A new initiative by The University of Alabama aims to alleviate the shortage of health services for youth in rural Alabama counties. The H.O.P.E project stands for health, opportunity, passion and equity. The program received more than $3.7 million in federal funding.
The H.O.P.E Project is led by UA’s College of Human Environmental Sciences and the Center for Substance Use Research and Related Conditions, which focuses on behavioral health, mental health, and promotes the health and well-being of individuals and communities affected by substance abuse in Alabama. The program is also supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
Dr. Deborah Casper is an associate professor in the College of Human Environmental Sciences at UA who secured the funding for the project. She said children are the most vulnerable due to limited resources and opportunities.
“Our goal is to promote health, opportunity, passion and equity through the development of sustainable, collaborative, community resources for children, youth and families in rural Alabama,” she explained in a press release. “It's a project that will establish new behavioral health prevention, treatment and recovery services.”
The H.O.P.E Project is designed for youth between ages five and 17 in Alabama public schools to help target behavioral health care such as substance misuse and mental health issues. The initiative gained inspiration from the HRSA opioid response program, which established behavioral health care services for children and adolescents.
Dr. Casper said the H.O.P.E Project calls for a variety of sustainable health care from prevention to treatment, recovery services for youth and adolescents. Within the project, training and mentorship will be offered to school personnel and professionals. Community partnerships will be increased to help identify at-risk youth.
Organizers say this is a four-year project that will start in Pickens County, then move to a different surrounding county each year. The project aims to reach nearly 5,000 youth within the four years.
Read more about the H.O.P.E Project here.
