Substance Misuse Prevention Programs and Policies E282

Course Summary

Practice Level: Intermediate

Policies and preventive interventions for substance misuse benefit the individuals, groups, communities, and populations clinicians serve. Prevention programs are effective in reducing substance-related harms in a wide variety of settings and for a diversity of communities. In addition to substance misuse prevention programs, policy interventions show evidence of successfully limiting specific harms related to substance misuse. Recognizing the value of policy interventions to minimize the consequences of substance use can aid clinicians in advocacy and policy engagement practices as professionals as well as in their personal lives as engaged citizens.

This learning material presents existing evidence-based policies and programs to prevent substance misuse and describes known structures and strategies related to prevention, the language of prevention, and the target outcomes of prevention. This learning material explores successful adaptation of policies across communities to better address relevant factors related to diversity such as race, ethnicity, sexuality, and gender.

It is beneficial for clinicians to understand the best approaches to program evaluation, the importance of thoroughness and collaboration in program protocol development, and how to work within prevention programs at individual and group levels. Clinical examples throughout this learning material connect substance misuse program/policy to the clinician’s real-world work by illustrating effective assessment and treatment planning.

Course Format

This course contains downloadable online lessons (PDF) and a practice test.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the individual and public health effects of substance misuse. 
2. Identify risk and protective factors for substance misuse and their role in planning prevention programs and policies. 
3. Explain types of evidence-based substance misuse prevention interventions.  
4. Recognize diversity considerations as they relate to substance misuse prevention. 
5. Describe evidence-based policies that address substance misuse, along with ways to maximize program and policy effectiveness. 

Course Syllabus

• Introduction
• The Need for Substance Misuse Prevention
  • The Scope of the Problem
  • Risk and Protective Factors
  • Evidence in Support of Prevention Programs and Policies
• Prevention Programs
  • Types of Prevention Interventions
  • Role of Evaluation in Prevention Interventions
  • Prevention Interventions for Children
  • Prevention Interventions for Adolescents and Young Adults
  • Prevention Interventions of Adults and Older Adults
  • Community Coalition Prevention Interventions
• Prevention and Diversity
  • Racial and Ethnic Diversity and Prevention
  • Sexuality and Gender Diversity and Prevention
  • Technology Access and Prevention
• Prevention Policies
  • Policies to Reduce Alcohol Misuse
  • Policies to Reduce Misuse of Other Substances
• Maximizing Program and Policy Effectiveness
• Summary
• References

Author

Jessie Timmons, LCSW

Jessie Timmons, LCSW, is a seasoned therapist and teacher of social work, as well as a practiced advocate for cultural humility and inclusive advocacy. She is a former faculty member of Temple University’s School of Social Work and is a current board member, having served two years as the board president for the Pennsylvania Society for Clinical Social Work (PSCSW). Her teaching and professional development have focused on ethical practice and in particular on making inclusiveness and affirmative advocacy an integral part of the ethical practice of social work and social work education.

Accreditation Approval Statements

CE4Less.com is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CE4Less.com maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

CE4Less.com, provider #1115, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 8/8/24-8/8/27.

Social workers completing this course receive 3 general continuing education credits.

This course has been approved by CE4Less.com, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #91345, CE4Less.com is responsible for all aspects of the programing.

We are committed to providing our learners with unbiased information. CE4Less never accepts commercial support and our authors have no significant financial or other conflicts of interest pertaining to the material.