MDHHS: Youth Advocacy

Welcome and Introduction

Nina Davis, MASSP Associate Director of Member Services and Engagement

Thank you for being here with us today to talk about youth advocacy. My name is Nina Davis. I’m the Associate Director of Member Services and Engagement at MASSP. We’re thrilled to be here with our partners from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and ACCESS.

Please introduce yourself in the chat by including your name, school, role and one hope or question you have for today’s session.

Please use the Q&A system to post questions and upvote any questions you want to make sure are addressed. Use the chat to add ideas or comments. A copy of our slide deck and a link to the recording will be emailed to participants and distributed in our publications.

This session is being recorded and shared with registrants. The information provided today by MASSP and our panelists is advisory in nature and based on information available as of today. It is intended to guide your thinking. We advise members to seek specific guidance in these areas from their district leadership, legal counsel and local law enforcement.

If you are seeking a thought partner to help with brainstorming or planning, please contact any member of the MASSP team. We would love to collaborate with you. We strongly recommend that decision-makers work in collaboration with district leadership, teachers, student leaders and their board of education based on the most current information available and local capacity.

About ACCESS

Manal Aish, ACCESS Health Educator

Good morning, everyone. Thank you so much for joining us today. My name is Manal Aish. I work for ACCESS as a health educator on the substance use disorder prevention team.

Today, our topic is empowering today’s youth to lead, educate and inspire. I’m excited to share the great work we do with youth.

We’re going to talk about ACCESS and who we are, the Voices for Change campaign, substance use disorder and tobacco prevention programs, our partnerships with schools and the young people involved in this work. We’ll highlight how youth educate, advocate, lead prevention efforts and inspire others to participate and make a difference.

ACCESS stands for the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services. ACCESS has been serving the community for 55 years and was founded in 1971.

ACCESS was originally created to assist Arab immigrant populations in adapting to life in the United States. Today, ACCESS is the largest Arab American community nonprofit organization in the United States, with 10 locations and more than 120 programs serving the Metro Detroit area.

ACCESS offers a wide range of social, economic, health and educational services to a diverse population. Our doors are open to everyone.

Voices for Change

The ACCESS Voices for Change campaign was initiated in 2024. It is dedicated to reframing substance use disorder by raising awareness, providing support, advocating for effective solutions and sharing real stories and facts about substance use.

Our mission is to inform people about the dangers of substance use disorder while promoting harm-reduction strategies such as the use of Narcan.

Through the Voices for Change website, visitors can access help, request free Narcan and find information about the campaign. The website also includes personal stories, videos and information about overdose prevention, mental health, Narcan use, medication-assisted treatment and fentanyl.

Voices for Change Video

Muhammad Mansour

My name is Muhammad Mansour. I’m a 25-year-old Arab American. In my free time, I enjoy video games and playing music, but my journey is much deeper than that.

I deal with depression, anxiety and other mental health issues. I think a lot of people can relate to that, but many people don’t reach out to get the help they need because they feel embarrassed. There is a stigma behind mental health, and it can be taboo to talk about.

I’ve dealt with suicidal thoughts. I was not in a good place at the time. Now, I think I’m doing a lot better because I reached out to get help.

I want you to know that there will always be someone there for you.

Voices for Change in Schools

The Voices for Change campaign provides education about substance use disorder and tobacco, along with prevention resources and support.

School Partnership Video

Dearborn High School Student

Here at Dearborn High School, we’re working to end substance use by encouraging students to understand the dangers. We believe that when information comes from one student to another, it can be more influential than when it comes from a teacher.

School Representative

Working with ACCESS has helped our students. ACCESS has come in to talk with our eighth graders, which is a critical age as students become more aware of situations they may experience in their lives.

ACCESS has worked with our students on important topics including hygiene, bullying, smoking and vaping. These are critical topics that students may not always have someone in their lives to talk about. ACCESS plays an important role in bridging that gap and providing the education students need.

Community Member

We need it. The children need it. The community needs it. When I was growing up, we had something similar, and it helped us make better decisions as we grew up. This program is great for helping our children make good decisions and guiding them toward the right path.

Student

A message I would give to other teens who need help is that they are not alone. There are so many people, not just in school, who are there to help. There are teachers, counselors and other people whose job is to support students.

Students can connect with other people who are there for them. It doesn’t always have to be a teacher. They can talk to a friend or even another student in one of their classes. There are opportunities for support across the school, community and home.

School Representative

Seeing our students be happy, healthy, safe and grounded in who they are is why we do this work.

Substance Use Disorder and Tobacco Prevention

The ACCESS Substance Use Disorder and Tobacco Prevention Program includes evidence-based prevention practices such as Botvin LifeSkills Training in schools.

