Evidence-Based Substance Use Prevention Programs Provided Remotely to Youth and Young Adults During COVID-19

    ST. AUGUESTINE, FL, September 08, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- During the novel coronavirus outbreak Prevention Plus Wellness (PPW) is providing prevention and health specialists and organizations with new tools and training to ensure essential evidence-based and evidence-informed substance use prevention programs are delivered to youth and young adults across the country and abroad.

These resources and training opportunities include:

1. Free live and recorded training workshops on providing Prevention Plus Wellness programs using remote strategies.
2. Step-by-step protocols for implementing PPW programs online as well as by video and telephone.
3. New Prevention Plus Wellness program manuals and digital downloads with more interactive program slides, remote implementation protocols, and online pre-posttest surveys for monitoring program fidelity and effectiveness.
4. Updated online 2-hour PPW Program Implementer Training for providing PPW programs online as well as face-to-face.
5. Updated online 2-hour Training of Trainer Workshops to address both in-person and online PPW program implementation training.

Prevention Plus Wellness (PPW) offers the only evidence-based screening and brief interventions proven to prevent youth alcohol, cannabis and tobacco use while promoting protective wellness behaviors in powerful and practical one-session programs.

Prevention professionals can use brief PPW interventions to significantly expand their prevention reach to include nearly all youth and young adults, thereby increasing their public health impact throughout a region or state.

PPW programs also address e-cigarette, marijuana and opioid use prevention while encouraging physical activity, healthy nutrition, sleep, stress control, spiritual practices and racial justice behaviors critical for healthy youth development.

"Prevention and health specialists across the country are providing alcohol, vaping, marijuana and opioid use prevention programs to youth and young adults remotely using the new COVID-19 resources" according to Chudley Werch, PhD, President at Prevention Plus Wellness, LLC.

PPW programs are the practical, enjoyable, and cost-effective way to prevent substance use while also addressing chronic disease risks of physical inactivity, unhealthy nutrition, inadequate sleep, uncontrolled stress and racial discrimination among youth and young adults.

PPW programs use a screening and brief intervention approach and can be used as universal, selective or indicated prevention.

Screening and brief interventions have been found effective for up to a year after receipt with adolescents and young adults (Tanner-Smith & Lipsey, 2015), including Prevention Plus Wellness screening and brief interventions (Werch, et al., 2005; 2010).

PPW interventions are implemented in three simple steps:

1. Increase youths' health behavior awareness by having them complete a screening survey assessing their current substance use and substance use risk factors and wellness behaviors,
2. Motivate youth to improve their health behaviors by using a scripted protocol and PowerPoint slides to provide positive image feedback linking wellness and substance use behaviors for youth in-person or online, and
3. Increase youth self-regulation skills by assisting them to set and monitor goals to avoid substance use AND increase protective wellness behaviors.

Learn more about Prevention Plus Wellness COVID-19 resources, programs and training: https://preventionpluswellness.com/pages/covid-19-ppw-resources

References:

Tanner-Smith EE, Lipsey MW. Brief alcohol interventions for adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2015;51:1-18. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2014.09.001

Werch CC, Moore MJ, DiClemente CC, Bledsoe R, Jobli E. A multihealth behavior intervention integrating physical activity and substance use prevention for adolescents. Prev Sci. 2005;6(3):213-226. doi:10.1007/s11121-005-0012-3

Werch CE, Moore MJ, Bian H, et al. Are effects from a brief multiple behavior intervention for college students sustained over time?. Prev Med. 2010;50(1-2):30-34. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2009.12.010

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