For Immediate Release:
8/16/2024 2:19 pm
Three Central Massachusetts Regional Public Health Alliance (CMRPHA) municipalities are deploying a new strategy to reduce substance misuse among youth. The Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE) model is an evidence-informed prevention framework that has shown to improve health outcomes among diverse groups of youth, and its local implementation is being facilitated by the Community Health Office of the Worcester Division of Public Health (WDPH).
The HOPE strategy is built on the correlation between Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) and improved well-being. According to the model, the more PCEs an individual experiences, the less likely they are to have physical or mental health challenges. Over 35 people in the region are already trained on the HOPE model, and the CMRPHA is seeking to increase that number by equipping more adults who work with youth with the ability to create positive experiences.
“Our goal is to improve positive experiences in school and the community, so we are building the capacity of adults involved in youths’ lives to improve their knowledge and skill to assess opportunities for PCEs. We are engaging youth-serving organizations and invite all to join. We do not want to leave out any youth,” said WDPH Prevention Specialist Irene Nyanuba.
PCEs can include a sense of belonging at school, the feeling of being able to talk to family or teachers about feelings, and community engagement. As described by the HOPE National Resource Center, they enable children to form strong relationships and meaningful connections, cultivate positive self-image and self-worth, experience a sense of belonging, and build skills to cope with stress in healthy ways.
In addition to schools, the strategy will be implemented at the community level with parents, faith-based institutions, and community youth services organizations, with an eye on equity. Specifically, data shows a disparity of substance misuse among LGBTQ+, Hispanic, Black, and multiracial youth. In communities where it has been adopted to date, the HOPE model has already demonstrated improved health outcomes for LGBTQ+ youth resulting from increased protective factors and PCEs in and out of school.
“We are being intentional with disproportionately affected youth to ensure their participation. By collecting and monitoring data, we will be able to tell which youth are being successfully impacted, and how we can adapt to reach underserved youth,” said Nyanuba.
The CMRPHA will also examine data to determine more generally who the HOPE model might not be working for. PCEs can vary for different individuals, so adult facilitators will need to tailor their approach to meet the needs of the diverse population.
“When it comes to creating positive experiences, we can do our best, but individuals determine for themselves what a positive experience is. For example, we may have a large group of students, and we’ll play football, which might be a positive experience for most of them. But there may be some children for whom it is not. Adults must be trained to listen to youth, and youth must be empowered to communicate with adults to find PCEs that work,” said Nyanuba.
To prepare for implementing the HOPE model, CMRPHA staff attended a recent Montana Institute training on positive community norms (PCNs). Local attendees included members of WDPH, Shrewsbury and Grafton public schools, and community leaders. The training highlighted the effectiveness of positive messaging to change perceptions in the community about healthy behaviors. Nyanuba also credited the training with making the HOPE model easier to understand, which in turn has increased buy-in.
While complementary, the concept of PCNs is distinct from PCEs in that it relates to positive healthy choices—such as not smoking—rather than experiences. PCNs are reinforced through communications and messaging that emphasize the positive outcomes that come from healthy choices, rather than reinforcing the negative perception of unhealthy choices. The CMRPHA has already begun to roll out visual messaging to promote positive choices, and feedback has been very positive.
“The Montana Institute training was very timely as we started to launch our HOPE strategy. People have said that they are tired of negative messaging, so it’s refreshing to know that we can do something positive that will have an impact on them. These campaigns will support the development of PCEs,” said Nyanuba.
The decision to implement the HOPE model was determined during the planning phase of the Massachusetts Collaborative for Action, Leadership, and Learning 3 (MassCALL3)–Part B initiative to prevent substance misuse among youth in the Commonwealth. It was chosen from a number of possible evidence- and data-driven models. In accordance with the MassCALL3 grant, the goal of the HOPE model in the participating CMRPHA towns is to improve PCEs in schools and communities to delay first-time use of substances and reduce problem behavior through perception of risk.
While the aim of the initial rollout of the HOPE model is to generate community engagement, the long-term goal is to improve actual health outcomes. An example is outlined below:
The MassCALL3 grant was awarded by the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services within the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to fund WDPH’s work to prevent youth misuse of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and other drugs in Worcester, Grafton, and Shrewsbury using a strategic prevention framework. Much of that work is performed in collaboration with community partners. Any community organization interested in supporting youth is invited to join WDPH and the CMRPHA by reaching out to or calling 508-788-8531.
