An Introduction To Prevention:
Why prevention?
Prevention is achieved through the application of multiple strategies; it is an ongoing process that must relate to each emerging generation.
Why should YOU be concerned?
The youth are our future! We have to show that we care about them and the choices they make. Have a Question?
Under the Partners in Prevention Project (PIPP), which is funded by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), we use the Strategic Prevention Framework process and evidence based prevention strategies to successfully decrease alcohol misuse and abuse in Georgia. We also expand our efforts beyond alcohol prevention to address marijuana use through local assessment data.
Goal(s):
- Reduce the early onset of alcohol use among 9 to 20 year old.
- Reduce the early onset of marijuana use among 9 to 20 year old.
In order to address the early onset of alcohol and marijuana use, Beyond The Bell uses the Strategies and Prevention Framework to:
- Assess Needs
- Build Capacity
- Plan
- Implement
- Evaluate
In addition to following these steps, we have two guiding principles:
- Cultural Competence: The ability to effectively interact with members of diverse population.
- Sustainability: The process of achieving and maintaining long-term results.
We use the SPF process because it is data driven, focuses on population level change, an on-going process where the starting point can be anywhere, intended to guide prevention efforts for people of all ages, and it is reliant on a team approach.
Life Skills Training:
Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) is a research-validated substance abuse prevention program proven to reduce the risks of alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse, and violence by targeting the major social and psychological factors that promote the initiation of substance use and other risky behaviors. This comprehensive and exciting program provides adolescents and young teens with the confidence and skills necessary to successfully handle challenging situations.
To sign-up for Botvin LifeSkills Training classes, please fill-in your contact information:
Positive Social Norms:
Positive Community Norms focuses on developing media campaigns to address normative misconceptions across layers of a community. While traditional social norms efforts focused on a single group or audience, Positive Community Norms focused on several audiences surrounding a specific issue. For example, in addressing underage drinking, campaigns might focus on youth, their parents, schools, and the general community.
Community Trials:
(City of Savannah) Community Trials is an intervention used to reduce high-risk drinking. It is a multicomponent, community-based program developed to alter alcohol use patterns of people of all ages and related problems. The program uses a set of environmental interventions including: Alcohol Access, using zoning and municipal regulations to restrict alcohol access through alcohol outlet density control; Responsible Beverage Service, training alcohol beverage servers and retailers in procedures to reduce intoxication, driving after drinking, and selling to minors; and Community Mobilization, providing tools to form coalitions needed to implement and support prevention components.
Ask, Advise, Refer:
Ask, Advise, Refer is our tobacco intervention program. At every opportunity, we ask an individual if they are a tobacco user. Tobacco can be used in multiple ways, either by smoking, snuffing, dipping, or vaping. If identified, we advise every user to quit. We then refer the user to our cessation cards that have quit line resources.
Other Interventions
• Red Ribbon Week (October):
To raise awareness of the killing and destruction cause by drugs in America
• National Drug& Alcohol Facts Week (November):
Connects youth with scientists and other experts to counteract the myths about drugs and alcohol that teens get from the internet, social media, TV, movies, music, or from friends.
• Alcohol Awareness Month (April):
Provides a focused opportunity across America to increase awareness and understanding of alcohol addiction, its causes, effective treatment, and recovery.
• Prevention Week (May):
An annual health observance dedicated to increasing public awareness of, and action around, mental and/or substance use disorders.
Beyond the Bell effectively provides prevention programs, interventions and/or resources when appropriate to reduce substance use in youth.
Upson County
310 N. Church Street, Suite B
Thomaston, GA 30286
(706) 938-1550opens phone dialer
Macon/Bibb County
3115 Vineville Ave
Macon, GA 31204
(478) 259-7566opens phone dialer