Strengthening Partnerships in School‐Based Substance Use Prevention and Intervention for Adolescents

BACKGROUND: Adolescent substance use remains a significant concern for student health, well-being, and academic outcomes, yet fewer than 4% of youth who need treatment receive it. Schools are a critical, but underutilized setting, for adolescent substance use prevention and intervention. While Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) provide a useful framework, meaningful engagement of youth, families, schools, and communities is crucial for effective and equitable systems. CONTRIBUTIONS TO THEORY: This paper asserts that youth-family-school-community partnerships should serve as the core foundation of effective school-based substance use programming. Drawing on Ecological System Theory and bridging school mental health and substance use literature, this paper proposes a framework that centers partnership, equity, and engagement within MTSS. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE AND EQUITY: School policy should prioritize funding and infrastructure that promotes genuine youth, family, school, and community collaboration, including telehealth options, flexible scheduling, and hiring school-based mental health staff. These efforts can help to improve equitable access to multi-tiered school substance use services for youth and families. CONCLUSIONS: Partnerships among youth, families, schools, and communities should be central to school-based substance use programming to support the development of effective and equitable school mental health systems.