For major physical diseases, it is widely accepted that members of the public will benefit by knowing what actions they can take for prevention, early intervention, and treatment. However, this type of public knowledge about mental disorders ("mental health literacy") has received much less attention. There is evidence from surveys in several…

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing more than 400,000 deaths each year and resulting in an annual cost of more than $50 billion in direct medical costs. This paper provides tips and resources to help communities undertake the necessary steps to reduce tobacco use. It includes a list of national…

College students are engaging in a form of destructive behavior known as binge drinking. The Harvard University College Alcohol Study defines binge drinking as consuming five or more drinks in a row for males and four or more drinks in a row for females. This Join Together packet provides tips, and resources to help professionals undertake…

Creating Lasting Connections is an alcohol/drug abuse prevention program that defines communities in terms of the social support systems connected with the church. Community mobilization emphasizes development and training of community volunteer teams to act as advocates for the program. (SK)

Argues that communities can employ numerous measures to prevent gangs from controlling their neighborhoods. Causes and theoretical explanations of gang formation are discussed, as well as the impact of black gangs in African American communities, and public policy considerations. It is concluded that, with an entire community effort, gangs can be…

A conference in Washington, D.C., brought together health care professionals and people working on substance abuse issues to take a look at what four communities have done to use the health care system as part of a strategy to address substance abuse. The four communities are Vallejo (California), Santa Barbara (California), Little Rock…

Outlines a community action process that American Indian communities could use to develop their own drug and alcohol abuse prevention programs. Describes a community prevention system framework developed by the Office of Substance Abuse Prevention. Compares the community empowerment system with the agency-directed service delivery model. (SV)

The experiences of the Windsor, Ontario, Canada, chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), in its development and progress through the grief-anger-social action continuum, are described. This article also portrays a model for problem resolution which emphasizes incorporating the respective strengths and efficiencies of self-help groups and…

Substance abuse has long been recognized as a precipitating factor in many domestic violence incidents. The main type of substance abuse is alcohol usage. Forty-six percent of the offenders reported being dependent on or abusing alcohol, while another 28% were found to be dependent on opiates, cocaine, marijuana, or inhalants. Nearly two-fifths of…

This guide is designed to be a catalyst for social change, and to transform attitudes, policies, and services concerned with suicide prevention to reflect current knowledge. It involves a comprehensive and integrated approach to reducing the loss and suffering from suicide and suicidal behaviors in the United States. Representing the combined work…

A series of meetings with leaders from six communities explored how efforts to reduce substance abuse may be affecting race relations. Leaders from these communities, located in Los Angeles (California), Mobile (Alabama), Gallup (New Mexico), Kansas City (Missouri), San Francisco (California), and Vallejo (California), spoke about discord between…

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…

Explores the most effective strategy roles that coalitions can play in the prevention of complex, entrenched, social and health problems such as violence, alcoholism, and other substance abuse problems. The paper also outlines the key internal capacities a coalition will need in order to establish a support system for prevention initiatives. (GR)

A conference in Washington, D.C., brought together leaders from six communities to share their strategies to mobilize residents to fight substance abuse problems. The actions taken by community groups and leaders in the following cities are described: Portland (Oregon); Hampton (Virginia); Baltimore (Maryland); New Haven (Connecticut); Newark (New…

This paper describes the multidisciplinary group therapy teams that provide services to older persons in board and care residences in the catchment area of Thalians (California) Community Mental Health Center. It reports on the manner in which the decision to form teams was arrived at, the process by which the teams were established, and the…