Substance Misuse Prevention Programs and Policies

Course overview

Policies and preventive interventions for substance misuse benefit the individuals, groups, communities, and populations clinicians serve. Prevention programs are effective in reducing substance-related harms in a wide variety of settings and for a diversity of communities. In addition to substance misuse prevention programs, policy interventions show evidence of successfully limiting specific harms related to substance misuse. Recognizing the value of policy interventions to minimize the consequences of substance use can aid clinicians in advocacy and policy engagement practices as professionals as well as in their personal lives as engaged citizens. This learning material presents existing evidence-based policies and programs to prevent substance misuse and describes known structures and strategies related to prevention, the language of prevention, and the target outcomes of prevention. This learning material explores successful adaptation of policies across communities to better address relevant factors related to diversity such as race, ethnicity, sexuality, and gender. It is beneficial for clinicians to understand the best approaches to program evaluation, the importance of thoroughness and collaboration in program protocol development, and how to work within prevention programs at individual and group levels. Clinical examples throughout the learning material connect substance misuse program/policy to the clinician's real-world work by illustrating effective assessment and treatment planning.