Prevention First

About Us

Mission and Vision
Our Mission: PreventionFIRST! implements best practice strategies to reduce the risk of behavioral health disorders.

Our Vision: All communities apply prevention strategies in every stage of life.

Core Values
Collaboration
Engage with local coalitions and individuals

Empowerment
Help people find their role in prevention

Evidence-based
Decisions/programs based on data and need

Enduring
Long-term, lasting resource for the community

Our Goals
Ensure data-driven decision-making for prevention action

- Measure the impact of our work & that of our partners
- Conduct a biannual Student Survey
- Produce comprehensive assessments to understand problems & related social consequences
- Evaluate short/long term outcomes

Strengthen & support community level substance use/misuse prevention efforts

- Establish new and support developing coalitions
- Provide evidence-based prevention training/technical assistance to communities & partners
- Identify, build, and maintain relationships with organizations doing prevention work

Promote collaboration across community sectors to implement evidence-based prevention

- Implement prevention strategies to change social acceptability, access/availability, media messaging/promotion, and policy/enforcement
- Focus efforts on identified substance use/misuse problems among youth: underage drinking, marijuana use & prescription/over-the-counter drug misuse