FACES for the Future - Public Health Youth Corps Mentorship Program for Youth Affected by Substance Use Disorder

FACES for the Future Coalition, a Program of Public Health Institute, proposes to implement the Public Health Youth Corps Mentorship Program for Youth Affected by Substance Use Disorder. FACES for the Future Coalition, a Program of Public Health Institute, proposes to implement the Public Health Youth Corps Mentorship Program for Youth Affected by Substance Use Disorder. The purpose is to address increasing rates of substance use disorder and death by overdose among adolescents ages 15-19 in medically underserved areas (MUAs) by matching PHYC Mentees with adult mentors trained in trauma informed practice, Mental Health First Aid, and substance misuse intervention. The program will operate in Sacramento, San Francisco, South Alameda County, Oakland, and San Diego, California, as well as in Albuquerque, NM and Detroit, MI for a total of 600 students activated in rural and urban MUAs during the 36-month grant period.

Project activities include in-person and phone interactions between mentor matches to help mentees navigate various challenges and life circumstances; training to support adolescents as FACES PHYC Peer Substance Misuse Educators; job shadowing opportunities in health; and certifications for youth in Opioid Overdose Intervention with the administration of Narcan, Mental Health First Aid, CPR/Basic Life Support, and “Stop the Bleed” Tourniquet Training. The program will provide existing FACES Core Components of services as well, including: public health career exposure, academic enrichment, and wellness support including connection to community resources to address environmental stressors and crisis when needed. Expected outcomes include substance misuse prevention, increased confidence for youth participants, and retention of multilingual, multicultural youth in the health career pipeline.