Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are described as ten negative experiences that affect a child’s behavior and cognitive functioning which 1impact decision making (SAMHSA, 2018). Substance misuse is a negative coping behavior due to the increased exposure of ACEs. Leon County has a high substance misuse trend described by alcohol-impaired driving and excessive drinking (County Health Rankings, 2020). This intervention will target adolescents aged 10-17 with an ACE score of four or more and history of substance misuse with a community-based, trauma-informed program to decrease the prevalence through identifying trauma, receiving mentorship and community support to tackle underlying ACEs. Monthly community events, bimonthly sessions and monthly leadership meetings will tackle the objectives and mission of the program. A pre and post-evaluation survey will determine effectiveness and sustainability. Safety, trustworthiness and transparency, peer support and mutual self-help and collaboration and mutuality are four key trauma-informed principles that are needed for development and implementation for this program. During primary level of the Public Health Framework, healthcare professions will increase education about substance abuse through advertisements of flyers and questionaries will be utilized during the secondary level to assess substance dependence in clinics and schools. The tertiary level will involved enrollment and participation in this intervention. This intervention will also use the interpersonal, interpersonal and community levels of McLeroy's Social Ecological Model (McLeroy, 1988) to address internal and external effects of ACEs and substance misuse that participants experience.
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