Robust data collection by the Wayne County Partnership for Strengthening Families provides a significant amount of data for consideration. In order to chart the issues facing our community, every school district in Wayne County administered the 2017 Evalumetrics Youth Survey (EYS) based on the work of Hawkins & Catalano. The EYS was completed by 3,431 students in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12 representing over an 80% completion rate of the student population. Data provided both prevalence rates for use of substances and root cause data based on research by Hawkins & Catalano.

Alcohol remains the substance of choice for young people in Wayne County with more than 1 in 4 (26.2%) 12th grade students reporting drinking in the past 30 days. Nearly 1 in five (19.3%) 12th grade students reported using marijuana in the past 30 days. The combined reported use of Alcohol or Marijuana or Tobacco or any other drug was 32.7% of respondents in grades 10 and 12; One out of three of our young people used at least one substance in the past 30 days. Based on focus groups, common reasons included management of symptoms related to mental health concerns. Nearly one in four (23.1%) 10th grade girls and 12th grade girls (24.3%) reported injuring themselves specifically by cutting or burning when they were upset; one in seven (14.9%) 10th grade girls reported making a plan to commit suicide within the past year. Overall, 11.5% of 10th and 12th graders reported making a plan to commit suicide within the past year.

Substance Abuse

School districts choose to partner with Delphi Drug and Alcohol Council to provide students and faculty access to substance abuse and chemical dependency prevention services. Counselors are well integrated into the school community. Experienced staff are trained in addictions counseling and provide school- and community-based substance abuse prevention counseling programs to the school district. School-Based Prevention Counseling Services are utilized by school districts in both Monroe and Wayne counties.