The Promising Practices Network (PPN) on Children, Families and Communities (www.promisingpractices.net) began as a partnership between four state-level organizations that help public and private organizations improve the well-being of children and families. The PPN website, archived in June 2014, featured summaries of programs and practices that…

Children's experience at home is the largest single factor in whether or not they will have a drug or alcohol problem early in life. The best prevention program for many people at risk is to make sure their addicted family member receives appropriate treatment. Several steps need to take place to enhance the family's role in preventing alcohol or…

Community organizing can encompass coalition building or community development, each of which represents steps in getting something done in a community. Before undertaking a project, it is important to figure out the exact problem the community is trying to address. From there, it can be determined how to address it, who else will be involved, and…

Studies have shown that many Hispanic/Latino youth can be considered at high risk for substance abuse problems. The rapidly increasing numbers of Hispanic American youth and the multiple antecedent risk factors suggest that substance abuse prevention must be a leading priority in the Hispanic/Latino communities. Information is a primary tool in…

Asserts that elementary and middle school counselors are concerned about how to prevent substance abuse among students and how to identify substance abuse when it occurs. Discusses facts about various drugs, their effects, and evidence of abuse. Includes discussions of alcohol, stimulants, inhalants, cocaine, psychedelics, depressants, narcotics,…

Media advocacy is an environmental strategy that can be used to support alcohol and other drug prevention and policy development efforts. It helps shift the focus from understanding public health issues as individual problems to understanding them as social conditions that require collective behavior changes. Successful media advocacy uses the…

Asian American and Pacific Islander (A&PI) populations are seriously affected by substance abuse related problems. Culturally appropriate prevention resources for A&PI audiences on substance abuse issues remain a critical need. This resource guide provides information and referrals to help prevention specialists, educators, and community leaders…

Prevention is the ultimate key to reversing the upward trend in the use of drugs and to empowering communities to address their drug problems. An essential factor is the development and implementation of initiatives to prevent illicit drug use. A goal of prevention for youth is to provide them with a set of skills and tools to help them resist the…

Treatment is one component of a strategy to reduce substance abuse. It can include detoxification; inpatient counseling; outpatient counseling; therapeutic communities; and self help groups. Referrals can take place in settings such as emergency rooms; employee assistance programs; churches; and physicians' offices. Unmet treatment needs can cause…

Medicaid is the key source of health insurance for those who would otherwise have to rely solely on emergency rooms and public health clinics for services. This report provides an overview of Medicaid programs and the newly enacted Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and outlines the implications of key program provisions for professional…

"Welfare to work" is an issue in the substance abuse field because of the high number of people on welfare who have a substance abuse problem. One-fourth of women on welfare either abuse or are addicted to alcohol or other drugs. For women ages 18-24 the incidence is as high as 37%, according to the Center on Addiction and Substance…

This fifth annual publication contains descriptions of exemplary prevention and intervention efforts in nine states and Pacific territories. These are: American Samoa, Alaska, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Republic of Palau, Washington, and Wyoming. The programs are grouped by categories: (1)…

Treatment Improvement Protocols (TIPs), developed by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), are best-practice guidelines for the treatment of substance use disorders. CSAT draws on the experience…

This resource provides tools that are relevant to understanding the nature and scope of substance abuse. The tools are also meant to be helpful in identifying and guiding students who need help and in preventing substance abuse. The aids are grouped into five sections. Section I provides basic fact sheets on substance abuse among youth. Section II…

While studies show that young African Americans tend to use alcohol and drugs at lower rates than their White and Hispanic peers, substance abuse and involvement continue to touch the lives of millions of African American youth. This Substance Abuse Resource Guide for prevention specialists, educators, parents, and others was compiled from a…