Healthy Community Coalition

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY/NUTRITION/SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION (STOP)Funding for HCC's Project STOP grant in FY23 was used to continue to support the ongoing efforts of preventing the onset and reducing the progression of substance use in Greater Franklin County. Funding from the grant specifically impacted youth, young adults, and adults in the service area. These funds support staff time to train two staff members to facilitate the evidence-based program, Botvin Life Skills Training (LST) for both middle school and high school students. The LST program is comprehensive, dynamic and developmentally designed to promote mental health and positive youth development, while helping young people resist substance use and other high-risk behaviors. Several cases of LST students books, LST training sets for trainers, and class supplies to support the implementation of the LST program were purchased. With the purchased materials, HCC facilitated the LST program to all middle school students at Day Mtn. Regional Middle School in Strong, ME. STOP grant funds were used to support the transportation and hotel costs for 11 students from Rangley Lakes Regional School to attend the Annual Maine Youth Action Network's (MYAN) Annual Maine Youth Leadership Conference in November. The conference is designed for young people by young people to learn and talk about issues and topics meaningful to youth. Discussion topics included youth leadership, restorative practices in schools, mental health and wellness, school climate and issues that influence youth substance use rates. Successful efforts for medication safety including distribution of disposal bags, medication safety boxes and social media through Maine CDC's Eye open campaign reaching over 2,600 community members and one hundred seventy safe storage lock bags were disseminated to families, individuals in non-traditional roles and other community members. MaineHealth received the Maine CDC's Maine Prevention Network grant for the Western Public Health District, with HCC as the District Lead. This lead to many new programs for staff.