Substance Abuse Needs Assessment Completed

A recently completed  assessment of substance abuse in St. Mary’s County reports out unsurprising findings, including the community’s need for more mental health providers and greater education on the consequences of substance misuse.

The assessment was conducted by Health Resources In Action of Boston, MA, and involved in-depth interviews with 30 Key Informants, seven Focus Groups engaging a total of 69 participants, and a review of existing data on opioid misuse and associated factors in St. Mary’s County.

The Key Informants were identified by the Health Resources in Action consultant as key stakeholders from a range of sectors and agencies across the county including government officials, educational leaders, substance abuse treatment providers, other social service providers, health care providers, and the justice system.

Demographics impacting the assessment include the 22 percent population increase from 86,211 residents in 2000 to 105,151 in 2010 with 10 percent of the residents between 18 and 24 years old. Treatment and law enforcement data suggest the most strongly affected portion of the population are 18-30 year old Caucasians.

Although St. Mary’s County’s $85,672 median household income is higher than the state average it is notably lower than its Charles and Calvert county neighbors. And the relatively high median income does not reflect what participants saw as a disproportionate distribution of income.

“On paper our economic situation looks really good because of the technical jobs associated with the naval air base. However, our  largest sector with respect to jobs is service,” according to one of the Key Informants. “This means that individuals try to live in a community that is more focused on the larger portion–the median income and higher income kind of prices. Rental costs are high. Living costs are high. It’s hard in the service sector and non-base side…”

“Jobs are tough here. If you don’t work on base it’s hard to find a good paying job.”–Focus Group Participant.

Lower incomes, poverty, and unemployment were identified as stressors contributing to substance abuse. A few respondents from the recovery community cited homelessness as a challenge for substance users as well.

Poverty is a further obstacle to challenge with the lack of public transportation in the rural St. Mary’s County setting. Half of the residents of St. Mary’s County live in a rural area compared with 39 percent in Calvert and 29 percent in Charles counties.

Alcohol, tobacco, and even marijuana were seen as socially acceptable within the community. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey found opiate use in St. Mary’s County high schools was low, but reports from health providers indicate that local data does not reflect the breadth of use in the community nor its consequences.

“There are lots of people strung out on pills. It’s unreal. They’re not dead yet, and they’re not in treatment, so they don’t show up in the statistics.”–Focus Group Participant.