Woonsocket Prevention Coalition Corporation

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO REDUCE SUBSTANCE ABUSE

PAWTUCKET PREVENTION COALITION - THE PAWTUCKET PREVENTION COALITION (PPC) IS APPLYING FOR YEAR 6 CONTINUATION FUNDING UNDER THE DRUG-FREE COMMUNITIES (DFC) SUPPORT PROGRAM TO PREVENT AND REDUCE YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE IN PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND. SERVING A POPULATION OF APPROXIMATELY 75,280 RESIDENTS—OVER 21% OF WHOM ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18—PPC FOCUSES ITS EFFORTS ON ALCOHOL, MARIJUANA, AND OPIOID PREVENTION AMONG MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. INFORMED BY LOCAL DATA FROM THE RHODE ISLAND STUDENT SURVEY AND COMMUNITY INPUT, PPC IMPLEMENTS EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS ELEVATED RATES OF UNDERAGE SUBSTANCE USE. THE PROJECT’S GOALS ARE TO (1) INCREASE COMMUNITY CAPACITY AND COLLABORATION, AND (2) REDUCE YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE. PPC WILL IMPLEMENT ALL SEVEN SAMHSA PREVENTION STRATEGIES, INCLUDING YOUTH-LED EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS, COMPLIANCE CHECKS, RETAILER EDUCATION, NARCAN AND OTHER TRAININGS, AND OUTREACH TO FAMILIES. PROGRAMS LIKE CREATING SOLUTIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE (CSI) AND TOWARDS NO DRUG ABUSE ARE INTEGRATED INTO YOUTH OUTREACH, ALONGSIDE SUSTAINED ENGAGEMENT FROM THE TWELVE DFC COALITION SECTORS. THE PLAN ALIGNS WITH THE STRATEGIC PREVENTION FRAMEWORK AND INCLUDES A ROBUST EVALUATION STRATEGY USING RISS DATA, COMMUNITY SURVEYS, AND COALITION ACTIVITY TRACKING TO MONITOR PROGRESS. THROUGH THIS CONTINUATION FUNDING, PPC WILL EXPAND ITS PARTNERSHIPS, DEEPEN ITS OUTREACH TO ALL FAMILIES IN THE CITY’S VARIOUS COMMUNITIES, AND IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES TO STRENGTHEN PROTECTIVE FACTORS AND REDUCE RISK ACROSS THE CITY’S ENTIRE POPULATION.