Changing The Conversation
Youth substance use prevention has long focused on raising awareness of the risks of specific substances. But the evidence around what works has shifted.
In partnership with the public health voice of substance prevention—the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Addiction Services—we set out to transform the prevention resource landscape in Massachusetts by creating a prevention curriculum that is valuable and actionable. Content that is grounded in the lived experiences of parents and informed by the wisdom of practioners and thought leaders in the field.
The Research
To inform a strategic approach for this new curriculum, we assessed the existing landscape of prevention information, identified parents beliefs and behaviors related to substance use prevention and social emotional learning; and captured promising practices from experts in the field and their recommendations for resources.
Our research resulted in the following insights:
Even though experts agree that Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is integral to substance use prevention, there’s a gap in resources that clearly connect the two.
To parents, SEL skills most often mean knowing how to interact with others and process emotions in healthy ways; yet there are variations among certain groups.
Parents feel a strong sense of responsibility to teach their children SEL skills and how to avoid substance use, but they don’t have a roadmap to follow
While parents are invested in their children’s social and emotional learning from a young age, they are reluctant to talk about substance use with their children until they are older.
There is variation in beliefs about SEL and substance use prevention, but there are three areas of common ground: cultivating a sense of purpose, encouraging communication, and teaching strategies to recognize and regulate emotions.
Our Theory of Change
When youth are equipped with skills around resilience and healthy decision-making, they are better protected against substance use. Through strategic communication, we can make it easier or trusted adults to teach, and or youth to embody these skills in their daily lives.
A Unifying Framework
Prevention works—and it starts within. It isn’t something that happens to us, but something that we do. It comes from building and maintaining an internal toolbox of skills that cultivate resilience and help us make healthy decisions, now and in the future. And prevention is teachable. That’s why we need to make it easier or parents and other trusted adults to grow those skills with the youth in their lives and put prevention into action. Because prevention is in all of us, and always will be.
Prevention Works: We know it’s a scary world out there, but we also know that prevention works. We may not be able to be there all the time, but we have the power to help the youth in our lives make the right choices when it counts.
Prevention Starts Within: Youth have the ability to prevent substance use. And those skills need to be strengthened over time through practice with support from the people they trust the most. The best thing we can do for youth is help them build and maintain an inner toolbox of skills that they can rely on for the rest of their lives.
Prevention is Teachable: All the skills that youth need to prevent substance use are things that can be taught, developed, and strengthened over time through open communication. And it’s never too young to start the conversation.
Prevention Relies on Partnerships: Prevention is a life-long journey. And nobody can go it alone. It’s up to you to give youth the support they need to learn and perfect these skills. That’s how we’ll set them up to tackle almost any situation that comes their way—now and in the future.
The Curriculum
Based on our research, we compiled a series of core competencies and associated skills that youth can learn and develop over time to achieve wellbeing and prevent substance use.
Competences — These are the overarching areas that support an individual’s wellbeing and improves their livelihood.
We need to address the multiple factors that impact health and behavior: characteristics at the individual level, the influence of relationships, organizations, and settings within the communtiy, and social and cultural norms
Skills — These are the actionable abilities that an individual can learn and develop over time to help them achieve wellbeing.
We need to promote, learn, and apply core skills that address the underlying causes of substance use and protect youth against risky behavior.
Core Competencies
Positive Identity and Self-awareness: Focusing on cultivating internal characteristics and values and building the assets youth need to be their best selves.
Social Awareness: Focusing on equipping youth with the supports they need to interact effectively with those around them.
Community Mindset: Focusing on empowering youth to care about and actively engage with their communities and value collective action.
Skills
Positive Identity and Self-awareness Skills
Recognizing + regulating emotions: Youth are equipped to recognize, understand, put words to their feelings, process their emotional state, alter the intensity of their emotional experience, and navigate how best to express those feelings
Trusted Adults can talk openly and honestly about their emotions with the children in their lives—and with other adults around those children. Adults give youth the time and space to act as a sounding board.
Building self-esteem: Youth believe in their self-worth and find it easier to express their needs, say no when they want to, and focus on their positive qualities.
Trusted Adults can encourage youth to believe in their self-worth, listen to and recognize their needs, and celebrate their positive qualities rather than fixating on their flaws.
Setting goals: Youth feel a sense of purpose, see a future for themselves, are driven by their goals, and are motivated to succeed. Youth are committed to school and motivated to learn and achieve.
