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7 <br /> Proposal <br /> When 18-year-old Matt McQuiston died from a drug overdose following months of treatment, <br /> Matt's family and friends established a memorial fund to provide necessary support systems to prevent <br /> similar devastation to the lives of youth and their families. Since RSN's inception, RSN's purpose has <br /> been to interrupt the systemic barriers that youth and their families experience accessing mental health <br /> and substance use services. RSN's work builds upon current mentoring models by recognizing the unique <br /> value of youth being supported by adults with lived experience. Our work continues to be centered on <br /> inclusive and equitable practices that acknowledge the daily systemic and structural pressures that create <br /> gaps in opportunities for under-resourced and disadvantaged youth. <br /> The Reintegration Support Network(RSN) is seeking the support of the Orange County Opioid <br /> Advisory Committee to increase the number of specially trained mentors (Certified Peer Support <br /> Specialist and/or Recovery Coach Academy Certified) providing evidence-informed support to youth <br /> experiencing challenges related to substance use, mental health, and justice-involvement. Dr. Murthy, in <br /> the 2021 Surgeon General's Advisory, called for an urgent response to the "youth mental health crisis" <br /> and declared a National Emergency in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. In the North Carolina Child <br /> Fatality Task Force annual report, the 2021 suicide rate among children ages 10 to 17 was the highest it <br /> has been in 20 years and the death rate from 2012 to 2021 increased by 47% among youth ages 15-17. <br /> Furthermore, in a study of 10,000 adolescents in the United States, two-thirds of adolescents who <br /> developed alcohol or substance use disorders had experienced at least one mental health disorder. Dr. <br /> Murthy called for a swift and coordinated response to this crisis as the nation continues to battle <br /> the...pandemic." Nonetheless, essential supportive services (like RSN) are rare and underdeveloped, <br /> especially programs accessible to disenfranchised youth, those under-resourced by the local community, <br /> disadvantaged by intersectional social identities (race, ethnicity, culture and language, gender, sexual <br /> orientation), and disproportionately impacted by poverty, mental health, substance use, and justice <br /> involvement. <br /> Furthermore, in North Carolina's Opioid and Substance Use Action Plan, the task force <br /> prioritized equity, lived experiences, and acknowledging the systems that have disproportionately harmed <br /> historically marginalized persons who use drugs and implement programs that reorient those systems. <br /> Recent Orange County Racial and Ethnic Disparities (RED) in Juvenile Justice data, highlighted that <br /> youth of color are 5 times more likely to receive a complaint than their white counterpart(Relative Rate <br /> Index: 5.07). RSN is committed to interrupting the daily systemic racism that impacts the youth and their <br /> families we serve by continuing to serve on the Orange County JCPC Racial and Ethnic Disparity <br /> Subcommittee and implementing the eight REDuction Strategies in Orange County. <br /> For years, RSN has been leading local efforts to adapt an evidenced-based, adult peer-support <br /> model to meet the unique needs of youth in Orange, Durham, Chatham, and Alamance Counties. RSN <br /> uses specially trained mentors (NC certified peer support specialists, or Recovery Coach Academy <br /> trained)to interrupt the daily systemic and structural pressures that create gaps in opportunities for youth <br /> (ages 13-20) especially those with challenges related to mental health, substance use, and/or juvenile <br /> justice involvement. Our mentors provide one-to-one support and/or facilitated Life Skills Support Groups, <br /> creating a safe and resilient space for young people to center their needs and build agency while <br /> fostering a sense of belonging, healthy relationships, and positive engagement within the community. <br /> Community-based support that meets youth where they are by providing a supportive relationship <br /> between adults and youth is highly recognized as a protective factor and has been shown to positively <br /> impact social emotional well-being. Accordingly, the Surgeon General's Advisory recommended youth <br /> peer support programs as an effective service, and reminds us that, "Youth are experts on their own lives, <br /> so it is important to engage youth in community-based mental health efforts." (p. 30)These areas of <br /> practice continue to require greater scientific and programmatic support to continue to be adapted for <br /> youth. <br /> Page 3 of 15 <br />