This is the first of two introductory courses on substance abuse prevention, providing an overview of the field of prevention and some of its basic principles and concepts. Definitions are offered of the terms “substance”, “abuse”, and “prevention” by presenting classifications of substances, discussing levels of substance use and abuse, and examining what is involved in preventing harmful health behaviors. This course describes the nature and scope of substance abuse as a public health problem in this country. The history of prevention is summarized by describing various approaches that have been utilized over time. Key concepts in prevention are introduced, including risk factors, protective factors, resiliency, the IOM Model, and environmental prevention. The course concludes by introducing SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework, which is then used in the second introductory course to organize course material on the practice of substance abuse prevention.

This is the second of two introductory courses on substance abuse prevention, building on the first course which provided an overview of the field of prevention. As we turn our attention to how substance abuse prevention is put into practice, this course utilizes the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) endorsed by SAMHSA to organize the material covered. The SPF covers five areas in which prevention is practiced: Assessment, Capacity Building, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation. Before examining prevention practice in these five areas, the course explores a key concept underlying all areas of the SPF: defining and targeting of groups as audiences and participants in prevention. The course also addresses the importance of cultural competence and sustainability in substance abuse prevention, which are two elements of the Strategic Prevention Framework that also cut across the five areas of practice.

Why is it so hard to change our behavior? This course examines the subject of behavioral change by presenting the Transtheoretical Model of change. The Transtheoretical Model is based on extensive research and combines several theories and approaches to the change process. After looking at the challenges of change and common myths about change, the learner is introduced to nine major processes related to changing behavior. These processes are applied and related to the six major stages of change. While the material in this course is relevant to behavior change in any context, connections to substance abuse are identified and discussed.

Adolescence is generally viewed as a difficult time in a young person’s life. This course will provide information on the challenges and issues that surround adolescents as well as the developmental challenges that are taking place. You’ll get facts and figures about adolescent development and lots of information about the five major developmental challenges adolescents face. You’ll also learn how this information relates to the design and implementation of youth programs.

The news media, when used strategically, has profound impact on community norms in telling people what to think. With prevention efforts, the news media is a powerful means to inform and gain public and policymaker support for policy goals. This online course provides the learner with information on how to integrate the news media into their prevention efforts.

Are you aware of the many types of substances used and abused by young people today? Do you know where these substances come from and how they are used? This course will answer these questions and more, covering alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. The course starts by reviewing the major categories of drugs in relation to federal classification schedules and criminal penalties. Then, individual profiles are presented for a broad range of substances. After you finish taking this course, you can come back to it as a reference source to look up information on specific drugs. Prevention workers, parents, teachers, or anyone else working with young people will benefit from the information in this course.

Recent research on human brain development is generating findings of great interest to the field of substance abuse prevention. For example, did you know that the human brain continues to develop physiologically until at least the early twenties? This course provides information on how the brain functions, how the brain develops in young people, and what the effects on the brain are for various substances. The course concludes by outlining the implications of adolescent brain information for substance abuse prevention work.

Needs assessment is a critical step in the practice of substance abuse prevention in a community. This course is a practical guide to conducting needs assessment studies specifically for substance abuse prevention. Assessment is the first of five components in the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) promoted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In this course, the student will learn what is involved in conducting a needs assessment, the purposes fulfilled by assessments, and how to collect and analyze data for a needs assessment study. The course presents a four-step method for conducting an assessment.

When conducting an assessment in a community related to substance abuse, it is important to assess both needs and assets in the community. A useful technique on the assets side of the equation is Asset Mapping. This course explains what is involved in Asset Mapping and provides specific instructions on how to conduct an Asset Mapping project. Examples are provided of prevention initiatives that made use of Asset Mapping as a tool for identifying and mobilizing resources in a community.

The second step in SAMHSA’s five-step Strategic Prevention Framework is Capacity Building. Building capacity for prevention work in a community is critical. In this course, you will learn about the five aspects of Capacity Building: Resources, Collaboration, Information, Skills, and Institutionalization. An approach to assessing the current capacity of a community is provided, along with a “readiness continuum” to help interpret the results of your assessment. The course then suggests how to use the results of a readiness assessment to establish a strategy for Capacity Building activities.

The news media, when used strategically, has profound impact on community norms in telling people what to think. With prevention efforts, the news media is a powerful means to inform and gain public and policymaker support for policy goals. This online course provides the learner with information on how to integrate the news media into their prevention efforts.

Did you know…studies have shown that in communities where no organized efforts were done to reduce sales to underage persons, individuals who looked younger than age 21 were able to buy alcohol without showing ID in 45-50% of their attempts? Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) has been shown to lower the number of underage youth who are served alcohol as well as decrease the number of intoxicated patrons at bars and liquor stores. This course will provide participants with background information on RBS, the elements of effective RBS practices, and the importance of RBS as part of a community's efforts to prevent alcohol-related problems