Healthy washco: partnerships 2 success aims to primarily serve youth 6TH-12TH grades throughout washburn county, expanding to families and community members

Washburn county is rural and has high rates of poverty, mental health problems, and substance abuse. During the first year of the project 16,752 people are projected to be served. 83,760 are expected to be served throughout the entire five year lifetime of the project. Healthy washco: partnership 2 success hopes to create a healthier community by implementing more mental health services, providing youth with pro-social activities, and reducing substance abuse/misuse. Healthy washco: partnership 2 success will implement more mental health services by having a school based mental health professional work with youth in a local education agency. The mental health professional will work with students one on one as well as lead groups. This will be implemented by april of 2024. Healthy washco hopes to increase mental health services and reduce substance misuse by delivering evidence-based social emotional learning curricula and systemic aoda prevention programming within its county school districts. This will go into effect by april 2025. To promote prosocial youth activities in washburn county, healthy washco will be opening a youth center. This youth center will be a safe place for youth to go and will provide structured activities for youth to participate in. The youth center will combat youth substance abuse/misuse and at home risk factors. Local data regarding substance use/misuse will play a key role in the plan to utilize the strategic prevention framework.