PREVENTION BASICS

Course overview

Today, many researchers, policy makers, and concerned citizens agree that problems stemming from the abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs jeopardize the nations health. There has been a dramatic increase in societys awareness that investing in prevention is investing in the future's well-being. Prevention needs to be a sustained vigorous effort. Effective prevention requires that methods are adapted to the various cultural, geographic and population aspects. It is necessary to understand the people exposed to the prevention efforts. When working with patients one must anticipate results, base services on sound principles, use an appropriate level of care with regard to length, intensity and duration of the prevention effort, as well as utilize ongoing evaluation and refinements. Topics covered in this course include: Center for Substance Abuse Treatments (CSAT) six prevention strategies; Strategy selection and implementation considerations; Risk factors for alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse; Protective factors against alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse; Prevention programs and managed care; Prevention Program Readiness List. This course identifies lessons learned in the prevention field that impact strategy selection and implementation so that the prevention practitioner can maximize the yield from prevention programs and optimize the chances for successful outcomes. Course includes: 48 pages