Manchester Voices to Partner with Anti-Substance Abuse Program Successful in Chelsea
Manchester Middle School students showing off Red Ribbon Week temporary tattoos last fall distributed by Manchester Voices as just one of many ways of encouraging students to take a stand against alcohol and drugs. Photo courtesy of Lindsey Hannah.
With a grant from the Drug Free Communities Mentor Program, and support from St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea, the Manchester Voices Coalition announced this week a new partnership with SRSLY. SRSLY is a youth substance abuse prevention coalition that started in Chelsea seven years ago. Through community collaboration and youth leadership, Chelsea has seen teen drug and alcohol use drop by more than 30% since 2007.
Wendy Arntson, a teacher at Manchester High School, who is also the Students Leading Students advisor and an active member of the Manchester Voices Coalition, explained her excitement in partnering with SRSLY. “As a member of the City of Chelsea, I am aware of the presence that SRSLY has in the community. By working with them, we will bring more name recognition and resources to Manchester. This will be a good way to spread the message of the risks of drug and alcohol use among youth to more of Washtenaw County and help us keep our youth safe.”
According to the 2014 Michigan Profile for Healthy Youth survey, 43% of high school students had consumed alcohol in their lifetime; 20% of high school students said they had used marijuana; and 10% had smoked a cigarette in their lifetime.
Manchester Voices first organized to address youth substance abuse in 2009. Since then Manchester has seen a reduction of 11% in youth alcohol use, 10% in marijuana use, and 17% in tobacco use. Furthermore, teens are reporting a 12% reduction in access to alcohol, a 15% reduction in access to tobacco, and a 16% reduction in riding vehicles driven by someone who had been drinking. Seventy-eight percent of teens are also reporting that parents or other adult family members have talked to them about what they expect them to do or not do when it comes to alcohol or other drugs. With regard to 30 day use statistics, Manchester teens are reporting a decrease in tobacco use by 50%, down from 14% to 7% of teens having used any kind of tobacco in the past 30 days. Manchester High School students have reported a decrease of 4% in alcohol use in the past 30 days.
New logo for the SRSLY - Manchester Voices team up. Courtesy of Lindsey Hannah.
Lindsay Hannah, Manchester Voices Organizer and Project SUCCESS Counselor for Manchester High School and Middle School feels this partnership will lead to a cohesive yet customizable approach to substance use prevention for Western Washtenaw County. “Partnering with SRSLY not only means increased name recognition and resources, but also consistent and recognizable prevention messages and efforts across Western Washtenaw County. This is important because we know that community members participate in activities, have friends and family, and commute to work in areas all over Washtenaw County. However, we will also make sure to tailor messages and interventions to fit the needs of Manchester”.
The Drug Free Communities Mentor Program is a one-year grant that provides resources to grow and strengthen coalitions, and help them prepare to apply for the full Drug Free Communities Support Program. The full DFC program provides $125,000 per year for five years, with the possibility to renew for another five years after that. SRSLY received the full DFC grant in Chelsea in 2011, and in both Stockbridge and Dexter in 2014. Manchester Voices is planning to apply for this grant in the first quarter of 2016.
“We will need lots of input from youth and adults,” said Reiley Curran, SRSLY Coalition Director. "The Drug Free Communities Support Program is an amazing resource for our local coalitions, but it is a very competitive and very intensive grant. Communities need to be fully bought in to the process if they're going to be successful. We have a lot of work to do over the next 9 months to get ready to apply."
Manchester Voices is holding a coalition meeting on Wednesday April 15, 2015 from 5:30-6:30p in the Manchester High School Library. This event is free and open to the public. Members of coalition's leadership team will present local data on youth substance abuse, get feedback on local conditions that contribute to youth substance abuse, and let people know how they can get involved.
Over the next six months, the group will strengthen youth and adult steering committees, conduct focus groups with teens and parents, create a strategic plan, and launch new marketing and program initiatives. Volunteers can help with all of these tasks by joining the coalition.
For more information, go to www.manchestervoices48158.com, or www.srslycoalition.org.
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