Community In Crisis Inc

SOMERSET HILLS PARTNERSHIPS FOR SUCCESS

COMMUNITY IN CRISIS COALITION

COMMUNITY IN CRISIS COALITION TO PREVENT YOUTH SUBSTANCE ABUSE

REDUCING YOUTH ALCOHOL USE IN THE SOMERSET HILLS - THE PROPOSED PROJECT ENTITLED REDUCING YOUTH ALCOHOL USE IN THE SOMERSET HILLS WILL EXPAND COMMUNITY IN CRISIS'S (CIC) EXISTING SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION EFFORTS TO INCLUDE ALCOHOL-SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES TO PREVENT AND REDUCE ALCOHOL USE AMONG YOUTH AGES 12-20 IN THE SOMERSET HILLS OF NEW JERSEY. THIS PROJECT WILL CHALLENGE THE ESTABLISHED SOCIAL NORMS OF TEEN ALCOHOL USE BY RAISING AWARENESS OF THE INCREASING PREVALENCE OF YOUTH NONUSE AND THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF UNDERAGE DRINKING. THIS PROPOSAL EXPANDS THE CAPACITY OF THE PARENT UNIVERSITY PARENT EDUCATION SERIES, WHICH HAS EDUCATED OVER 300 ADULTS ON THE RISKS OF YOUTH MARIJUANA, NICOTINE, AND OPIOID USE, TO DELIVER YOUTH ALCOHOL USE PREVENTION EDUCATION TO PARENTS. THIS PROJECT ALLOWS CIC TO INFORM PARENTS OF NEW LAW ENFORCEMENT LIMITATIONS RESULTING FROM RECENT CHANGES IN NEW JERSEY LEGISLATION THROUGH A SERIES OF VIDEOS IN CONJUNCTION WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. CIC'S YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (YLC) HAS AN EFFECTIVE TRACK RECORD PROMOTING NONUSE OF SUBSTANCES, AND THIS PROJECT WILL ALLOW THE YLC TO FOCUS ON ALCOHOL, THE MOST COMMONLY USED SUBSTANCE AMONG YOUTH IN THE COMMUNITY. YLC'S FLAGSHIP INITIATIVE, ONE CLEAR PATH: A COMMITMENT TO MYSELF, A COMMITMENT TO MY HEALTH WILL SERVE AS THE UMBRELLA FRAMEWORK FOR YOUTH PREVENTION PROGRAMS, AND THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL ALLOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE INCLUSION OF YOUTH ALCOHOL USE PREVENTION. ONE CLEAR PATH WILL ALSO EXPAND TO WORK WITH COACHES TO TARGET STUDENT-ATHLETES, WHO ARE AT HIGHER RISK OF ALCOHOL USE THAN THE GENERAL STUDENT POPULATION. THIS EFFORT WILL ADDRESS THE EXISTING SOCIAL NORMS OF UNDERAGE ALCOHOL USE. THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO REDUCE THE AVAILABILITY OF ALCOHOL TO UNDERAGE YOUTH BY IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMS AIMS TO LIMIT ACCESS OF ALCOHOL TO MINORS, INCLUDING THE STICKER SHOCK PROGRAM TO THE SOMERSET HILLS AND DEVELOPING A MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO PARENTS ON THE DANGERS OF SOCIAL HOSTING. THIS PROJECT WILL ALLOW CIC TO INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH TO SOCIALIZE WITHOUT ALCOHOL BY HOSTING ALCOHOL-FREE YOUTH EVENTS IN COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS. FINALLY, THIS PROJECT WILL BUILD OUR CAPACITY TO SERVE THE YOUNG ADULT POPULATION (18-20 YEAR OLDS) IN ALCOHOL USE PREVENTION BY LAYING THE GROUNDWORK TO CREATE A YOUNG ADULT VERSION OF YLC TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF COLLEGE-AGED YOUTH.

