County data: grantees reached hundreds of youth but DHHS acknowledges data gaps

Dawn Williams, Health Promotion Manager for the Cancer, Tobacco and Cannabis Prevention Programs, summarized grantee reporting from the FY25 cycle and said the programs had strong outreach and some measurable outcomes. "By the 3rd 0.25, they had reached 178 youth with 12 trained peer educators," Williams said of one grantee, and she reported combined reach across the three grantees was "approximately 900 peers and youth," with roughly 42 referrals for cessation or behavioral health.

DHHS staff acknowledged inconsistent data collection across grantees and delayed implementation due to staff vacancies; they said DHHS will put grantees on a standardized reporting structure, provide technical assistance, and consider additional metrics with the Cancer, Tobacco and Cannabis Coalition and the collaboration council. Council members asked DHHS to provide a clear baseline of current service counts and to explore data-sharing with MCPS for attendance and grade outcomes to measure longer-term impacts.