Prevention

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Prevention Resource Centers

Prevention Resource Centers (PRC) are the primary source of technical assistance support for community coalitions. The goal of the PRC is to facilitate development of teams capable of making changes in substance use patterns in their community. Each PRC has a prevention specialist who works directly with the teams in his or her area and assists with the development of teams and task forces in communities that desire to develop one.

Find a PRC in your area

PRC Accomplishments

For more information on a specific PRC:

Community Partnership of the Ozarks

FCC Behavioral Health

First Call Alcohol/Drug Prevention & Recovery

Compass Health/Pathways Community Behavioral Healthcare

Preferred Family Healthcare, Inc.

Prevention Consultants of Missouri

PreventEd

Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health

Southeast Missouri State University

Tri-County Mental Health Services

Missouri Prevention Strategic Plan

Missouri Prevention Strategic Plan

The Division of Behavioral Health (DBH), formerly the Divisions of Alcohol and Drug Abuse and Comprehensive Psychiatric Services, provides services through a network of contractors who operate alcohol and drug use prevention programs. The Division monitors these providers and their staff, who must meet certification standards. Preventing substance use not only prevents the tragic consequences of addiction, but allows for better use of the limited resources available to the Division of Behavioral Health. Therefore, the Division strives to reduce the number of persons needing treatment through an extensive prevention effort. In Missouri, prevention is implemented through the following programs and services:

Community Coalitions

Community coalitions are a network of volunteer, community teams who focus on alcohol and tobacco and other drug (ATOD) issues as a part of a broad mission and/or array of services. Organization and development of community coalitions was initiated in 1987. Each team is composed of community volunteers from the area served. Teams receive technical assistance and training from the Prevention Resource Center on a variety of topics related to organization development and implementation of prevention strategies.

Community Coalition Registration Policy and Process

Community Coalition Application

Community Coalition Data Update Form

List of Registered Coalitions

Direct Prevention Services

Direct programs /services are prevention education and early intervention activities provided to designated children, youth and families. These services involve structured programming and/or a curriculum, have multiple sessions, include pre- and post-testing, and address identified risk and protective factors. Direct programs/services may also involve a variety of activities, including informational sessions and training and/or technical assistance activities with groups.

Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri provides an after-school mentoring program at Loyola. Loyola is a Catholic middle school for boys who have the potential for college preparatory high school work, but who are at risk due to social or economic factors. The current program schedules a weekly 1.5 hour session with mentors and students of each grade level (6-8) throughout the school year. The sessions include homework, sports or alternative activities and field trips. Loyola administration requested a program emphasis on issues such as bullying and hygiene, which have been incorporated into program planning. Citigroup sponsors an online Financial Literacy program which is implemented during the weekly sessions with mentors.

Burrell Center

Burrell implements the evidence-based curricula Too Good for Drugs and Too Good for Violence from the Mendez Foundation. Supplemental materials are also utilized from organizations such as NIDA, SAMHSA, Human Relations Media, and The Bureau for at Risk Youth. The focus of the prevention groups is to educate youths on social skills that promote confidence and honesty in order to better prepare them to resist negative peer pressures. Groups are primarily facilitated in the school setting. The target population served is comprised of youth from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Socioeconomic status of group participants varies at each site, however, the majority of group participants fall in the lower-middle socioeconomic class to lower socioeconomic class. Participants are identified by a teacher, counselor, parent, and or principal, and referred for prevention groups with parent/guardian permission.

The curriculum is currently offered in the following schools in Springfield and Branson: Cedar Ridge Primary, Cedar Ridge Elementary, Cedar Ridge Intermediate, Buchanan Elementary, Buchanan Intermediate, and Branson Jr. High, Bingham Elementary, Strafford Middle School, Reed Academy, Milano House, Republic Middle School, Willard Middle School, Weller Elementary, Robberson Community School, and Salvation Army Summer Day Camp.

DeafLEAD

DeafLEAD provides education, advocacy, crisis intervention services, counseling and other direct services for the deaf, hard of hearing, hearing, late-deafened and deaf-blind with comprehensive, unified and continuous support by enhancing socio-emotional development, effective communication and leadership through education and research. DeafLEAD implements a statewide Teen Institute (TI) for the deaf and hard of hearing youth ages 12-19. A toll-free 24-hour crisis line for deaf, hard of hearing, and anyone working with the deaf or hard of hearing is also available.

First Call Alcohol/Drug Prevention & Recovery

The How to Cope program, developed by First Call, was designed to offer education, support, awareness, and help to individuals who are affected by another person's abuse of alcohol or drugs. The participants in the course are typically 18 years old or older. The goals of the program are to develop an awareness of alcoholism and drug addiction as a family disease and for families to regain balance in their lives. The participants are ultimately shown how to live a healthier and more self-empowered lifestyle.

