Strategies

Targeted impact: Reduce substance abuse and behaviors associated with mental illness by expanding prevention and intervention programming, particularly in middle school and high school.

Strategy 1: Provide mental health/substance abuse education for at-risk Alternative School students by adding workshops. Includes mental health, substance abuse, violence/bullying/abuse prevention/safety and disability awareness. Includes skill training from evidence-based LifeSkills training. Include skills such as decision making, limit setting/boundaries, anger management/conflict resolution skills, and/or communication skills.

Success Measure: If more children receive mental health/substance abuse education, then mental health and substance abuse referrals will increase. With effective skill training provided, children will be able to refer others appropriately for help or to ask for help themselves.

Targeted Impact: Reduce both substance abuse and behaviors associated with mental illness by providing healthy supervised activities .

Strategy 2: Focus on after-school programming. Expand after-school programming. Look at ways to increase staff as well as opportunities for mentoring (AmeriCore, foster grandparenting, etc). Look at ways to include mental health/substance abuse education and skill training, anti-stigma programming and disability awareness. All agencies take responsibility to strengthen after-school programming with staff or volunteer time or by providing educational components.

Success Measure: If after-school programming is expanded, then more children will experience adult monitoring or supervision and fewer children will be unsupervised after school, which is a high risk time of day for mental health/substance abuse and crime. Children will not be spending as much time with friends who engagein problem behavior, and will get into trouble less frequently (i.e. reduced numbers of children involved with juvenile court).

Data Support: Juvenile court records.

Success Measure: If after-school programming is expanded, then more children will have the opportunity to experience healthier norms aroundsubstance abuse/mental health and violence. If after-school program staff is qualified and consistent, then more children will have the experience of consistent & appropriatediscipline (identified risk and protective factors italicized). In this “positive” environment, children will display less behaviors associated with mental illness and substance abuse would decrease. With effective skill training and support, both mental health and substance abuse referrals will increase and the frequency of substance abuse will drop.

Data Support: Measure for frequency of substance abuse. Use Pride survey through the high school and compare with arrest records.