Continued Support Boosts Drs. Reid and Garcia-Reid’s SPF-PFS Initiative

Dr. Robert Reid and Dr. Pauline Garcia-Reid, professors in the department of Family Science and Human Development, have secured an additional $300,000 grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This funding boosts their Paterson (NJ)/Montclair State University Strategic Prevention Framework – Partnerships for Success (SPF-PFS) Initiative to a total of $1,200,000, with another $300,000 expected.

Now in its fourth year, the SPF-PFS Initiative focuses on curbing alcohol, marijuana, and opioid (heroin) use among African American and Hispanic youth (14-17) and young adults (18-29) in Paterson, New Jersey.

With the goal of serving 400 to 500 youth and young adults annually, this initiative has the potential to impact 2,500 unique adolescents and young adults over the project’s five-year duration.

The team pursues this objective by:

• Expanding the capacity of SPF-PFS preventive intervention sites to engage more of Paterson’s youth and young adults with evidence-based practices that target alcohol, marijuana, and opioid (heroin) misuse.
• Reducing substance misuse rates by deepening the understanding of the adverse effects of alcohol-marijuana-opioid (heroin) use among racial and ethnic minority youth and young adults throughout Paterson.
• Enhancing engagement with substance use disorder treatment programs and post-treatment/recovery support services to prevent relapse and enhance health outcomes in the targeted population.

In addition, the initiative outlines sustainability strategies to ensure the lasting growth of comprehensive substance misuse prevention programs in the Paterson community.

The SPF-PFS Initiative operates under the Community Organizing for Prevention and Empowerment (COPE) organization. COPE serves Paterson by delivering evidence-based prevention education programs, professional development training, advocacy, and information and referral services that address substance use prevention, recovery support, and emerging community concerns.