# Presentation: 333838

## “Substance Abuse Prevention Across the Lifespan”

- Prevention Fellowship Program
*Orientation and Training*
- March 18, 2006
- Washington, DC
- Joe Wiese, Director

## Substance Abuse Prevention across the lifespan is a NEW phenomenon to many states and communities.

- Substance Abuse Prevention ***across the lifespan*** is a *NEW* phenomenon to many states and communities.

## Why Be Concerned About Health Across the Lifespan

- Need to understand the influence of social and health determinants as predictors of population and individual health (environment, access)
- Social determinants of health structure will determine population health, behavior and services utilization
- Social determinants of health will influence health from early life (aging, education, social safety net, lifestyle series, employment, income, wellness and access)

- Contributed by Tania Garcia, CSAP’s Northeast CAPT March 06

## Traditionally, Substance Abuse Prevention has been done in silos:

- Education, such as Safe and Drug-Free Schools Programs
- Prevention programs funded by SAPT Block Grants
- Criminal Justice
- Early Childhood including Head start;
- Well baby programs
- Mental health
- Treatment, etc.

## Substance Use and Abuse is a Public Health issue!

- (and, must be addressed as such)

## “Prevention” Across the Lifespan has been an integral part of many public health programs:

- Suicide prevention
- Disease prevention
- Obesity/nutrition
- Diabetes prevention
- Child abuse prevention
- Injury prevention
- Cardiovascular health

## Substance Abuse Prevention Across the Lifespan is:

- A ***Shift in Thinking***;
- A ***Shift in Policy*** driven by the adoption of SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF)

## SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework Steps

- Assessment

- Capacity

- Planning

- Implementation

- Evaluation

## State Epidemiological WorkgroupsINFUSING DATA ACROSS SPF

- STEP 1: Identify problems and set priorities.
- STEP 2: Evaluate and mobilize capacity for change.
- STEP 3: Link assessment findings to planning priorities/targets and resource allocations.
- STEP 4: Guide selection of effective strategies for implementation that address target problems.
- STEP 5: Monitor key milestones; evaluate and feed data into continuous quality improvement process.

**Notes:**
SEW operationalizes the SPF SIG goal to use data across all steps of the Strategic Prevention Framework – 
1.
2.
3. Helps to inform and anchor problem identification and goal setting
4.
5. Informs ongoing monitoring and evaluation efforts

## Developmentally Appropriate Prevention

- Address all stages of human emotional, social and moral development from infancy to adulthood
- Take into account the developmental level of your participants, which may _not_ be their chronological age
- People experience increased stress and conflict when transitioning from one stage to another; focus prevention efforts here

- National CAPT Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Training Curriculum, Pilot Version – 12/05

## It is commonly accepted that individuals are at highest risk for substance use & abuse at “transition” points in their life and at “key” stages across the lifespan cycle 

- It is commonly accepted that individuals are at highest risk for substance use & abuse at “transition” points in their life and at “key” stages across the lifespan cycle

## Prevention Across the Lifespan (cycle)

| Prenatal | 
Early Childhood/
School age
 | Adolescent | Young Adult | Adult | Elderly |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Utero exposure
Poor nutrition
Active use/abuse
Social and family conditions

Substances used by parent:
Alcohol, heroin, cocaine, meth, prescription drugs, smoking, etc. | Risk/Protective
Social and family conditions
Parent active use/abuse
Poor nutrition
Violence/abuse
Environmental influence
Socioeconomics
Parent Education

Substances used by parent:
Alcohol, cocaine, heroin, meth, etc; smoking, etc.
 | Risk/Protective Factors
Experimentation
Peer influence
Underage drinking
Mental Health Issues
School Performance
Academic Success
Income/family relations
Sexuality and mental health development
Self esteem and social behaviors
Substances used by parent:
*Marijuana, smoking, meth, inhalants, club drugs, alcohol, etc. | Risk/Protective Factors
College transition
Workforce/income
Social and environmental pressures
Education and social success
Marketing exposure
Mental Health Issues
Abuse AOD
(habit formation of illicit substance abuse
Self medications
Substances:
Alcohol, smoking, prescription drugs, cocaine, heroin, etc.
 | Employment status
Income
Housing
Violent behavior
Use/Abuse
Family relations
Treatment experiences

Substances:
Alcohol, smoking, prescription drugs, heroin, cocaine, etc. | Retirement
Depression
Self medication
Economics
Poor nutrition
Family relations
Treatment experiences

Substances:
Alcohol, smoking, prescription drugs |

- Contributed by Tania Garcia, CSAP’s Northeast CAPT

## Health Promotion Acrossthe Lifespan

**Enable**
**Mediate**
**Implement**

**Strengthen Community Action**

**Develop**
**Personal Skills**

**Creative**
**Supportive**
**Environments**

**Build Healthy Public**** ****Policy/$**

**To Support Service**

**Across the Lifespan**

- Based on Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion

**Strengthen Formal Systems Action**

- Contributed by Tania Garcia, Northest CAPT

## RESOURCES

- SAMHSA’s *Older American Substance Abuse and Mental Health Technical Assistance Center  *_[www.samhsa.gov/OlderAdultsTAC](http://www.samhsa.gov/OlderAdultsTAC)_
- SAMHSA’s *Co-Occurring Center for Excellence*  http://coce.samhsa.gov
- SAMHSA’s *FASD Center for Excellence* _[www.fascenter.samhsa.gov](http://www.fascenter.samhsa.gov/)_
- CSAP’s *Centers for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPTs)*   http://captus.samhsa.gov

## Any Questions?

**Any Questions?**