Gwinnett United In Drug Education Inc

GUIDE, INC./PREVENTION ACTION COLLABORATIVE OF GWINNETT

GUIDE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING - GUIDE, INC. INTENDS TO TRAIN INDIVIDUALS WHO REGULARLY INTERACT WITH ADOLESCENTS IN GWINNETT COUNTY, GEORGIA ON HOW TO APPROPRIATELY AND SAFELY RESPOND TO YOUTH WITH MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, PARTICULARLY YOUTH DIAGNOSED WITH SED, THROUGH THE PROVISION OF THE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID COURSE (YMHFA). TARGET TRAINEES INCLUDE SCHOOL PERSONNEL, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS OF AFTERSCHOOL AND OTHER YOUTH-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS, DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND CHILDREN SERVICES STAFF, FOSTER PARENTS, PARENTS AND OTHER ADULTS PRIMARILY IN GWINNETT COUNTY, GEORGIA. THE POPULATION THE TRAINING IS INTENDED TO HELP INCLUDES CULTURALLY, RACIALLY AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE YOUTH AGES 12 TO 18 IN GWINNETT. THIS POPULATION IS 28% BLACK/AA; 28% LATINX; 19% CAUCASIAN; 12% ASIAN/PI; 9% MIXED RACE AND 4% OTHER. AMONG THIS AGE GROUP, 1.3% HAVE DIAGNOSED EMOTIONAL BEHAVIOR DISABILITIES, 3.3% HAVE AD/HD; 4.4% HAVE LEARNING DISABILITIES; AND 6.9% HAVE OTHER DISABILITIES. GUIDE'S TRAINING PLAN WILL USE THE 6.5-HOUR EVIDENCE-BASED YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING TO INCREASE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS. GUIDE WILL WORK WITH VIEW POINT HEALTH, THEIR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE PROVIDER PARTNER, TO DEVELOP RESOURCE MATERIALS FOR TRAINEES THAT PROVIDE DE-ESCALATION TECHNIQUES APPROPRIATE FOR THE POPULATION OF FOCUS AND THAT WILL EXPLAIN THE SCREENING, ASSESSMENT, CONSULTATION AND TREATMENT PROCESSES AVAILABLE LOCALLY TO HELP THEM ASSIST YOUTH WHO EXHIBIT INDICATORS OF MENTAL ILLNESS (OR WHO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH SED) AND THEIR PARENTS/CAREGIVERS. THEY WILL ALSO HELP ESTABLISH USER-FRIENDLY REFERRAL MECHANISMS THAT WILL HELP TRAINEES REFER AND LINK ADOLESCENTS AND THEIR PARENTS TO APPROPRIATE AND ACCESSIBLE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES. GUIDE WILL DEVELOP ADDITIONAL RESOURCE MATERIALS THAT IDENTIFY LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS THAT INCLUDE PREVENTION PROVIDERS, HELPLINES AND CRISIS LINES, ONLINE REFERRAL RESOURCES, 12-STEP PROGRAMS, LOCAL, REGIONAL AND STATEWIDE MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT, TREATMENT AND RECOVERY PROVIDERS, MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS. THESE WILL BE REVIEWED ANNUALLY AND UPDATED AS NEEDED. GUIDE WILL COORDINATE WITH LOCAL AND STATE HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH AGENCIES TO EXPAND THE CAPACITY TO UNDERSTAND AND RESPOND TO THE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF LOCAL ADOLESCENTS. REPRESENTATIVES OF THESE AGENCIES WILL BE INVITED TO JOIN THE PREVENTION ACTION COLLABORATIVE OF GWINNETT TO PARTICIPATE IN STRATEGIC PLANNING THAT IDENTIFIES LOCAL NEEDS AND THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO ADDRESS THEM PROACTIVELY.

