The division continues to support the risk and protective factor framework for prevention services planning. During the 1995-97 Biennium, the division took steps to prepare the county prevention specialists to develop county prevention action plans based on the risk and protective factor framework which includes outcome and process evaluations. While most counties had a prevention coordinator on staff, very few tribes had prevention staffs at all. Tribal projects were implemented by volunteers, or staff members stretching their limits to plan, design, implement, and evaluate the effort. Stretching their professional and personal capacity, community volunteers made the effort to learn some of the latest prevention approaches and methodologies.
Tribal communities have a focus on the future in their efforts.
In Indian Country, it has been said that community healing IS prevention. Tribal communities benefit greatly from projects that bring multi-generational groups together to learn and talk. The objectives are many and far-reaching. The division's prevention program supports legislative efforts to reduce early initiation and misuse of substances, including regulating alcohol and tobacco advertising and levying taxes on their sale. The division supports the restriction of the use of tobacco products at chemical dependency treatment facilities.