Trusted Adults can act as positive role models, setting and sharing their own goals with their youth. They also inspire and encourage the youth to set their own goals, recognizing their efforts and celebrating their successes.
Healthy coping: Youth are equipped with behaviors that help reduce the negative emotions associated with difficult events, situations, relationships, and more. They are also able to make informed decisions when it comes to risks.
Trusted Adults can act as positive role models, practicing healthy coping skills themselves and staying mindful of how their youth are always watching their behavior.
Understanding brain science: Youth understand the different parts of their adolescent brain, recognize that it’s still developing and is prone to an imbalance between the reward systems, which matures earlier, and the not yet fully mature prefrontal control system. They’re aware that their brain is particularly susceptible to environmental influences, both positive and negative.
Trusted Adults can take the initiative to understand the brain science behind their youth’s decision-making and talk openly and honestly with the youth about this science, and draw attention to practices and content that is designed particularly to manipulate the adolescent brain. This includes brainstorming healthy, rewarding alternatives.
Social Awareness Skills
Engaging in open + honest conversation: Youth are able to communicate and connect with those around them in an effective and empathetic way.
Trusted Adults can reinforce this by engaging in open and honest conversations with their youth and with others around them
Building + maintaining relationships (with peers and trusted adults): Youth recognize there are people in their lives who they can go to, no matter what—and the role they play in others' lives too. Youth know how to nurture relationships, and persevere through disagreements; but also know when a relationship is no longer healthy or serving them.
Trusted Adults can show youth they care. Build capacity for people who work directly with youth (coaches, teachers, counselors, church program leaders, etc) to support positive youth development.
Asking for help: Youth are able to identify what they need and are not afraid to reach out to those they trust to help.
Trusted Adults can teach their youth to ask for support by clarifying expectations and instructions, reminding them that it's okay to ask for help, sharing how asking for help makes us stronger, and explaining how to ask for help in varying situations.
Active listenning: Youth are able to listen to others attentively, understand what they're saying, respond and reflect on what's being said in an appropriate way, and retain the information for later.
Trusted Adults can practice active listening themselves when communicating with their youth; and can respectfully prompt youth to consider how active their listening is, as they are still developing the skill.
Problem solving: Youth are able to identify a problem they are facing; understand why it’s a problem and/or a risk; brainstorm possible solutions and conflict resolutions and put one into action. And they’re capable of “having an out” in stressful and risky situations.
Trusted Adults can provide guidance and support as youth tackle problem solving at a young age, starting with ‘lower stakes’ problems. This means not fixing things for them and allowing them to learn at their own pace and celebrating a problem solved well. It also means helping youth identify and prepare for potential peer pressure situations, provide help when asked, and recognize and celebrate the healthy decisions the youth have made on their own.
Community Mindset Skills
Committing to school: Youth are motivated to do well in school, are actively engaged in learning and curious to learn more, complete assignments and attend classes as expected, and care about their school and peers over all.
Trusted Adults can recognize that the children in their lives look to them as examples and know that they play a significant role in helping youth feel connected to their education. They encourage and support sustained engagement with school and help refocus when needed.
Caring about community: Youth serve in their communities and are engaged in activities, clubs, sports, and organizations within their communities. They show empathy to others in the community and feel responsible as one part of a larger whole.'
Trusted Adults can encourage their youth to engage in multiple areas of their community, model positive community interaction and practice empathy, and stay active as individuals themselves.
Being a leader: Youth are able to guide and inspire others through challenging times, keep peers aligned and work towards a shared goal. They foster a collaborative environment and feel comfortable and confident modeling responsible decision-making and positive coping skills.
Trusted Adults can model leadership behavior and support their child in building confidence to take a leadership position. This means celebrating a job well done and helping reflect on those which weren’t as successful. It also means helping your youth realize situations in which they should and shouldn't lead—teaching them to be humble and a group player.
Valuing social justice: Youth stand up for their beliefs. Youth value equality and care for those around them. Youth are empathetic and open-minded and feel comfortable around people of different backgrounds.
Trusted Adults can model a commitment to social justice, openly value equality and care for those around them. This means helping youth understand the inequities of our society and encouraging them to get involved and speak up. It means celebrating wins and calling attention to injustices.
Using media safely: Youth develop social media literacy: the knowledge and skills to analyze, evaluate, produce, and participate in social media, which favors critical thinking.
Trusted Adults can set boundaries and expectations for social media use; trust youth while staying informed about their usage habits; and stepping in to help or provide clarity in uncomfortable situations, in a respectful, non-judgemental way.
