Alcohol abuse in households across the nation is an issue deeply felt by those who are impacted. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse Alcoholism, an estimated 88,000 people (approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Furthermore, according to a 2012 study, more than 10 percent of U.S. children live with a parent who has problems with alcohol abuse and dependence. Alachua County in Florida is no exception to these statistics. According to an Alachua County Community Health Assessment from the Well Florida Council, Alachua County has a higher prevalence of ER visit rates for alcohol-related abuse and misuse compared to the state of Florida itself. Not to mention, the rate of adults who drink excessively in Alachua County is also higher than the state’s average. With this data in mind, there is a growing need in Alachua County to help households overcome alcohol dependence for the betterment of the abuser and his or her family. Specifically, children whose parents use drugs and misuse alcohol are three times more likely to be physically, sexually, or emotionally abused and four times more likely to be neglected than their peers (Harvard study). Thus, alcohol abuse proves to be a gateway for further neglect and abuse in the lives of children, and an effort must be made to lower the prevalence of alcohol abuse in Alachua County and help all those suffering from its effects find a solution. This county needs more affordable and accessible treatment options for those suffering with alcohol abuse. In addition, we need more educators in the school system teaching students how to recognize the signs of alcohol abuse and what actions they can take to remove the surrounding effects of abuse in their lives. Furthermore, we must educate Pediatricians in this area to better recognize signs of abuse in order for more households to receive the proper type of treatment.
The specific target audience of my intervention project is children residing in homes where parents or other family members struggle with alcohol abuse here in Gainesville, Florida. As mentioned above, children whose parents use drugs and misuse alcohol are three times more likely to be physically, sexually, or emotionally abused and four times more likely to be neglected than their peers (Harvard study). Thus, when we increase access to more affordable treatment options for the parents and family members of these children, we decrease the overall incidence of alcohol abuse and misuse in these households. As a result, these children who have been impacted by the negative effects and outcomes of alcohol will also reap the benefits when their loved ones receive care and treatment. However, the greatest focus and attention given to this intervention project will be to increase access to mental health services and advocacy centers for these children in order to improve their livelihood and help them overcome the toxic stress they may be feeling. Two methods to help bridge the gap between these resources and struggling children are through schools and pediatricians. Through this intervention, teachers in the school system will be more educated to recognize the signs of general abuse in children and will teach children about alcohol misuse and what steps they can take to intervene in their own families. Pediatricians will also be more equipped to recognize and manage alcohol abuse in families in order to provide better mental and physical health outcomes for their pediatric patients. Teachers, pediatricians, and children themselves will have the opportunity to become leaders within this intervention as they will inevitably lead to the healing of those struggling with alcohol abuse. However, children residing in households where family members struggle with alcohol abuse will remain the specific target audience of this intervention as the goal of this project is to remove abuse in their households so they may live out a normal childhood. I hope to provide access to mental health services and advocacy centers to approximately 250 children within this intervention.
I will utilize several trauma informed principles in order for my project to be successful and reduce the incidence of alcohol abuse in Alachua County. First, I will instill the principle of safety within my program by ensuring that each rehabilitation center is up to standards and provides a safe, anxiety-free environment for both the provider and person struggling with alcohol abuse (SAMHSA). Furthermore, providers will be given specific training to help deal with this vulnerable population and involved families so that both parties feel confident in potential treatment plans. I will also utilize the principle of peer support and mutual self-help (SAMHSA). As the incidence and prevalence of alcohol abuse in Alachua County proves fairly high, many providers and healthcare professionals must interact and treat these individuals on a regular basis. As a result, compassion fatigue may prove challenging for those involved with treatment and care, so I would provide resources for these individuals to cope with this form of fatigue. I will also utilize the concept of empowerment, voice, and choice when it comes to the training of individuals dealing with these vulnerable populations. I will also provide healthcare professionals with trustworthiness and transparency so they are able to voice their opinions about their training and how it has impacted the individual (SAMHSA). In this way, we would be able to measure population and community outcomes and how these new trauma informed approaches have decreased negative behaviors and increased better life outcomes. I will also use this principle by involving healthcare providers in the training process so they can voice what is necessary to be taught and what is not.
My intervention will utilize the Social Ecological Model from McLeroy, Bibeau, Stechker, and Glanz in order to understand how alcohol abuse interacts with the social environment here in Gainesville, Florida. As my project seeks to increase access to rehabilitation facilities and treatment centers for those who are struggling with alcohol abuse, this will simultaneously address both the individual and community levels of this social ecological model. The knowledge, attitudes, and skills of those struggling with alcohol abuse will drastically transform from the benefits they will receive at these rehabilitation centers. At the community level, Alachua County would become a proactive community that seeks to help its members have access to treatment. Several rehabilitation facilities would be open to community members and individuals would not have to travel to other areas to find treatment centers. Furthermore, as my project seeks to educate pediatricians on alcohol abuse in families in order for more families to receive treatment and care, this would in turn impact the interpersonal level of the social ecological model. More families would reap the benefits of trauma informed care from providers and help reduce more ACEs in this respect. This would also impact the organizational level as local health care systems would instill new policies and approaches to preventing alcohol abuse in general by raising awareness of the disease and reducing the surrounding stigma. As a result, several levels of the ecological model will be utilized in my project.
My project will utilize a public health framework by instilling a wider range of partners to combat the impact of alcohol abuse on ACEs and prevent the incidence of alcohol abuse itself at multiple prevention levels. My project, as a result, will instill a cross-sector approach to combat this issue in multiple settings including healthcare facilities and treatment centers, school systems, community centers, households, and individuals themselves. Thus, this project will prove effective in that it will address the topic of alcohol abuse in every place that it emerges—not just within the individuals struggling with the disease themselves. At the primary level of prevention, I will provide education to both healthcare providers and parents to help them more fully understand the relationship between alcohol abuse and ACEs. I will also raise awareness of the disease itself so more families can prevent its incidence early and partake in healthy drinking patterns. At the secondary level of prevention, pediatricians will provide ACEs screening to children and families and general and later connect them to treatment centers and affordable mental health services. This will reduce the impact of alcohol abuse once it has already occurred within a household. At the tertiary level, once the ACE has already set in, my project will provide affordable access to care for children who have dealt with alcohol abuse in their household. Furthermore, the project will provide affordable treatment to those who have been struggling personally with alcohol abuse. This will start them on a successful road to recovery so they can later in turn be reunited with their families once they are healthy and in control.
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