Above: MCSAP Project Coordinator, Stpeh Johnson, holds a Youth Connections magazine. The magazine will go out to local families in March.

FAIRMONT– The Martin County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition is going to provide Youth Connections magazine free to all students and families in Martin County. The family-orientated magazine will provide local stories, as well as educational articles on parenting, prevention and more.

MCSAP’s project coordinator, Steph Johnson, said the coalition has been working on this for about four months. She explained why they wanted to partner with Youth Connections.

“With the pandemic, our coalition was looking for more ways to reach more students and people. When we heard about another coalition doing this, we looked into it and saw the success they were having with connecting to students and families. We decided it would be a good opportunity for us to meet people where they’re at, which is at home right now” said Johnson.

Youth Connections is based in Helena, MT. They partner with organizations across the country that share a common goal in supporting youth, families and mentors.

Johnson likes that it’s an actual printed magazine someone can pick up and read whether they’re at home, in a waiting room, or wherever.

“We get so inundated with electronics that it will be nice to have an actual magazine. But it is electronic as well for the people who prefer that,” Johnson said.

MCSAP is partnering with all of the schools in Martin County. The magazine will be mailed out for free to 2,000 homes, or every household in the county with school-aged children.

The first issue will be sent out in March.

“The pilot issue that we’re going to do is all about cultivating and building relationships,” Johnson said.

She said it includes information on how to be an ask-able adult, ways to communicate together and tips to stay mentally well.

“People are feeling isolated. Students are feeling isolated if they’re not at school. We hope they will be when they get this, but we’re still not as out there and communicating as much as we were,” Johnson said.

Johnson said their coalition has been meeting over Zoom and they’ve heard feedback from students saying they need more positive support for their mental health and ways to handle stress better.

Johnson said they hope to send an issue out quarterly. She said they have the opportunity to sell ads within the magazine to help with the cost. So far the idea has been well-received.

MCSAP will get 10 pages in the magazine that they can put local information in. Johnson said the cover photo will be a local mentor and mentee from Kinship. There will also be a message in there from Johnson.

“There’s a page where we’re going to highlight several students. We’re reaching out to each school to get a picture and something about a student so that we’re representing everyone across the county,” Johnson said.

She said the long term goal is to feature positive things that students are doing here locally.

The magazine will also be printed locally. Johnson said they have some bids out for that right now.

MCSAP will also be partnering with Mayo Clinic, which is working on getting recent information on vaping, and the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership.

“We’re trying to reach out to those certain community resources to put in this magazine so we can help get their resources out to readers, too,” Johnson said.

To find out more information on MCSAP or Youth Connections, visit www.MCSAPCoalition.com. All households with a school-aged child in Martin County will be sent a free copy, but if anyone else wants to receive one, they can sign up online.

“It will not only be for students, but for their parents and families and anyone who works with youth or wants to connect with young people,” Johnson said.