Chidi Okafor '25
BRiDGES, or the Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc. (MCCASA), started in 1985 in Oneida, NY, to tackle the rising issues of alcohol and drug use among adolescents. Formally established in 1987, BRiDGES aims to educate the community and advocate for services related to substance abuse. Over time, they've expanded their reach to include programs for tobacco control, problem gambling prevention, and suicide prevention, serving individuals and families in Madison, Oneida, and Herkimer counties. Their mission is to lead in providing resources and services that promote healthy communities and strong families. This summer, I am helping BRiDGES by gathering and analyzing data from local, state, and national sources to identify service gaps and help build a more comprehensive needs assessment. My work will assist in creating an Evidence-Based Program for school-aged students in Madison County. For more information, check out their website https://bridgescouncil.org.
During my time with BRiDGES, I've learned just how crucial data collection is for understanding community needs and shaping effective programs. BRiDGES serves a wide range of people, including those struggling with addiction, mental health issues, problem gambling, and suicide. What I found most interesting is the variety of programs they offer, from tobacco control to suicide prevention. I was surprised by the extent of their outreach and how they support everyone from teenagers to older adults. It's impressive to see how their comprehensive approach helps ensure that everyone in the community gets the help they need.
This summer, my focus at BRiDGES has been on gathering and analyzing data from various sources, like the Madison County TAP survey, community surveys on alcohol and marijuana, and the New York State Youth Risk Behavior Survey. I’ve organized this data into categories—consequences, consumption, risk factors, and protective factors—to help create a detailed needs assessment. My goal is to identify gaps in current services and help start the development of an Evidence-Based Program (EBP) to address substance use among local youth. This project tackles the core issue by uncovering why young people in the area are using substances and figuring out what more can be done to help. The most important contribution I can make is providing BRiDGES with a solid assessment and actionable insights that will guide future prevention efforts. The project will continue after my internship, as the data will be used to develop and hopefully implement an EBP for school-aged students, potentially adding it to the New York State Office of Addiction Supports and Services (OASAS) registry.
As a neuroscience major on the pre-med track with a public health minor, this project resonated with some aspects of my studies and future goals, specifically the public health focus of this project was of particular interest to me. Working with BRiDGES allowed me to explore real-world problems, explore prevention and intervention strategies, and gain hands-on experience in data analysis and program development. This was my first time working in the Upstate Institute program, and I am grateful for the opportunity to make a tangible impact on the community. After I graduate, I hope to become a doctor and continue working with nonprofits to help underserved communities in both the United States and Nigeria, where my family is from.