COMMUNITY IN CRISIS COALITION

REDUCING UNDERAGE ALCOHOL USE IN THE SOMERSET HILLS - THE COMMUNITY IN CRISIS (CIC) REDUCING UNDERAGE ALCOHOL USE IN THE SOMERSET HILLS INITIATIVE IS A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY-BASED PREVENTION EFFORT SERVING YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS AGES 12-20 IN BEDMINSTER, BERNARDS TOWNSHIP, BERNARDSVILLE, FAR HILLS, AND PEAPACK-GLADSTONE, NEW JERSEY. THE PROJECT WILL REACH APPROXIMATELY 5,902 YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS, INCLUDING 4,565 AGES 12–17 AND 1,337 AGES 18–20. BUILDING ON SUCCESSFUL PREVENTION EFFORTS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO A DECLINE IN LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL ALCOHOL USE RATES, THE INITIATIVE BRINGS TOGETHER SCHOOLS, PARENTS, YOUTH LEADERS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, RETAILERS, AND HEALTHCARE PARTNERS TO REDUCE UNDERAGE DRINKING AND CREATE HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. THROUGH EVIDENCE-BASED EDUCATION, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PREVENTION STRATEGIES, THE PROJECT SEEKS TO STRENGTHEN PROTECTIVE FACTORS, PROMOTE HEALTHY DECISION-MAKING, AND REDUCE YOUTH ACCESS TO ALCOHOL. THE PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT IS TO PREVENT AND REDUCE ALCOHOL USE AMONG YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS AGES 12–20 IN THE SOMERSET HILLS. THE INITIATIVE IS GUIDED BY SAMHSA'S STRATEGIC PREVENTION FRAMEWORK AND FOCUSES ON TWO PRIMARY GOALS: (1) CHANGING SOCIAL NORMS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO UNDERAGE DRINKING AND INCREASING AWARENESS OF THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH ALCOHOL USE, AND (2) REDUCING YOUTH ACCESS TO ALCOHOL WHILE INCREASING PARENTAL MONITORING AND ENGAGEMENT. TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS, CIC WILL IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE SET OF PREVENTION STRATEGIES, INCLUDING INTERACTIVE ENGAGEMENT STATIONS IN SCHOOLS, CLASSROOM AND SMALL-GROUP EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING WORKSHOPS, YOUTH-LED SOCIAL NORMS AND MEDIA CAMPAIGNS, TARGETED OUTREACH TO STUDENT ATHLETES, PARENT UNIVERSITY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, RETAILER EDUCATION, STICKER SHOCK CAMPAIGNS, SOCIAL HOSTING AWARENESS INITIATIVES, LOCK YOUR STOCK CAMPAIGNS, AND PARENT COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGNS BASED ON SAMHSA’S TALK. THEY HEAR YOU RESOURCES. BY SEPTEMBER 2030, THE PROJECT WILL ACHIEVE MEASURABLE OUTCOMES INCLUDING REDUCTIONS IN PAST 30-DAY ALCOHOL USE AMONG 8TH AND 12TH GRADE STUDENTS; INCREASES IN YOUTH DISAPPROVAL OF ALCOHOL USE AND PERCEPTION OF PEER DISAPPROVAL; REDUCTIONS IN ADULT APPROVAL OF UNDERAGE DRINKING; DECREASES IN PERCEIVED EASE OF OBTAINING ALCOHOL; INCREASES IN PARENT-CHILD COMMUNICATION ABOUT SUBSTANCE USE; REDUCTIONS IN COMMUNITY ACCEPTANCE OF SOCIAL HOSTING. PROGRESS WILL BE MEASURED THROUGH THE PRIDE STUDENT SURVEY, CIC COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT, PROGRAM PARTICIPATION RECORDS, AND COALITION PERFORMANCE MONITORING SYSTEMS. THROUGH SUSTAINED COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THIS INITIATIVE WILL HELP ENSURE THAT SOMERSET HILLS YOUTH HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, SUPPORT, AND OPPORTUNITIES NEEDED TO MAKE HEALTHY CHOICES AND AVOID THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH UNDERAGE ALCOHOL USE.