Jefferson County Preventionist: What IS Prevention?

This is a great question to address in the second of this series on PREVENTION. Each of us engages in various ways with prevention in our daily lives. Parents with toddlers do things in their homes to ensure their little ones are safe around electrical outlets, sharp corners, etc.

I like this example someone recently shared: when a sapling is planted, the tender plant is tethered to stakes to support it. What a great example of the science of prevention. Over the past 50 years, many different scientific approaches have contributed to what is now called prevention science. It has evolved from some of the early days of "Just Say No" to actual approaches that have proven to get positive results. There are many levels of prevention, and the purpose of this article is to focus on primary prevention, which supports the earlier example of the sapling.

In Montana, every county has a prevention specialist trained and educated to implement programs, policies, and procedures that decrease risk factors and increase protective factors across the individual, family, and school levels. By increasing protective factors such as fostering youth development, supporting family resilience, and strengthening communities, prevention can reduce the incidents of nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, opioids, and other drug misuse. It also can decrease mental health problems and academic failure.

To the right is a chart that shows more detailed examples of risk and protective factors.

Reduction of risk factors and enhancement of protective factors have seen measurable improvements in the health and safety of young people.

Here is what Jefferson County is doing to enhance protective factors:

• Parenting programs such as Active Parenting Now create bonding and clear standards in families.

• School Curricula that address social and emotional development have been proven to improve life skills in youth. Some examples are the PAX Good Behavior Game and Second Step, which are being used in Jefferson County schools.

• Legislation and enforcement of policies, laws, and ordinances reduce the availability and access to tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs for young people.

• Presenting youth with facts about brain development and how substance use will damage their brain growth process.

• Annual assessment opportunities for middle and high school students to share their experiences through the PNA (Prevention Needs Assessment} and the YRBS (Youth Risk Behavioral Survey). It is vital to our prevention work to hear from the youth concerning their challenges and opportunities.

Implementation of prevention programs is a powerful and necessary tool for promoting the health of youth, families, and communities. Research shows that prevention saves lives and money. For every dollar spent on prevention, a community will see a return on investment of $13-$18.

The next article will be about community engagement – Yes, you can participate in prevention!