• A formalized, multi-sector, county-wide coalition with representation from each of the communities in Eaton County

• to achieve its vision of reducing use and misuse of alcohol, and other drugs

• to plan, coordinate, and evaluate substance abuse prevention and treatment services

• use and misuse of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs are reduced in Eaton County.

• prevention and treatment services are more available, accessible and affordable for everyone within the county.

• cultural and social norms shift so that tobacco use and alcohol and drug misuse by adults; and alcohol, tobacco, and drug use by  youth in the county is perceived as negative behavior by all community members.

• county residents are increasingly engaged in healthy lifestyles.

The mission of the Advisory Group is to collaboratively address the substance abuse prevention and treatment needs of the Eaton County community by:

• prioritizing alcohol as the target substance of focus.

• sharing information, experience, and data to improve the practice of  substance abuse prevention and treatment in Eaton County.

• influencing or developing public policies on substance abuse prevention and treatment issues.

• bringing about more effective and efficient delivery of substance abuse programming and eliminate any unnecessary duplication of effort.

• committing to using the Pathways process and the Community Readiness Survey as reflected in planning initiatives and other coalition activities.

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 Substance Abuse Program Advisory (ESAP) Board, headed by Barry-Eaton Health Department pursue a discussion regarding the six goal areas. The ESAP 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.

• Read Complete ECSAAG Report

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