Waterford Community Coalition details youth vaping, mental-health programs and outreach

Debbie Wirtz, program director of the Waterford Community Coalition, told the Waterford Township Board of Trustees on Jan. 27 that the nonprofit has invested more than $300,000 in local prevention and youth programs and is expanding work to address youth vaping and mental-health needs.

The coalition — one of 21 countywide groups that focus on prevention and community supports — uses grant funding to run school-based and community programs, Wirtz said. "We've invested over $300,000 back into Waterford community for our services and our products," she said, summarizing the group’s in‑town work.

Wirtz outlined several ongoing efforts: a Girls Stand Strong program running in after‑school middle‑school settings designed to build self‑esteem and peer leadership; a six‑week substance‑misuse life‑skills program at Mott Middle School; a youth‑led leadership group; forest therapy and home‑visiting resources; and a community resource task force formed to map local services and make referrals easier for school and police social‑work staff.

Wirtz said the coalition is supported mainly by grants — federal, state and local — noting grants from the Drug‑Free Communities program and partnerships with the Alliance of Healthy Coalitions and OCHN (Oakland Community Health Network). She also said the coalition has received funding from private foundations and national funders. "We are funded by grants mainly," Wirtz said.

The coalition has been conducting retailer decoy checks with the police department and found multiple failures to refuse sales to minors, Wirtz said. She described limits in state law and said the coalition is pursuing policy change and public education: "We are pretty limited because of the state laws... We are working with Michigan Tobacco, Keep My Kids Tobacco Free, when we are trying to change those laws."

As an interim harm‑reduction step, Wirtz said the coalition has purchased lockboxes and printed material to distribute free to dispensaries and community partners, so customers can secure nicotine vapes, edibles and other products at home and prevent access by youth. She also said the coalition plans to bring youth to Capitol Hill to educate federal lawmakers on local trends.

Board members asked about collaboration; Wirtz said the coalition works with Waterford Youth Assistance and other local partners and that the coalition’s task force now includes more than a dozen local organizations. She also noted the coalition seeks donated or in‑kind office space so grant dollars are spent on programs rather than rent.

Why it matters: Township officials and educators described vaping and youth substance misuse as a growing problem in Waterford schools and neighborhoods; the coalition’s prevention, retailer outreach and resource‑mapping are intended to reduce that local risk and to support youth mental‑health needs.

Wirtz closed by inviting trustees and residents to contact the coalition about referrals and partnership opportunities.