What is the Opportunity Zone?
Northeast Delta HSA is initiating this community-based program to expand opportunities for citizens in Ouachita and Franklin parishes and create social and physical environments that promote good health for all. This program will promote quality of life, healthy development, and healthy behaviors across all life stages
What is the purpose of the NE Delta HSA Opportunity Zone?
- To support longer lives free of preventable disease, disability, injury, and premature death.
- To achieve health equity, reduce health disparities, and improve the health of all groups.
- To empower individuals toward making informed health decisions.
- To measure the impact of prevention activities.
- To encourage collaboration and engage multiple sectors, like community leaders in education, health care prevention, faith-based entities and law enforcement to take action to strengthen policies and improve practices that are driven by the best available evidence and knowledge.
Opportunity Zone’s Student Ambassadors'
NEDHSA Opportunity Zone’s Student Ambassadors’ mission is to provide resources, training, and support which will increase protective factors and opportunities for youth, young adults, and community members to make positive choices. It is our vision that a unified approach will have a positive impact on children and families in order to achieve healthy lifestyles and a better quality of life in Northeast Louisiana.
Our goals are to reduce underage drinking and prescription drug use while encouraging positive life choices in our adolescent population. We want our Op Zone student ambassadors to exhibit leadership, responsibility, character, and a positive attitude on the school campus and in the community.
We rely on the ambassadors to serve as a voice for their fellow students and to help our administration develop strategies and programs to reach the youth of Ouachita/Madison Parish and surrounding areas.
The program also serves as a platform for our ambassadors to:
- Enhance their public speaking, leadership, and team-building skills
- Build their resumes and receive letters of recommendation from Opportunity Zone committee members
- Network with leaders in the community
- Accumulate volunteer hours
FAQS
How was the Opportunity Zone selected?
NE Delta HSA serves citizens in 12 parishes of northeastern Louisiana: Caldwell, East Carroll, West Carroll, Ouachita, Lincoln, Madison, Franklin, Morehouse, Jackson, Tensas, Richland and Union. We form and manage behavioral health-based initiatives and action-based coalitions based on the needs of the citizens we serve. We have identified a portion of South Monroe to serve as a pilot program for the Opportunity Zone. We may expand the initiative to surrounding geographic areas if additional need is identified.
Our prevention program uses data collected from the Community that Cares Youth Survey, designed and analyzed by the Office for Behavioral Health and the Picard Center. This information guides us in making data-driven decisions and selecting evidenced-based approaches. This survey measures community- based risk factors, youth attitudes and perceptions about behavioral issues in communities and parishes throughout the state of Louisiana. We used information from this survey to help us select a pilot community.
How is the Opportunity Zone funded?
The Opportunity Zone is funded with federal block grant funds from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The goal of this funding is to help plan, implement and evaluate activities that prevent and treat substance abuse.
Do I need to live in the Opportunity Zone to participate?
The NE Delta HSA Opportunity Zone welcomes all citizens of northeast Louisiana to be a part of our growth. Our pilot initiative is geographically selected to measure the effectiveness of our engagement model. Our goal is to develop an effective strategy for change across our district based on its success.
How can I support the Opportunity Zone?
Your support and promotion of our services is very important to us. Community partnerships and resource-sharing is a valuable benefit to the Opportunity Zone. If you are interested in supporting and/or sharing resources, please join our coalition!
Is the Opportunity Zone open to the public?
Yes. Although we have designated a specific community for our launch, you are welcome to participate and learn about our model.
We'd love to hear from you
Join our Coalition!
We encourage community leaders and citizens who are interested in a positive, healthy community to engage and support our efforts.
If you are interested in becoming a joining us please submit the form below and we will promptly reach out to you.