Lincoln University

Lincoln University implements the Youth Development/Kid’s Beat program. The Kid’s Beat mission is to enrich and empower youth in geographically and economically depressed areas. Kid’s Beat inspires students to reach their fullest potential through education and prevention activities aimed at elevating self-esteem, confidence and self-improvement; empowering youth and communities; and the prevention of substance use (illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco) and teen pregnancy. The targeted prevention activities are designed to promote leadership development, conflict resolution, self-esteem, and interpersonal relationships, as well as acquisition and application of knowledge and resources for substance use prevention. The Kid’s Beat program serves high-risk youth aged 4-18 in the Missouri Bootheel counties of Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Cape Girardeau, Scott, and Butler.

Missouri Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs

The Missouri Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs (Alliance) is a nonprofit organization of 14 affiliate club sites in Missouri that focus exclusively on increasing the life prospects of children and youth ages 5-18 from disadvantaged circumstances. The Alliance provides the youth with the opportunity to participate in life-enhancing experiences in five broad domains which include: character and leadership development, education and career development, health and life skills, the arts, and sports, fitness, and recreation. The Alliance implements the Skills Mastery Resistance Training (SMART) Moves curriculum and the Meth SMART program at all 14 sites. The SMART Moves curriculum is a nationally acclaimed, comprehensive prevention program that helps young people ages 6 through 15 learn to resist alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and avoid premature sexual activity. The Meth SMART program is a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach that is an extension of the SMART Moves prevention program that is designed to help youth ages 6 through 18 understand how to achieve life goals without succumbing to the threat of drugs, particularly methamphetamine.

Missouri Police Chief's Charitable Foundation

DARE officers are trained.

Partners in Prevention

Partners in Prevention (PIP) is Missouri’s higher education substance use consortium dedicated to creating healthy and safe college campuses. The coalition is comprised of 24 public and private college and university campuses across the state. PIP’s mission is to create a campus, city, and state environment that supports positive health and safety behaviors by the college students who attend higher education institutions in the state of Missouri. PIP’s primary focus is on decreasing at-risk drinking by students on Missouri’s college and university campuses. In addition to PIP’s work with high risk drinking, Partners in Prevention also provides technical assistance and support to campuses on issues such as underage drinking, suicide prevention and college student mental health, safe driving behaviors, problem gambling, and tobacco cessation and prevention.

Prevention Consultants

Prevention Consultants of Missouri implements Mentoring Makes a Difference, which is a one-on-one mentoring program that provides a positive, caring, adult that is matched with a referred, at risk child. The program includes kids ages six through 14. The mentor and mentee meet one hour a week in a supervised setting for a minimum of one year. The Mentoring Makes a Difference Program not only works to provide a positive influence on the life of a participating child through mentoring, it also provides family involvement activities.

School-Based Prevention Intervention and Resource IniTiative (SPIRIT)

In 2002, the Missouri Department of Mental Health's (DMH) Division of Behavioral Health (DBH) launched the School-based Prevention Intervention and Resources IniTiative (SPIRIT). This project proposes to delay the onset and decrease the use of substances, improve overall school performance, and reduce incidents of violence. To achieve these goals, prevention agencies are paired with participating school districts to provide technical assistance in implementing evidence-based substance use prevention programming and referral and assessment services as needed. SPIRIT currently operates in four sites serving 13 school districts across the state, including Carthage, Reeds Springs, Taneyville, New Madrid R1, South Pemiscot Co R-V, Knox County, Scotland County, Macon, South Shelby, La Plata, North Andrew, Kirksville, and Ritenour. The project offers a variety of evidence-based prevention programs selected by the districts.

SPIRIT Reports

SPIRIT Partners

Community Partnership of the Ozarks

Includes Carthage, Reed Springs, and Taneyville School Districts

FCC Behavioral Health

Includes New Madrid R1 and South Pemiscot Co R-V School Districts

Preferred Family Healthcare

Includes Knox County, Scotland County, Macon, South Shelby, La Plata, North Andrew and Kirksville School Districts

PreventEd

Includes Ritenour School District

Reaching Youth at Risk for Substance Use and Misuse

Public Education Campaign

Merchant Education

The Missouri Division of Behavioral Health (DBH) has engaged in comprehensive statewide efforts to educate merchants on the state's tobacco laws. Various educational activities, including retailer visits, are conducted throughout the state by contracted Prevention Resource Centers (PRC). Merchant education is provided to retailers to help Missouri keep its Synar rate under 20 percent.

Retailer Best Practices

ID Checking Guides

Federal and State Regulations

Tobacco Signage

Synar Amendment

Selling to Minors: RSMo 407.924-407.934

Legal Age to Sell Tobacco: RSMo 294.040

Training

Retailer tobacco training is available through the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC). For more information, please visit ATC's website at https://atc.dps.mo.gov/.

Please contact the Division of Behavioral Health at 573-751-4942 if you would like information on State Law Signs.

FDA Draft Guidance for Industry: Tobacco Retailer Training Programs

Prevention Reports / Prevention Resources