN, AND A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION FRAMEWORK, MONESSEN CTC IS WELL-POSITIONED TO IMPLEMENT SUSTAINABLE, COMMUNITY-LEVEL PREVENTION STRATEGIES IN A COMMUNITY WITH DEMONSTRATED NEED. THESE EFFORTS WILL RESULT IN SUSTAINED REDUCTIONS IN YOUTH ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA USE AND THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF PREVENTION PRACTICES ACROSS SCHOOLS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITY SYSTEMS IN MONESSEN.