The Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist role covers Musselshell County. This position is federally funded and distributed throughout the state on a regional basis. Region III has partnered with the Mental Health Center (Billings, MT) to bring prevention specialists to each of the counties within the South Central Region of Montana. They look forward to helping support, build, and sustain a healthy and safe community for all members.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION
MUSSELSHELL COUNTY
PREVENTION SPECIALIST ROLE
PREVENTION SPECIALIST ROLE
- Prevention is a science that creates long-term environmental change.
- The goal of substance use prevention is to prevent the onset of substance use (underage use) and reduce the progression of substance abuse. By strengthening the comprehensive prevention approach, we will begin to see environmental changes throughout our community to help protect and support our residents.
HOW DOES SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION WORK?
- Successful prevention meets community members where they are now. It does not enforce change but instead unites people to start conversations, educate, and grow together.
- Prevention fosters collaboration between community partners and school resources to assess issues, develop an action plan, implement evidence-based programs, and monitor progress.
- Prevention educates all community members – with specific focus on at-risk youth – about substance abuse and other high risk behaviors while providing the skills needed to make positive choices.
- Prevention identifies and reduces risk factors throughout the community and implements protective factors to help prevent early onset substance use.
WHAT WILL PREVENTION LOOK LIKE?
- Building a community coalition with the support of teachers, law enforcement, commerce, commissioners, non-profits, parents, youth, and mental health resources.
- Reducing 30-day youth alcohol use (measured by PNA).
- Reducing 30-day youth marijuana use (measured by PNA).
- Reducing 30-day adult binge drinking (measured by BRFSS).