The Right Path for Washington County: A Report to the Community update In early 1993, the Washington County Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Board received a three-year federal grant to first determine what negative factors detract from and what positive factors contribute to healthy youth development in Washington County and then to select and implement programs and policies that, based on research, have proven to address those factors. The first year involved completing the Communities That Care® prevention planning system and developing a 15 - 30 member Community Board, called The Right Path for Washington County, to oversee the work of this process. In November of 1993 key leaders from around the county were invited to a Communities That Care® orientation; the response was so favorable that it was difficult to limit this Board to the final 32 members.
Led by project spokesperson Judge Tim Williams and chairperson Cindy Davis, The Right Path formed six work groups and recruited numerous community members to participate. After reviewing local, state and national data and the results of the Communities That Care® Youth Survey administered to 6th, 7th and 8th graders in all six school districts and parochial schools, The Right Path selected two priority problem areas:
Poor Academic Performance. Beginning in the late elementary grades, when students are reading to learn instead of learning to read, poor academic performance increases the future risk of all five problem behaviors - substance use, delinquency, teen pregnancy, dropping out of school and violence. Overall, Washington County students reported a score of 52 on the Poor Academic Performance scale, two points higher than the normative average of 50. Community Disorganization/Low Neighborhood Attachment. This risk factor pertains to youths' perceptions of the communities in which they live. The risk factor Community Disorganization relates to students' perceptions of a community's appearance and level of safety. Low Neighborhood Attachment means that youth feel very little attachment to the community in which they live. Overall, Washington County students reported a score of 51 on the Community Disorganization scale and a score of 42 on the Low Neighborhood Attachment scale. Next The Right Path researched evidence-based prevention programs and selected Positive Action, a nationally acclaimed program which has proven effective in increasing students' academic achievement; improving self-concept, character and attendance; reducing drug, alcohol, and tobacco use; and reducing violence, truancy and suspensions. In November of 2004, The Right Path sponsored a Positive Action training of the trainers and by fall of 2005, all six school districts and two parochial schools will have implemented Positive Action in their 6th grade classes. Community leader Cathy Harper was hired in November 2004 to oversee the ongoing work of The Right Path and the Positive Action implementation process. She believes that the success of The Right Path's work depends on the involvement of youth. Over 25 youth have been involved in planning events, developing budgets and reports, and choosing programs and projects that address the priority risk factors in Washington County. Youth are currently planning community events for most Friday evenings next summer and are planning to include youth from all areas of the county in this effort. Youth members of The Right Path will also develop and oversee a media campaign to educate the public about the work of The Right Path and about ways to help foster healthy youth development in Washington County. The Right Path for Washington County recently released its Community Action Plan for the county. This plan details the work of the group and its goals for the future. Any Washington County resident may request a copy of this plan by calling me at the Washington County MHAR Board, 374-6990. There are many things about The Right Path that are groundbreaking for Washington County. This has been and will continue to be a wonderful example of collaboration between all stakeholders in the county. Parents, youth and representatives from all public school districts, parochial schools, colleges, law enforcement, courts, social service agencies, hospitals, city and county government, civic groups, charitable foundations, businesses, clergy, and media groups from throughout the county have contributed to this ongoing effort to promote healthy youth development. If you would like to be part of The Right Path, please contact Cathy Harper at Washington County Recovery Alternatives, 568-0733. This is a powerful opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young people in Washington County.