ACCESS also offers an alternative-to-suspension program for students who are caught vaping or using tobacco products at school. Through this program, students participate in educational sessions about the dangers of vaping, tobacco and smoking before returning to school.

ACCESS also provides LifeSkills education and parent presentations, all centered on the goal of creating a better and healthier future for youth and the community as a whole.

Partnerships With Local School Districts

ACCESS currently provides Substance Use Disorder and Tobacco Prevention programming in four school systems:

• Dearborn Public Schools
• Crestwood School District
• Hamtramck Public Schools
• Hamadeh Educational Services charter schools

ACCESS also participates in family engagement events throughout these school communities. For example, staff may attend parent-teacher conferences to educate parents and students, share information about ACCESS programs and provide resources related to vaping, substance use and smoking.

Youth engagement often begins during the high school years. LifeSkills programming is offered during middle school because this can be an important age for preventing smoking and vaping and addressing peer pressure.

At the high school level, students can become more directly involved through substance use prevention clubs and other youth leadership opportunities.

Dearborn High School Substance Use Prevention Club

Today, we want to highlight a youth group from Dearborn High School that has worked extensively to support our goals and the Voices for Change campaign.

Student-Created Video

This message is brought to you by the ACCESS Substance Use Prevention Club, Dearborn High School Chapter.

Let’s be real. Substance use is becoming a huge issue for teens across the country. That’s why we started this club here at Dearborn High School.

We’re here to talk about the dangers of addiction and, more importantly, rally support for a healthier lifestyle.

It’s not about getting in trouble. It’s about your health. We’re talking about chronic sleep issues, mental health struggles and permanent damage to the adolescent brain.

Ready to quit vaping? Start small. You can try swapping vaping with hard candies or gum to help manage the habit.

You can also check out My Life, My Quit. It offers free, confidential support for anyone age 17 or younger and allows you to chat with a real counselor.

You’ve got this. A healthy lifestyle is the ultimate flex.

Don’t just watch from the sidelines. Stay updated on our monthly activities or join the club. Together, we can lead the charge in reducing substance use at Dearborn High School.

Let’s make an impact.

The Club’s Mission

The Dearborn High School Substance Use Prevention Club’s mission is to empower students to choose a healthy, substance-free lifestyle by raising awareness, promoting mental wellness and fostering a safe, inclusive school community.

Students take on leadership roles including president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, researcher and social media coordinator.

The club spreads awareness in several ways. ACCESS participates in school lunch periods with resource tables, particularly during national awareness campaigns such as Red Ribbon Week.

Student club members work alongside ACCESS staff to create activities, recruit other students and explain their work. Peer-to-peer involvement is important because students are often more interested in approaching a table or learning about prevention when another student is involved.

The club also raises awareness through fundraising, social media and school events.

Youth Education and Prevention Activities

Students research prevention topics and connect them to monthly or national awareness campaigns.

For Women’s History Month, members researched topics and connected them with substance use prevention information.

Students also write cards to people in recovery and create educational materials about impaired driving.

They create wellness posters, affirmations and messages related to mental health.

Club members communicate information through social media, posters, school announcements and digital displays during lunch.

The students create announcement flyers and social media posts to educate other young people, recruit additional students and spread prevention messages.

Having a strong youth voice helps shape a healthier school environment and allows students to make an impact both at school and in the broader community.

Take Down Tobacco Day

Students participate in Take Down Tobacco Day, an annual youth-driven event held April 1 that encourages young people to stand up against tobacco and raise awareness about the health risks associated with tobacco use.

Students advocate through awareness campaigns and lead prevention education efforts in their schools.

They share suggestions for quitting tobacco, such as staying busy, finding hobbies, leaning on support systems, remembering personal goals and setting a quit date.

During lunch, ACCESS and student leaders operate resource tables where students can learn about tobacco prevention and sign pledge cards committing to remain tobacco-free.

Students have also shared personal success stories. One student came to the resource table after making a New Year’s resolution to quit vaping. Throughout the remainder of the school year, that student regularly returned to share that they were still vape-free.

Students also take My Life, My Quit cards and share them with friends.

Great American Smokeout

Students also participate in the Great American Smokeout, an annual event held on the third Thursday of November by the American Cancer Society to encourage people to stop smoking or create a plan to quit.

Students develop creative messages such as, “Live smoke-free. You’re mint to succeed,” paired with mints to attract attention and start conversations.

During lunch periods, students can complete pledge cards committing to quit smoking or remain tobacco-free.

