History

In 1999, a diverse group of community leaders identified substance abuse prevention and treatment as a priority health issue in Eaton County. During the winter of 2001, Professional and Program Services (PPS) received funding from Mid-South Substance Abuse Commission (MSSAC) to conduct a substance abuse prevention needs assessment in Eaton County. With participation from a variety of human service agencies, treatment, prevention, law enforcement and school personnel, the workgroup established a schedule of six meetings between April and September 2001. The workgroup designed a plan to examine quantitative data available for Eaton County and to gather qualitative data by conducting focus groups to hear from key members of local communities. As a result of this Needs Assessment, 11 key recommendations were made.

In 2001, MSSAC contracted with Public Sector Consultants, Inc. to facilitate an Action Plan for Improved Access to Substance Abuse Services in the Mid-South Region. Many of the same community stakeholders participating in the Needs Assessment contributed to the dialogue. An action plan based on the dialogue process was developed and published during January 2003.

MSSAC requested that the Eaton Behavioral Health (EBH) Advisory Board, headed by Barry-Eaton Health Department pursue a discussion regarding the six goal areas. The EBH Board met monthly during 2004 to address the six goals and make recommendations. Last year, MSSAC enlisted PPS’ participation in the current Pathways process to establish a community coalition to address the six goals outlined in the current strategic plan.