Andrew County group gets grant to fight youth substance abuse

By Kyle Schmidt

A $125,000 grant will target youth substance abuse issues in Andrew County.

Money from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy’s Drug-Free Communities Support Program will be coming to the Andrew County Health and Safety Coalition during the next five years for programs to prevent substance abuse in young people.

In the state of Missouri, there were 35,000 reports of 12- to 17-year-olds using drugs in the last month, according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics.

Andrew County Health and Safety Coalition Coordinator Jessica Bledsoe discussed the plan for the grant money.

“The application outlines a comprehensive work plan with the primary goals of reducing youth substance use and enhancing mental health awareness in Andrew County focusing on ages 9 to 19,” she said.

The breakdown of the goals begins with substance use reduction. To accomplish this goal, they want to “implement evidence-based programs to reduce alcohol and tobacco/nicotine use among youth.”

One of the programs, Too Good for Drugs, aims to educate youth in school about the risks of substance use.

Another goal is increasing mental health awareness and bringing more support for youth in the community. Reaching this goal will involve the implementation of the program Drug-Free Super S.T.A.R.s and How Full Is Your Cup.

“These programs will empower youth to make positive decisions and promote mental health awareness,” Bledsoe said.

Community engagement is the third goal with support through family-friendly, substance-free interactions. That includes community block parties and a program called Guiding Good Choices.

“This program will focus on enhancing family dynamics and teaching parents strategies to guide their children away from substance use,” Bledsoe said.

Policy advocacy to support substance use prevention and mental health awareness is another goal. The Junior Deputy Program will enhance law enforcement engagement with youth to reduce substance use and improve community relations.

The sixth and final program involves telehealth mental health services to expand access to resources for youth.

Work will begin with implementing the programs in three area school districts and starting training for the Guiding Good Choices initiative.