Harwood Union Middle and High School (HUMHS), Twinfield Union School in Marshfield and several other organizations were collectively awarded $1.8 million in funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The funds will be used to develop programming that aims to interrupt generational cycles of addiction across rural central Vermont for a five-year period.
The Harwood Unified Union School District and the other grant recipients plan to execute individual and small-group prevention strategies in schools and other locations serving youth. They also plan to implement screening tools to identify substance use issues in youth and make referrals for services with established partners, when needed.
The program is called Project Future VT – an acronym that stands for Families Uniting to Understand and Resolve Substance Effects in Vermont.
It’s designed for 12- to 18-year -olds and their families – especially kids living with parents dealing with a Substance Use Disorder (SUD), kids who identify as LGBTQ+ and those living in low-income settings.
A particular focus in the program is alcohol and cannabis use.
According to a project summary provided by Harwood Unified Union School District (HUUSD) Director of Curriculum and Technology Shannon Lessley, central Vermont youth consume cannabis and alcohol at higher rates than the national average.
Lessley noted that a large proportion of youth in central Vermont live with an adult who currently has issues with substance use, with a large number of these being LGBTQ+ youth – a population that already faces a great number of health challenges and disparities.
She said grant funds could be used to hire a clinician who specializes in screening and treatment referral, as well as supporting Turning Point Center’s new recovery programming for parents and youth.
The program is designed on evidence-based, trauma-informed and recovery-centered principals, according to the project summary. It also centers equity – with an aim to tackle structural issues that limit access to care for certain communities and populations.
Lessley said the details of program implementation will be worked out in December when partner organizations begin meeting. She said the group may receive support from a health-related coordinator for the grant period.
Additional recipients of the grant include Barre-based organizations Elevate Youth Services and Green Mountain United Way.
The Central Vermont Prevention Coalition, housed at the Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC), is the lead organizer for the program, which hopes to serve nearly 3,200 youth and 300 adult caregivers across Washington County and several towns in Orange County.
