The Prevention Vision
WHERE DOES SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION FIT IN THE CONTINUUM OF CARE?
SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION: OUR VISION
The vision of the Behavioral Health Department’s Substance Use Prevention unit is to prevent or reduce substance use among youth and adults by providing an array of age-appropriate, culturally competent and research-based services coordinated with existing prevention efforts in the community. Services focus on reducing the factors that place individuals, families, and communities at risk for substance use disorders and on strengthening the resilience and protective factors that help prevent them.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY STRATEGIC PLAN SUBSTANCE USE PRIORITY AREAS:
· Underage drinking
· Marijuana use
· Opioid, Prescription, and OTC Drugs
· Ecstasy and other illegal drugs
SAMHSA’S PRIMARY PREVENTION STRATEGIES
1. Information Dissemination Strategy
“This strategy provides awareness and knowledge of the nature and extent of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use, abuse, and addiction, and their effects on individuals, families, and communities. It also provides knowledge and awareness of available prevention programs and services. Information dissemination is characterized by one-way communication from the source to the audience, with limited contact between the two.” (CFR 96.125, 514)
2. Education Strategy
“This strategy involves two-way communication and is distinguished from the Information Dissemination Strategy by the fact that interaction between the educator/facilitator and the participants is the basis of its activities. Activities under this strategy aim to affect critical life and social skills, including decision-making, refusal skills, critical analysis, and systemic judgment abilities.” (CFR 96.125, 514)
3. Alternative Strategy
“This strategy provides for the participation of target populations in activities that exclude alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. The assumption is that constructive and healthy activities offset the attraction to or otherwise meet the needs usually filled by alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs and would, therefore, minimize or remove the need to use these substances.” (CFR 96.125, 514-515)
4. Problem Identification and Referral Strategy
“This strategy aims at identification of those individuals who have indulged in the illegal/age-inappropriate use of tobacco or alcohol and those individuals who have indulged in the first use of illicit drugs and to assess whether their behavior can be reversed through education. It should be noted, however, that this strategy does not include any activity designed to determine if a person is in need of treatment.” (CFR 96.125, 515)
5. Community-Based Process Strategy
“This strategy aims to enhance the ability of the community to more effectively provide prevention services for alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use and/or abuse. Activities in this strategy include organizing, planning, and enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of services implementation, interagency collaboration, coalition building, and networking.” (CFR 96.125, 515)
6. Environmental Strategy
“This strategy establishes or changes written and unwritten community standards, codes, and attitudes, thereby influencing incidence and prevalence of the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs used in the general population.” (CFR 96.125, 515)