This survey report fulfills the intent and purpose of the memorandum of understanding between the Department of Public Health and the Department of Commerce.
Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant, the survey captures the National Outcome Measure indicators for Adult Substance Use and includes additional indicators related to mental health and the smoke-free law, P.L. 16-46, in the CNMI.
Crucial to establishing baseline data with adult substance use to meet Substance Abuse and Mental Services Administration federal grant requirements, the Department of Public Health- Community Guidance Center formed the State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup, now the State Epidemiological Workgroup, to identify and propose solutions to the adult data gaps for substance use and mental health.
Community Guidance Center Director Josephine Sablan determined to accomplish meeting these data gaps by working with the State Epidemiological Workgroup to develop the survey instrument and a comprehensive plan to implement the survey. In addition to meeting data gaps and providing baseline adult substance data, the survey also provides a more documented assessment of the needs in the commonwealth and fosters data-driven priorities and decisions related to behavioral health evidence-based programs and practices.
Also vital to the finality of the survey is the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant Evaluation team comprised of Dr. Kelly Roberts and Dr. Hye-Jin Park, as well as Dr. Elizabeth Rechebei, on-site evaluator, who has had a key role since the development of the survey. The survey results are currently being analyzed by Dr. Hye Jin Park and will be released upon completion.
Public Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez would like to congratulate the following individuals for a job well done: from the Department of Commerce: Central Statistics Division, Ivan Blanco, Justin Andrew, Fermin Sakisat and Yubert Alepuyo, Wilhelm Maui; from the Community Guidance Center: Director Josephine Sablan, Glenn Manglona, Jesse Aguon, James Arriola, Matilde Rosario, Reyna Saures; the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant Evaluation team; the State Epidemiological Workgroup; and other staff and partners who assisted the development and implementation of the survey instrument.
“And finally,“I’d like to extend a ‘Thank you’ and ‘Un dankulu na si Yu’us Ma’asse’ to the more than 1,300 households on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota who willingly took part in this very important survey,” Villagomez said.
To obtain a copy of the survey, visit http://www.cgcspn.net. For more information, contact Glenn Manglona, Community Guidance Center statistics specialist and epidemiological lead coordinator, at 323-6571/2.
