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Structure of Oregon's Prevention System
The State of Oregon focuses on alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention strategies and activities that:
- Educate and advise individuals or groups on ATOD use and problems.
- Provide for activities to reduce the risk of such use and abuse by individuals or populations.
- Give priority to programs for populations at risk of developing problems due to the use of alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs.
- Develop community-based strategies for the prevention of such abuse, including strategies to reduce the use of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products by youth.
Fostering Community-Based Prevention Statewide
County Prevention Teams
County prevention teams in every one of Oregon's 36 counties continue to work with schools and other interested groups and organizations on locally developed objectives and outcomes which describe the amount and type of services to be delivered.
Oregon Together!
In 1989-90, OADAP, in collaboration with the University of Washington Social Development Research Group (SDRG), launched a community mobilization project entitled "Oregon Together!-Communities that Care." To date, there are approximately 70 Oregon Together! communities that have been trained in risk-focused prevention and are working collaboratively with existing community organizations to develop or implement programs that fill gaps and reduce risks, or increase protective factors, for youth in their communities. There are several ethnic communities included in the project.
Department of Education (USED) Funded Programs
This funding is contracted primarily through counties to serve youth in schools with primary goals of preventing and intervening in alcohol and other drug use. The types of services provided with these funds include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Students assistance programs designed to identify youths with behavioral problems due to their own alcohol/drug use, or that of a close family member, and to provide them with appropriate intervention services;
- Teacher training and in-service around effective alcohol/drug prevention and/or early intervention efforts, including policy development, curricula and drug-free alternatives;
- Community development programs designed to reduce the demand for alcohol and other drugs, especially among youth populations.
- Peer education and peer helper/counseling development--programs to enlist the aid of young people in serving others.
Coordination of Local Efforts
Traffic Safety
Mini-grant funds to Oregon Together! communities to enhance efforts to reduce impaired driving. Activities vary from community to community, but may include overtime enforcement, prevention/intervention programs, school activities, and community education.
DHS Risk-Focused Prevention Task Force
OADAP staff, with the support of local entities, have been facilitating the activities of the "Risk-Focused Prevention Task Force". The goal of the Task Force is to "implement risk-focused prevention initiatives for the reduction of adolescent alcohol and other drug abuse, delinquency, teen pregnancy, school drop-out and teen violence throughout the divisions of the Department." Already many DHS employees have been educated about risk/protective factors, and are attempting to integrate this information into both their work and their family lives.
Oregon Teen Leadership Institute
The Oregon Teen Leadership Institute (OTLI) is a six-day camp in which teams of youth and adults become actively involved in learning, planning, and implementing prevention programs in their schools and communities. Camp participants conduct regional training events and other prevention activities throughout the year. Approximately 600 youths are trained each biennium in prevention strategies and leadership skills.
Statewide Prevention Conference
The Office conducts annual statewide prevention conferences for over 700 individuals each year. The conference includes dissemination of the latest prevention/early intervention program models and research reports and the development of year-long action plans by each county prevention team to be carried out in each of the participating communities. Expansion of risk factor-based planning and protective factor strategies are now emphasized extensively.
Increasing Awareness & Understanding
Partnership for a Drug-Free Oregon--State Alliance Effort
In January of 1992, Partnership for a Drug-Free Oregon was launched to bring to a local level the award-winning anti-drug messages of Partnership for a Drug-Free America. A statewide committee of media, advertising, and public relations representatives, community coalition leaders, and prevention professionals meet regularly to guide the statewide media campaign. The goal of the project is to change attitudes and behaviors toward illegal drugs through visible, coordinated statewide media efforts. Partnership for a Drug-Free Oregon exemplifies a true partnership between the public and private sectors. The private sector provides professionals in advertising and public relations to advise the project, and media (both electronic and print) provide free air time and space for the ads. Ultimately prevention efforts can best be won at the local level. Partnership for a Drug-Free Oregon is providing a coordinated use of media and materials to reinforce positive community norms and values through local media messages.
Oregon Prevention and Treatment Resource Center--OPTRC
OPTRC was established for the purpose of assisting communities, groups, and individuals within the State of Oregon in developing and providing effective prevention programming. The staff at OPTRC is responsible for meeting the growing demand for technical assistance and consultation in the alcohol/drug abuse prevention and treatment areas. Requests for technical assistance are received several times a day from schools, agencies, local community volunteers, businesses, religious organizations, parent groups, and others with an interest in reducing the levels of drug and alcohol use in our state.
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