Youth Survey Results
Our 2024 Norwalk Youth Survey results are back! On January 21st, Nina and Margaret gave a 20-minute overview of key findings to the Board of Education, and on January 29th, the TNP coalition meeting spent 90 minutes going into more depth, reviewing and discussing the findings related to lifestyle, risk and protective factors; substance use practices and perceptions; and mental health. Key takeaways:
There's lots of good news in this survey! Compared with 2022, there are decreases in depression, acute anxiety, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt, disordered eating, past-month bullying, and unsupervised time on weekdays. Students report increased awareness of the risks of individual substances, increased perception of both peer and parental disapproval related to substance use, increased teacher intervention in bullying, and increased feelings of connectedness to teachers.
These positive findings are attributable in large part to community-wide efforts to raise awareness and increase available resources, including providing direct, free access to mental health and substance counselors at school through NPS contracts with community providers.
Coalition members are concerned that these gains may be difficult to maintain given the end of ARPA funding and current city and school budget discussions. Unfortunately, it is likely that some of the vital mental health programs implemented in recent years as a results of our past surveys will be shuttered.
Some new questions this year were revealing. One-third of Norwalk youth report loneliness ("I have felt like I have no one to talk to, felt left out and/or felt lonely often"). Just under 2/3 (64%) feel "my life is going in a positive direction." Just under 3/4 (73%) "feel confident I will have a job and/or go to college or a trade school when I complete high school."
The survey results also identify trends of concern. Compared with 2022, student involvement decreased in both extracurriculars and team sports (which were already low), and a majority of youth in both middle and high school reporting being unsupervised for at least some time every day. More than one-third of youth witnessed violence at school, and youth feel less safe at school than in the community. Youth (particularly middle schoolers) also report feeling less safe in the community than in 2022. There was an increase in reported past-month alcohol use among students, a slight increase in youth reporting that alcohol is easy to access, and 44% of youth who use alcohol reported getting it from a home with parental permission.
Our marginalized communities continue to have higher rates of poor mental health and risky behaviors.
We have not yet presented other survey findings, including youth views on technology (cell phones, social media, and gaming) and gambling. Stay tuned for more presentations! Contact Margaret if you'd like a presentation of data for a group you're involved with.
Check out The Hour's report on the BOE presentation here.
New Grant Awards
We're happy to share news of a couple of new grants that are benefitting our community.
During the fall, the City of Norwalk and Silver Hill Hospital co-funded a data gathering initiative to look at the availability of behavioral health services for Norwalk youth. Chrissy Mahanna of Compass Consulting was the lead consultant, working with the Norwalk ACTS Social-Emotional Health leadership team and contracted through Positive Directions to conduct a provider survey and third-next available appointment analysis. The report on gaps in youth mental health services, provider perspectives on access to care, and funding cliffs will be published in early February.
Positive Directions was recently awarded a behavioral health systems change grant from the New Canaan Community Foundation. This grant will fund community conversations with youth and families who have recently experienced a behavioral health challenge. Their perspectives as service recipients, together with TNP's youth survey data and the service scan findings, will then inform a city-wide strategic planning effort, coordinated through the Norwalk ACTS Social-Emotional Health leadership team, to build consensus around youth behavioral health priorities and strategies.
Positive Directions was also awarded one of ten youth cannabis prevention grants in the state. This grant, funded through the state's cannabis tax revenues, will focus on raising awareness, conducting environmental scans, and preventing underage access to cannabis in the Greater Norwalk cannabis retail market, which includes the towns of New Canaan, Weston, Westport, and Wilton. Read The Hour's coverage here.
Upcoming Events
Coming up! The library is having a weekly webinar series for Wellness Wednesdays; Norwalk ACTS is hosting the next Parenting Chat on how to help youth navigate their social life; and Positive Directions has new substance counselors in place at both high school buildings to provide information & support around substance misuse. Click the images below to open and download.
Finally, all are welcome to join TNP's committees and coalition meetings. Upcoming meetings include:
NorWALK for Mental Health: Walk + Wellness Fair planning meeting - Tuesday Feb. 4th, 4:30-5pm, online
TNP Education & Awareness Committee - Tuesday, Feb 11th, 4-5pm, online
TNP Environment & Enforcement Committee - Thursday, Feb 13th, 11am-12:30pm, online
Next TNP coalition meeting: Wednesday, Feb 26th, 3-4:30pm, online
Save the date for this year's NorWALK for Mental Health event! Saturday, May 3rd.
To join any of these meetings, please email Margaret.
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