Risk and protective factors are a set of influences that can be present in the individual, family, social/peer and community/society domains. Risk factors found in society include discrimination, marginalization, and poverty. Societal protective factors include culture and religion.

The Behavioral Health Treatment Needs Assessment Toolkit is intended to provide states and other payers with information on the prevalence and use of behavioral health services; step-by-step instructions to generate projections of utilization under insurance expansions; and factors to consider when deciding the appropriate mix of behavioral health benefits, services, and providers to meet the needs of newly eligible populations. The Toolkit was developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Governments, schools, foundations, and nonprofit organizations fund programs to improve outcomes for children and youth, so it is important that these programs actually achieve their desired outcomes.

Use this chart to summarize your review of strategic planning processes. Key findings from this review, and from your review of prevention interventions (see Tool 2), will help you set sound sustainability goals for your community (see Tool 3).

As the first step in the Strategic Prevention Framework, the assessment process involves the collection of data to define the problems, resources and readiness of a community to address needs and gaps in service.

Phase 1 of the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) focuses on understanding the pressing substance use issues. Key activities include gathering data to understand problems, choosing a problem of practice, and assessing community readiness to address the problem of practice.

Implementation Toolkit

Noble SWAT Drug Free Communities’ mission is to build community partnerships to
prevent substance abuse, engage families and empower youth to positively impact our
community. Noble SWAT DFC is youth lead – adult guided.

Plan template

Effective prevention practices just don’t sustain themselves. To produce and maintain positive substance misuse prevention outcomes, communities and organizations need to sustain the prevention practices responsible for those outcomes. These include implementing: Effective strategic planning processes and Interventions that work.

Effective prevention efforts focus on impacting the individual, peers, families, and the overall community environment. It is the role of coalitions to reduce substance misuse in the larger community by implementing comprehensive, multi-strategy approaches using a public health approach to prevention.

Prevention sustain abilities: planning for success Sustainibility planning checklist