These activities are designed as a no-judgment space. Students do not have to disclose whether they smoke or vape. They can take a My Life, My Quit card for themselves or a friend and access the help they need.

Students are also encouraged to join the prevention club and help create positive change among their peers, throughout the school and in the community.

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week

In March, students participate in National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week.

Students create flyers and educational materials about alcohol and drugs and use national awareness events as opportunities to spread accurate information.

During Women’s History Month, students also highlighted Betty Ford’s path to recovery and the impact she made by sharing her story.

Red Ribbon Week

The students also participate in Red Ribbon Week, one of the nation’s longest-running drug prevention campaigns.

The students developed a spirit week from October 27-31 with a different prevention theme each day.

Monday encouraged students to “get ready to say no to drugs” by wearing red.

Tuesday was “Pair Up Against Drugs” Twin Day.

Wednesday encouraged students to “put drugs to sleep” by wearing pajamas.

Thursday was “Team Up Against Drugs” Jersey Day.

Friday emphasized that “the future is too bright for drugs” and encouraged students to wear college shirts.

Students also create prevention posters, pledge cards and informational flyers.

Resources include tips for parents about talking with their children about drugs, vaping and smoking, along with information about the benefits of quitting and the mental and physical effects vaping can have on young people.

Why Youth Leadership Matters

Peer influence is powerful.

When young people hear positive messages from other young people, those messages may resonate differently. One student can encourage another student to become involved, learn more and make a positive change.

Students can lead and inspire others through positive peer influence and prevention messaging.

Youth leaders have organized kindness activities and fundraising events to recruit more students and build awareness of their prevention club.

Although the club focuses on substance use and tobacco prevention, students also recognize that prevention involves helping young people learn how to handle stress, practice self-care and be kind to others.

Students create messages and activities around Stress Awareness Month, mental health, myths and realities about stress, and strategies for maintaining well-being.

Crestwood High School Youth Group

ACCESS also works with a youth group from Crestwood High School.

Student Voices

Student

My name is Marian.

Student

My name is Hassam Salah.

Student

My name is Jawad Hamaradi. I’m a senior at Crestwood High School in Dearborn Heights.

I’ve been part of ACCESS for a little over three years.

Student

I’ve been part of the youth group for about a year.

Student

I’ve been part of the youth group since my sophomore year, so about three years.

Student

I joined ACCESS a little over a year ago.

For me, it was about finding out about their cause and realizing that I feel like we can actually make a difference because people our age relate more closely to us than to anyone else.

Student

I’m part of the ACCESS youth group because I saw an organization with a lot of like-minded people. After figuring out how collaborative action can really help a community, I knew this was something for me.

Student

Our main initiative so far has been awareness campaigns. A big part of what we do is getting the word out about the harmful effects of substance use.

Student

Vaping has become a huge problem, and many people aren’t even aware of it, especially people within my school.

We attended a community market as a youth coalition and had the opportunity to meet many children. I don’t want to watch those kids grow up and follow a path that can be damaging.

Student

We’ve participated in Red Ribbon Week, where students learned about vaping and its long-term consequences. We created posters and projects and presented them to a committee.

Student

One impact I’ve seen since joining is that people have become more aware of the effects of vaping and tobacco. We’ve been promoting educational awareness to make sure people in the Crestwood community, and our community as a whole, are more informed.

Student

What I would tell people dealing with substance use is that I know it can be very hard to overcome. It can be difficult to get into the right mindset, but there are many other people who have been in the same situation and many resources available to help you.

ACCESS has programs available to people experiencing substance use issues.

Student

Some advice I would give to anyone who is vaping, especially young people, is that the long-term effects are serious. There may also be effects we do not yet fully understand because vaping is relatively new.

I think one of the biggest regrets people have is saying, “I wish I knew sooner.”

Student

If you reach out, there will always be someone to help you.

Building Successful School Partnerships

The success of ACCESS’s work with schools and youth depends on building relationships throughout the school community.

Coalition members attend student events and presentations to showcase their work.

ACCESS communicates with school liaisons, special education coordinators, social workers, student club leaders, staff members and parents.

Building successful relationships with a school or district requires thinking beyond simply contacting school administrators.

ACCESS believes change happens by educating communities, spreading awareness about substance use prevention, connecting people with help and recruiting more young people to participate.

Closing

Nina Davis

Thank you for the great information.

MASSP offers additional webinars throughout the year, along with recordings and slide decks from previous sessions. Past webinar recordings and resources are available online through MASSP.

We want to especially thank our partners from ACCESS and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for bringing us this information and for their continued collaboration.

We also appreciate everyone who joined us today. Participants will receive a recording and the slide deck following the webinar.

Thank you, and have a great rest of your day.