School-based service providers—including health educators, social workers, counselors, and nurses—are central to effective prevention and behavioral health support. Their work goes beyond delivering programs; they are the foundation of systems that support the whole child. They need sufficient support to:

• Identify emerging trends in youth behavior, mental health, and substance use
• Tailor content and services to improve relevance, accessibility, and equity
• Coordinate efforts across tiers of support (universal, targeted, intensive)
• Partner with schools and communities to strengthen infrastructure and reduce silos
• Empower students with skills and knowledge to make healthy, informed choices

These providers are not just implementers—they are strategic leaders in building school systems that promote resilience, equity, and long-term well-being.

Effective prevention in schools isn’t just about good programs—it’s about creating the right conditions for success.

Key factors include:

• Time & Staffing: A few overburdened staff can't do it all. Without protected time and coordination, efforts can stall.
• Competing Priorities: Academics, staffing shortages, and crises often push prevention aside.
• Funding Access: Even great strategies fail without flexible funding or budget clarity.
• Alignment: When data, plans, and policies don’t connect (e.g., MiPHY, SIPs), momentum is lost.
• Collaboration: Schools that connect staff roles and community partners are better equipped to meet student needs.

Prevention works best when systems reduce silos, coordinate efforts, and build on what schools already have.

Michigan has a powerful, statewide asset: a network of Regional School Health Coordinators housed in RESAs, serving every K–12 public, private, and charter school.

These implementation support practitioners:

• Advance the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) framework
• Provide training, TA, and coaching on evidence-based health strategies
• Help align health and education goals across classrooms and districts
• Support implementation of the Michigan Model for Health (MMH)

What Sets Michigan Apart:

• Statewide reach with deep regional roots
• Embedded in schools, not just informing—coaching and sustaining change
• Data-driven and adaptive, grounded in real school contexts

They’re the bridge between state initiatives, schools, and community partners, helping Michigan lead the way in supporting the whole child.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) play a key role in supporting school health efforts. They ensure the Michigan Model for Health curriculum stays current and accessible, provide training and support for Regional School Health Coordinators, and coordinate funding for implementation and professional development.

By promoting multi-tiered prevention interventions and embedding health education within broader student success goals, these agencies help make health a core part of the school experience—not just an add-on.

Community organizations—like local health departments, prevention coalitions, health systems, and mental health agencies—are essential partners in school-based drug use prevention. These collaborators bring valuable expertise, resources, and services that schools can tap into.

• Coalitions support programming and policy advocacy
• Health departments offer public health data and insight
• Mental health providers and health systems expand access to care and align school and community efforts

Together, these partnerships help schools deliver coordinated, community-informed prevention and early interventions that reflect local needs and strengthen student support systems.