Local Youth Data Drives Community Action

Giving youth the ability to thrive and be healthy is key to creating a healthy Marathon County. You may not have thought much about what role data can play in driving this community action, however; it has been significant. The Marathon County Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data highlighted depression as a significant need among youth. Over 21% of 9^th-12^th grade students reported being depressed in 2015.

Mental health clinics, schools, and community organizations, seized an opportunity to work together to address this need by forming the Marathon County School – Based Counseling Consortium (MCS-BCC). The consortium has set out to reduce depression among 6^th-12^th grade students through a variety of strategies. Most notably, the consortium has set-up mental health therapy services in all 10 school districts. This program will provide direct counseling services to students, training for staff on mental health issues, and education for parent and youth on mental health issues and resources.

Brooke Davis, School Counselor at DC Everest Junior High, states, ‘By having the YRBS data we have been able to compare this information to building level data in order to make decisions on how to best meet the needs of our students.  The data has enabled us to focus on what we are hearing from the students what their needs are.  We are no longer guessing on trends and mental health concerns because we now have the data to support our need for specific services.  We have also been able to use the data to further examine resources that we should be providing to students, staff, parents and the community’.

In addition to the numbers, Marathon County Teen, a documentary video series based on the YRBS, gives life to the data. The series highlights what life is like for teens living in Marathon County by capturing the authentic stories and voices of students behind the data. 

Access Marathon County Youth Risk Behavior Survey data and explore how you or your organization may utilize it to further efforts that help Marathon County youth be healthy.

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey collects data on the following health-risk behaviors among teens: traffic safety; weapons and violence; suicide; tobacco use; alcohol and other drug use; sexual behavior; and diet, nutrition, and exercise. It is conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction as part of a national effort by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2017 marked the second time Marathon County-wide YRBS data had been collected for all 10 public school districts. 

Have a story to share of how local data has contributed to the work that you do? Contact us here.

Published 1/9/2018