Strengthening Partnerships in School-Based Substance Use Prevention and Intervention for Adolescents

Adolescent substance use remains a significant concern for student health, well-being, and academic outcomes, yet fewer than 4% of youth who need treatment receive it. Schools are a critical, but underutilized setting, for adolescent substance use prevention and intervention. While Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) provide a useful framework, meaningful engagement of youth, families, schools, and communities is crucial for effective and equitable systems.

This paper asserts that youth-family-school-community partnerships should serve as the core foundation of effective school-based substance use programming. Drawing on Ecological System Theory and bridging school mental health and substance use literature, this paper proposes a framework that centers partnership, equity, and engagement within MTSS.

School policy should prioritize funding and infrastructure that promotes genuine youth, family, school, and community collaboration, including telehealth options, flexible scheduling, and hiring school-based mental health staff. These efforts can help to improve equitable access to multi-tiered school substance use services for youth and families.

Partnerships among youth, families, schools, and communities should be central to school-based substance use programming to support the development of effective and equitable school mental health systems.