FAU Awarded $3M Federal Grant to Advance Substance Use Prevention in At-Risk Youth

Florida Atlantic University has embarked on a pioneering effort to stem the rising tide of substance use among youth in South Florida, underpinned by a generous $3 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The initiative, titled “Rising Strong: Empowering Youth for Substance-Free Futures,” is a multidisciplinary, evidence-driven program that aims to reach over 3,000 young people living in Palm Beach and Broward counties over the next five years. This targeted intervention addresses a crucial intersection of social, economic, and mental health challenges that escalate the risk of substance misuse among vulnerable youth populations.

At the core of the Rising Strong initiative is an intellectually robust and trauma-informed framework spearheaded by Dr. Maria Carmenza Mejia, a principal investigator and a population health professor within FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. Collaborating closely with Dr. Lea Sacca and Dr. Brian Graves, the program strategically integrates expertise in population health and social work to design interventions grounded in the latest behavioral health research. This coalition draws on a rich interdisciplinary knowledge base to craft prevention strategies that transcend conventional models by addressing the varied and complex experiences of at-risk youth.

Unlike one-size-fits-all programs, Rising Strong zeroes in on highly vulnerable groups, including youth transitioning out of foster care, those experiencing housing instability, young people living in rural locales such as the Glades, and survivors of human trafficking. These groups frequently confront layered traumas and systemic barriers that traditional prevention efforts inadequately address. Leveraging this precision, the program promises a tailored blend of prevention modalities and behavioral health support that aligns with the lived realities of these populations, thereby enhancing engagement and efficacy.

A cornerstone of the initiative’s community engagement strategy is the partnership with the FLITE Center, a Fort Lauderdale-based nonprofit known for its comprehensive support of vulnerable youth, including chronically homeless individuals and those aging out of foster care. The FLITE Center operates as a key ecosystem node, providing a one-stop resource hub where Rising Strong’s services can be seamlessly integrated. This synergy amplifies the program’s reach and impact by embedding interventions within trusted local infrastructures.

The program’s methodology incorporates a suite of empirically supported services. LifeSkills Training, an evidence-based curriculum, will be utilized to sharpen youth decision-making capabilities and interpersonal skills—capacities fundamental to resisting substance use temptations. Complementing this are trauma-informed mindfulness and emotional regulation programs aimed at mitigating the psychological harms associated with adverse childhood experiences. Moreover, peer mentorship is employed as a vehicle for fostering social connectivity, resilience, and a sense of belonging, which are protective factors against substance use initiation.

A particularly innovative dimension of Rising Strong is the implementation of SBIRT—Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment—an adaptable, evidence-based screening process designed to identify individuals at risk for substance use disorders early and provide timely interventions. By integrating SBIRT within schools and community behavioral health networks, the program ensures that no young person falls through the cracks due to systemic fragmentation or stigma. The use of these combined modalities represents a sophisticated, multi-tiered approach to prevention rooted in public health principles.

Institutional leadership underscores the significance of the initiative within broader academic and societal contexts. Lewis S. Nelson, the dean of the Schmidt College of Medicine, highlights Rising Strong as a microcosm of interdisciplinary collaboration that leverages academic expertise and community partnerships to transform trajectories for youth. This perspective reflects a deliberate institutional commitment to harness research excellence for tangible social impact, thereby positioning FAU as a hub for cutting-edge, translational behavioral health interventions.

A key objective transcending direct service delivery is systemic change. The program’s early phase envisions a comprehensive regional needs assessment coupled with the creation of a multi-sector coalition that integrates diverse community voices in prevention planning. By embedding cultural responsiveness and trauma-informed care within professional training, Rising Strong will cultivate a robust prevention workforce, thus fortifying community resilience and sustainability. The training of at least 150 professionals over the duration enhances capacity-building and fosters a unified prevention ecosystem responsive to evolving youth needs.

Social work’s integral systems perspective is central to the initiative’s success in bridging individual and structural interventions. As articulated by Dean Naelys Luna of FAU’s College of Social Work and Criminal Justice, the program exemplifies how social work methodologies connect the dots among people, policies, and practices. By focusing on root causes and community empowerment, Rising Strong is poised to cultivate meaningful, lasting change that reverberates beyond individual outcomes to societally transformative effects.

FAU’s well-established leadership in community-based behavioral health research forms a resilient backbone for the Rising Strong initiative. Both the Schmidt College of Medicine and the College of Social Work and Criminal Justice possess a legacy of pioneering trauma-informed care approaches, addressing health disparities, and implementing systems-level interventions. This initiative is a testament to how academic rigor and community-orientated principles converge to tackle one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time—youth substance use.

The program, set to continue through 2030, is an adaptive and evolving platform, ideally positioned to become a national exemplar. Its commitment to centering community voices, respecting lived experience, and embracing youth resilience sets it apart from traditional prevention models. This thoughtful design not only maximizes immediate intervention success but also ensures the scalability and replicability of best practices at the national level.

At its core, Rising Strong is more than an intervention; it is a powerful narrative reframing young people’s futures. It conveys an unequivocal message that their voices matter, their experiences are valid, and that a substance-free life filled with opportunity is within their reach. This paradigm shift in public health prevention models has the potential to alter societal perceptions and policy priorities towards youth behavioral health nationwide.

The convergence of interdisciplinary academic research, community partnerships, and culturally competent care encapsulates Rising Strong’s holistic approach. By aligning these elements within an integrated service delivery framework, Florida Atlantic University exemplifies leadership in fostering healthier, stronger communities through science-driven, compassionate innovation in youth substance use prevention.

News Publication Date: Not specified in the source text

Web References:

• Florida Atlantic University: https://www.fau.edu/
• Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine: https://www.fau.edu/medicine/
• FLITE Center: https://flitecenter.org/ (inferred from context)