National Prevention Week is the perfect time to invest in prevention. Community leaders and prevention specialists are standing up to prevent misuse of illegal drugs, opioids, marijuana, tobacco, alcohol, and prevent suicide and mental illness. National Prevention Week provides a chance for schools, communities, and prevention professional to re-focus on prevention efforts.
The three primary goals of National Prevention Week are to:
•Involve communities in raising awareness about behavioral health issues and implementing prevention strategies and showcasing effectiveness of evidence-based prevention programs.
•Foster partnerships and collaboration with federal agencies and national organizations dedicated to behavioral and public health; and
•Promote and disseminate quality behavioral health resources and publications.
Throughout National Prevention Week, Alabama Department of Mental Health’s Office of Prevention is offering virtual opportunities to participate. The daily themes will focus on substance use and mental health disorders. In addition, important fact sheets and webinars will be shared with staff and the public.
Daily themes are
•Wednesday, May 12: Preventing Illicit Drug Use and Youth Marijuana Use
•Thursday, May 13: Preventing Youth Tobacco Use (E-Cigarettes and Vaping) (vaping devices (electronic cigarette) Drug Facts
•Friday, May 14: Preventing Suicide (Suicide Prevention Presentation with Sharon Beeman from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.)
- The suicide prevention presentation will focus on suicide facts and prevention needs in Alabama. The presentation will review risk factors, warning signs, and protective factors from the Question Persuade Refer (QPR) curriculum. In addition, population shifts within the last few years removing access to lethal means will be discussed, along with how to access available resources.
Young adults are encouraged to participate in the #YouthLeadingPrevention Video Challenge by identifying youth leaders in programs and encouraging them to create and post videos to their social media accounts (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) about prevention efforts. Be sure to use the hashtag #YouthLeadingPrevention and follow these steps:
Announce where prevention happens for you in three steps:
•Fill out and sign the pledge
•Take a selfie with the Prevention Happens Here cutout
•Share on social media with #PreventionHappensHere
To learn more about National Prevention Week, visit the ADMH Facebook page and join the #PreventionHappensHere challenge today.