The Barry County Substance Abuse Task Force (SATF) proposes to reduce the rates of
youth use of marijuana, youth and adult use of vaping/nicotine products, and access to methamphetamine in Barry County, Michigan--a rural community of 63,554 residents in West Michigan. The SATF will work collaboratively with its community partners to reduce youth access to these substances, while changing community norms and practices relative marijuana, vaping/nicotine products, and methamphetamine. The SATF will work with partners to promote supports for recovery.
The SATF began in 2004 and has a strong collaborative approach to addressing and preventing substance use concerns in the community. The SATF and its members will continue working together to expand messages, activities, and initiatives to positively impact Barry County.
The goals of the SATF are to 1) Reduce youth use of marijuana, and vaping/nicotine
products in Barry County, Michigan. 2) Increase community collaboration and capacity to prevent and reduce youth, and over time, adult substance use. 3) Increase perception of risk of marijuana, vaping/nicotine product use, and methamphetamine use among all Barry County community members.
The SATF will achieve its goals by implementing these strategies: 1) Increase access to
prevention and early intervention services for a minimum of 100 youth, parents/caregivers, young adults, and older adults, annually, by offering evidence-based
programs in schools, healthcare, and community settings. 2) Collection and dissemination of community data indicators, needs assessments, and youth data (including core measures) to guide strategic planning designed to prevent youth and use of our primary substances. 3) Dissemination of data-driven prevention messaging throughout the community. 4) Coordination with community partners to develop supports for recovery, as well as a plan for sustainability of efforts after the lifetime of the award.