Prevention
Prevention is the pro-active process of creating and sustaining conditions that address risk and promote the safety, personal responsibility and well-being of people. Primary prevention programs in the areas of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs are aimed at educating individuals and communities on alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse and providing activities to reduce the risk of such abuse. Primary prevention programs shall include strategies that are developed to meet the needs and the conditions of both individuals and communities.
Gateway Community Services provides a wide array of prevention services to Great Falls and the surrounding communities. It is our mission to provide all members of the community with pertinent information to assist in making healthy choices regarding alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
What is a "Best Practice Program"?
Many of the projects that Gateway Community Services sponsors are "Best Practice Programs". These are strategies and programs that have been shown through substantial research and evaluation to be effective in preventing and/ or delaying substance abuse. The National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA), the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), the National Center for the Advancement of Prevention (NCAP), National Office of Juvenile Justice and Deliquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the Department of Education delegated programs to be "Best Practices."
Prevention Strategies
Information Dissemination: one way communication from the source to the audience, with limited contact between the two. This strategy provides awareness and knowledge of the extent of alcohol, tobacco & other drug use, abuse and addiction as they affect individuals, families and communities. It also provides knowledge and awareness of available prevention programs and services.
Education: This strategy involves two way communications and is distinguished from information dissemination by a high level of on-going interaction between the facilitator and the participants. Education aims to affect critical life and social skills, including decision making, refusal skills, critical analysis and systematic judgment.
Problem Identification and Referral: This strategy aims at identification of those who have begun experimantation with illegal use of alcohol, prescription/ over-the-counter medications, tobacco and/ or illicit drugs in order to assess if their behavior can be reversed through education.
Community Based Process: This strategy aims to enhance the ability of the community to more effectively provide alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention services. Activities used in this strategy include organizing, planning, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness of services, implementation, inter-agency collaboration, coalition building, training, technical assistance and networking which will improve a community's prevention system.
Environmental: This strategy establishes or changes written and unwritten community standards, codes or attributes thereby influencing incidence and prevalance of alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse in the general population.
Gateway Community Services works collaboratively with other local organizations to bring you many prevention activities. Our community participation expands many projects, a variety of programs and community representation. The activites we create are designed to offer anti-drug and tobacco messages.
Activites
Community Participation
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Healthy Youth Coalition
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DUI Task Force
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Tobacco Free Communities
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United Way
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Safe Kids Safe Communities
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Underage Drinking Task Force
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Montana Meth Project
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Cascade County Suicide Prevention Task Force
Training Available
Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Training
On staff we have a certified trainer of trainers for Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Training (SAPST). SAPST was developed to introduce beginning prevention professionals to the fundamentals of prevention. Topics that are explored during the training include: Prevention Research, Prevention Program Planning, Evaluation, Cultural Context and Ethics of Prevention, Human Development in Prevention and the Media in Prevention.
Media Literacy Training
On staff we also have a trainer of trainers for Media Literacy. Media Literacy is the ability to analyze and de-code media messages. Media Literacy education teaches people to ASSESS, ANALYZE, EVALUATE and PRODUCE media messages. Many studies suggest that such education can produce children and adolescents who are less vulnerable to the powerful impact of media messages. Children who understand the motivations and production techniques of media are less likely to adopt the destructive attitudes and behaviors that are depicted in the media.
Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR)
We also have a certified QPR trainer on staff who offers QPR Training which is designed for broad dissemination of information and knowledge, as well as specific skills in how to intervene in a potential suicide crisis.
Presentations
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Drug & Alcohol Awareness
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Suicide Prevention
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Wellness
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Boundaries
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Signs of Abuse
Regional Alcohol and Drug Awareness Resource (RADAR) Network Site
This is a resource that Gateway Community Services offers to the community. The RADAR Network is sponsored by the Center of Substance Abuse Prevention's information component, the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI). We offer free brochures with a focus on treatment, prevention and wellness. We also have materials such as posters, books, videos/ DVD's, games and presentations to be checked out.
For more information about Prevention Services, contact Dana Geary at dana@gatewayrecovery.org or by calling (406) 727-2512.
