Focus is on the overblown perception of students who use substances

By Robert Williams

Editor

Parents of Frazee-Vergas middle school and high school students, along with school staff members, will be participating in the Positive Community Norms Parent/Guardian and Student surveys this week.

The anonymous surveys were last presented in 2022 and each survey has its own objective.

“If anything besides education and trying to reduce substance use and abuse, we’re trying to break down the misperception of students who aren’t using versus the students who think other people are using and that gap has really come together alot,” said PCN Grant Coordinator Heidi Moen.

Moen is encouraging parents to complete the survey, which can be done in less than five minutes. 

“It helps more than anything because if we don’t get parent feedback, it’s kind of like the coalition meetings where I would like parents to come,” said Moen. “Whether it is corrective feedback, or educational feedback. It’s really hard to go forward because you really don’t know what those parents are thinking at home or where we could work to make things better. We tell our kids, ‘my voice is powerful’ and this is where our parents and guardians and teachers and staff—where it’s their time to shine.”

The PCN Student Survey revealed significant misperceptions among today’s youth about the prevalence of underage substance use and also revealed that most students don’t drink alcohol, use marijuana, or vape regularly, and many misperceive this norm.

Oftentimes these misperceptions are found among parents and guardians as well.

Correcting misperceptions among youth, parents/guardians and community members can help reduce and prevent underage drinking and other drug use.

Strengthening parent/guardian norms and engagement can lead to reduced youth substance use.

The Parent/Guardian Survey will provide useful insight about parent and guardian misperceptions related to youth substance use. 

The focus audience is parents of 6th or 7th to 12th graders; one parent or guardian per household and the survey will be open from Nov. 4-22.

A link to be sent out to parents by the school, using the established parent contact system, along with a reminder from students.

The 2022 staff survey revealed that some of the misperceptions were found among members of the school staff as well. All staff are asked to participate, including certified staff, paras, custodians, maintenance, office, administrators, transportation, and food service.

Over the last year, Moen was targeting a 3 percent increase in students who were aware that most of their fellow students were not using and that it was okay not to use. 

“We had a higher average than that and I was super glad and the reason it came back to it is it’s constant messaging and now the kids understand it,” said Moen. 

The increase in awareness is largely in part because the kids are connected to the look and messaging of the GROW Frazee Vergas plan and the corresponding Your Voice is Powerful youth group. 

Moen also personally challenges the perceptions of students when they report a group of kids vaping or using another substance. The challenge is to actually see the use rather than just going along with rumors. 

Rather than returning with reports of entire groups, say all ninth graders, with reports that it was maybe one or two kids. 

“That’s what we’re working on because that realization and that percentage is really what is happening,” said Moen. “Making that a reality is huge.”

Moen also opens her office for students that are using or trying to stop. She maintains the anonymous nature of the program for those kids or provides additional support to those who have been caught using substances at school.

“I work with prevention, but if a kiddo gets in trouble and they start the program with the school district in reducing their suspension because they have been caught vaping; they can come to me for resources; if they need a place to come instead of being out in the hallways during open time because peer pressure is really hard on them, they can come here no questions asked,” said Moen. “They all come here for a variety of reasons. It may be needing a break from class, mental health, yes, they’re working and struggling with vaping or they’re just part of the youth group. They come here for all different reasons and they don’t ask questions. So, I feel very privileged for that.”

Moen has also worked with athletic programs, fine arts and other extracurricular groups because being a part of one of those groups means kids are vowing to not use substances while participating.

“With all of the programs we are offering here we should be able to say that most students aren’t using,” she said.

There are roughly 18 months remaining on the 5-year grant program.

The youth group will remain after the grant expires as it is already a line item budgeted with the district. The GROW Frazee Vergas coalition has supporting partners and can be funded by other grants to continue in town as well.

“Everything we’ve provided through the grant will either stay with the school or move over to CornerStone, just wherever that need may be where the kids can use those things,” said Moen.

Moen will be available to answer any questions from those taking the survey via email hmoen@frazee.k12.mn.us or by phoning the high school.