District 51 Criminal Justice Services, Advocacy, Outreach and Connections
Intro: Rotarian Steve Schultz
Topic: A significant increase of marijuana use in Mesa County, especially among the youth, has sparked a community-based collaboration between several agencies to address the issue. The Mesa County Drug Oversight Taskforce is composed of representatives from the Grand Junction Police Department, Mesa County Health Department, Partners, CASA, Hilltop, School District #51, and more. The Task Force especially wants to impress it upon the community the negative use among children.
Bio: Speaking on recent trends of drug use are Jennifer Sheetz and Susana Wittrock, both with Mesa Valley School District #51. Jennifer is the Criminal Justice Data Analyst for the District Attorney's Office and Criminal Justice Services Department and the co-chair of the DTOC. Susana’s role with the school district is to support students who are struggling with substance use. This is accomplished by identifying individual student needs and planning towards appropriate services. She has participated with the Drug Oversight Taskforce as a representative of the School District 51.