Natick 180 Conducts Survey On Views About Youth Substance Use

NATICK, MA - The Natick 180 Coalition currently is conducting a survey of Natick parents and caregivers to assess their perceptions of youth substance use and access to help design preventative programming.

Katie Sugarman, the prevention and outreach manager for the Natick Health Department, serves as the program director for the Natick 180 Coalition. Natick 180 previously received a Drug-Free Communities grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to engage the community in substance use prevention efforts.

"We're essentially a public-private partnership," she explained. "We are sponsored by the municipality, but we try to make it as grassroots as possible in terms of making sure that we have a lot of representation from local families and organizations who have a vested interest in working on mental health and substance use issues."

Natick 180 has been in its current form "for about three or four years," according to Sugarman. The town had previously commissioned a primary prevention coalition as well as a task force that was targeted toward opioid addiction in 2016.

"In 2018, we underwent a strategic planning process that helped us kind of merge those two groups into what is now Natick 180," Sugarman said.

The name Natick 180 originated because of the "180-degree spectrum of prevention, treatment and recovery support," according to Sugarman.

There is also symbolism in the name.

"We also like the idea that anyone can make the 180," she added, noting the turnaround that transforms a person's life when they seek recovery. "No matter what happens, change is always possible and growth is always possible."

As the world emerges from the pandemic, capturing data about parental perceptions of substance use among young people has become increasingly important in helping to direct resources, Sugarman said.

In addition, the results of a MetroWest youth survey taken every two years will be available shortly, helping to provide a comprehensive picture of the local conditions regarding youth substance use and what efforts can be targeted to prevent it. The data will be analyzed in tandem over the next couple of months and will help determine what services are needed.

"Talking about the factors that contribute to substance abuse, including mental health, can be intimidating," Sugarman noted. The anonymous survey will help break down topics that have been "shrouded in stigma" for decades.

"When I was growing up, we didn't talk about things like mental illness," she said. "The young people today are so much better at using terms like coping strategies."

Sugarman credited Natick's organizations that have worked in partnership with Natick 180, including the school department, municipal departments, and community groups like SPARK Kindness for providing support.

"Everybody is coming through this in different places," she said. "There was a lot written in the newspapers about the increase in alcohol sales during the pandemic. I think substance use was a coping mechanism for a lot of folks at that time."

Astrid Dretler, the part-time project coordinator for the coalition, has been involved in the youth drug prevention effort for the past decade. Before that time, she took part as a concerned parent.

"Primarily, we want to hear from parents about what their concerns are," she said of the survey. "We have data, but does that actually reflect what parents believe is happening?"

Dretler said she hopes the survey will pinpoint risk factors for substance use such as peer pressure, stress or curiosity.

"On the flip side of that, what are some of the protective factors?" she asked. These could include a positive role model in the home, open and honest communication about substance use, and strong family bonds."

By understanding these circumstances, as well as how kids obtain substances, Natick 180 can tailor programming to accommodate community needs, she said.

Dretler stressed that family discussions about substance use should happen in either late elementary school or early middle school "to help normalize these conversations."

Mental health and bullying concerns topped the list of topics brought up in the first couple of weeks of the survey, she noted. There currently is no deadline on the responses to the survey at this link.

Lizzy Chalfin, the associate project coordinator, started working for the coalition almost a year ago. The Natick native said the survey should take about 15 minutes to complete and only asks for general perceptions on substance use in Natick.

Local officials who serve on the board also will be analyzing the data to look at ways to help combat substance use and abuse, she added.

"Natick stands out as a community that is really engaged," Sugarman said. "I don't think we could have gotten as far as we have if we didn't have families engaged at the grassroots level who may have gone through addiction themselves, as well as community groups who help people who have experienced substance use disorder and people engaged at the municipal level. It's a special town for sure."

For more information about Natick 180, go to this link.