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BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PREVENTION
WHAT IS PREVENTION?
Prevention is the act of intervening before an individual, a group of individuals, or a community experiences a crisis. By increasing community and family supports, decreasing risk factors, and enacting key policy changes, prevention has the potential to alter the behaviors of a community for the greater good. Prevention works most effectively when it functions in collaboration with treatment and recovery providers (such as clinical healthcare professionals), school districts, law enforcement, and other community partners.
WHY IT MATTERS TO PUBLIC HEALTH
Public health is the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. This work is achieved by promoting healthy lifestyles, researching disease and injury prevention, and detecting and responding to, community needs.
Skagit County Public Health seeks to prevent behavioral health disorders from developing in our community by implementing educational programs, administering services, recommending/developing policy change, and conducting research.
COMMUNITY WELLNESS PREVENTION INITIATIVE
In 2011, the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery launched the Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative (CPWI) to provide substance abuse prevention services and strategies through local coalitions in high-need communities. Communities have proven to be an effective, dynamic mechanism for bringing evidence-based policies and programs to scale, thereby improving public health.
In Skagit County, we have 3 CPWI Coalitions established, which are actively implementing prevention strategies in our community!
TALKING POINTS
There is no quick or simple solution for protecting your child against exposure to substances that are dangerous for their developing brains and bodies. However, research shows that parents have a significant influence on their children’s behavior and actions, even when it may not seem that way. It is important to talk openly with your children and stay actively engaged in their lives.
To help you get started, we have created “Talking Points” for parents and caregivers on five topics; including, Mental Health, Alcohol, Tobacco, Opioids, & Marijuana. These Talking Points have been created for parents and caregivers of children Kindergarten through High School-age.
We hope that these useful tips will help Skagit County parents to engage with their kids in order to increase healthy dialogue, decrease risky youth behavior, and potentially prevent future substance use and/or mental health disorders from developing.
Please contact health@co.skagit.wa.us for more information.
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