FROM HARM TO HEALING: COMMUNITY-ROOTED STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT FAMILIES IMPACTED BY SUBSTANCE USE IN GRANVILLE AND VANCE COUNTIES, NORTH CAROLINA

This proposal addresses the County Commissioners’ request for upstream strategies to improve community health in Granville and Vance Counties, North Carolina, targeting the Social and Community Context domain of Social Determinants of Health, which includes social cohesion, community support, and family dynamics. It focuses on the impact of parental or caregiver substance use on adolescents aged 13–17, proposing the Social Roots Initiative to implement equitable, trauma-informed interventions to mitigate adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and health disparities. Using health data and resource mapping, it identifies service gaps and recommends three policies: amending the 1115 Medicaid Waiver for youth behavioral health, establishing Youth Recovery Navigators, and creating Family Resilience Advisory Councils. Led by a 25-member Steering Committee, the initiative emphasizes inclusive leadership, data-driven evaluation, and community engagement to break trauma cycles, aiming for integrated care by 2026, expanded school-based mental health by 2027, and sustainable health improvements by 2030.