EXPANDING UNDERAGE DRINKING PREVENTION IN GWINNETT COUNTY - THE PREVENTION ACTION COLLABORATIVE OF GWINNETT (PAC-G) IS A MULTI-SECTOR DRUG FREE COMMUNITIES COALITION SERVING GWINNETT COUNTY, GA. THE DFC GRANTEE IS GWINNETT UNITED IN DRUG EDUCATION, INC., A PREVENTION AGENCY THAT ESTABLISHED PAC-G IN 2011. THE STOP ACT GRANT WILL ALLOW PAC-G TO EXPAND ITS UNDERAGE DRINKING PREVENTION STRATEGIES BY REDUCING COMMERCIAL AND SOCIAL ACCESS TO ALCOHOL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND PROVIDING PROTECTIVE FACTORS TO SEVERAL HIGH-RISK AND UNDERSERVED GROUPS. THE PRIMARY POPULATIONS OF FOCUS ARE YOUTH AGES 12-18. 80% OF THESE YOUTH ARE MINORITIES AND 36% ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED. HISPANIC YOUTH MAKE UP THE LARGEST ETHNIC MINORITY AT 33%, FOLLOWED BY AFRICAN AMERICANS AT 32% AND ASIANS AT 12%. TWO STRATEGIES WILL TARGET YOUTH WHO HAVE ADDITIONAL RISK FACTORS SUCH AS HAVING ADDICTION IN THEIR FAMILIES OR LIVING IN A COMMUNITY WITH HIGHER RATES OF UNDERAGE DRINKING AND ALCOHOL/DRUG RELATED CRIMES, EXPERIENCING LOW ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND BEING CHRONICALLY UNDERSERVED. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES INCLUDE: GOAL 1: INCREASE CAPACITY OF THE COALITION AND STRENGTHEN COLLABORATION. OBJECTIVE 1.1: BY JULY 2024, TWO YOUTH ACTION TEAMS AND THE YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD WILL COMPLETE GEORGIA TEEN INSTITUTE TRAINING AND DEVELOP ACTION PLANS WITH TWO COMMUNITY CHANGE STRATEGIES TO REDUCE AND PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING. OBJECTIVE 1.2: BY SEPTEMBER 2024, TWO YATS AND THE YAB WILL BE IMPLEMENTING THEIR ACTION PLAN STRATEGIES TO PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING. OBJECTIVE 1.3: BY AUGUST 2024, 3 YAB WILL HAVE PARTICIPATED IN PLANNING/IMPLEMENTATION OF A TOWN HALL MEETING TO ADDRESS UNDERAGE DRINKING. OBJECTIVE 1.4: BY AUGUST 2024, PAC-G WILL CONDUCT THE TOWN HALL MEETING, RECEIVE COMMUNITY INPUT ABOUT UNDERAGE DRINKING AND PREVENTION STRATEGIES AND RECRUIT 3 NEW VOLUNTEERS FROM UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS. GOAL 2: REDUCE UNDERAGE DRINKING IN GWINNETT. OBJECTIVE 2.1: BY SEPTEMBER 2024, 1 NEW POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL COMPLETE ALCOHOL SALES COMPLIANCE CHECKS AT 20 OUTLETS TO ESTABLISH A BASELINE OF COMPLIANCE FOR FUTURE COMPARISON. OBJECTIVE 2.2: BY SEPTEMBER 2024, ID GUIDES, MULTI-LINGUAL INFORMATION CARDS TO TRAIN RETAIL CLERKS ON CHECKING IDS AND MULTI-LINGUAL SIGNAGE REMINDING PATRONS IT IS ILLEGAL TO PROVIDE ALCOHOL TO ANYONE UNDER 21 WITH THE PENALTIES FOR DOING SO WILL BE PURCHASED AND PRODUCED WITH AT LEAST 400 OF EACH DISTRIBUTED TO ALCOHOL VENDORS THROUGHOUT GWINNETT COUNTY. OBJECTIVE 2.3: BY SEPTEMBER 2024, AT LEAST 35% OF THE ALCOHOL OUTLETS THAT RECEIVED INFORMATION CARDS AND SIGNAGE WILL HAVE THEM POSTED THREE MONTHS AFTER RECEIVING THEM. OBJECTIVE 2.4: BY DECEMBER 2023, ALCOHOL VENDORS IN COMPLIANCE WITH UNDERAGE ALCOHOL SALES LAWS DURING 2023 WILL RECEIVE A WINDOW CLING THANKING THEM FOR BEING IN COMPLIANCE. OBJECTIVE 2.5: BY MAY 2024, PAC-G WILL CONDUCT TWO PARENT SESSIONS AT STRIPLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ABOUT THE RISKS AND CONSEQUENCES OF UNDERAGE DRINKING RESULTING IN 150 PARENT PLEDGES TO PROVIDE CLEAR NO-ALCOHOL-USE MESSAGES TO THEIR CHILDREN. INCREASING THE COALITION'S AND COMMUNITY'S CAPACITY TO PLAN EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES TO REDUCE UNDERAGE DRINKING WILL BENEFIT THE ENTIRE COUNTY. COMMERCIAL ACCESS AND SOCIAL ACCESS REDUCTION STRATEGIES WILL BENEFIT OVER 50,000 YOUTH THROUGHOUT GWINNETT. DURING THE COURSE OF THE STOP ACT GRANT, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 500 AT-RISK AND UNDERSERVED FAMILIES WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE PARENT/CHILD PROGRAM AT STRIPLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND AT LEAST 50 HIGH-RISK YOUTH WILL PARTICIPATE IN YOUTH ACTION TEAMS FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR EACH.