What is Prevention?
The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) defines prevention in the following way:
“Prevention promotes constructive lifestyles that discourage drug abuse and promotes development of social environments that facilitate drug-free lifestyles. As applied to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD), prevention means keeping the many problems related to the use and abuse of these substances from occurring.”
Lehigh County Drug & Alcohol Abuse Services contracts with local Providers for Prevention Based Programs in our schools. Here's what's happening:
Center for Humanistic Change - provides educational and informational programs to prevent substance abuse. Programs include: life skills for adults and youth, parenting education, violence prevention, and alternative activities for teens and education targeted to avert drug and alcohol involvement. Programs and trainings are offered in the schools and community as classroom programs, small groups and one-time presentations. All center programs have one goal - to provide life skills training and education for healthy living.
555 Union Boulevard, Suite 7 Allentown, PA 18109 Phone: (610) 443-1595
Valley Youth House - drug and alcohol prevention, education and information services are provided in the elementary, middle, high schools and in the community. Services are provided through both small group format and classroom presentation models with a focus on effective and factual education. Creative processes such as art and dance are implemented with certain populations to help develop and enhance social and refusal skills.
3400 High Point Boulevard Bethlehem, PA 18017 Phone: (610) 954-9561
In addition to the Prevention Programs, Lehigh County Drug & Alcohol Abuse Services contracts with a local Provider to function as a liaison to the schools
Student Assistant Programs (SAP).
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Student Assistance Program (SAP), is designed to assist school personnel in identifying issues including alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, and mental health issues which pose a barrier to a student’s success. The primary goal of the Student Assistance Program (SAP) is to help students overcome these barriers in order that they may achieve, remain in school, and advance. While Student Assistance Programs exist in other areas of the country, the structure and operation of the program in Pennsylvania is a unique expression of an integrated model serving the needs of, Pennsylvania families and their students.
SAP is a systemic process using techniques to mobilize school resources to remove barriers to learning. The core of the program is a professionally trained team, including school staff and liaisons from community alcohol and drug and mental health agencies. SAP team members are trained to identify problems, determine whether or not the presenting problem lies within the responsibility of the school and to make recommendations to assist the student and the parent. When the problem lies beyond the scope of the school, the SAP team will assist the parent and student so they may access services within the community. The student assistance team members do not diagnose, treat or refer to treatment; but they may refer for a screening or an assessment for treatment.
Lehigh County SAP liaison services are performed by the Center for Humanistic Change. For a listing of what Prevention Programs are being taught in our schools, click here.