The website for Operation Snowball, an organization that helps youth create and lead organizations devoted to the prevention of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use and encouraging positive communities and leadership. Each program enrolls adult members, but youth lead the school and community based programs.
A brief overview of Operation Snowball, a youth-led, school and community-based alcohol and drug prevention program founded in Illinois in 1977 and now operational in several states and countries. Operation Snowball provides local chapters with curricula and technical assistance, but the local chapters, led by youth with adult mentors, are at the heart of the program.
A brief overview of the Moyer Foundation’s Camp Mariposa, a national addiction prevention and mentoring program for youth who have been impacted by substance misuse in their families. Launched in 2007 in Seattle, Camp Mariposa now operates in more than 12 locations across the country, providing services to children ages 9 to 12. Part of the Addiction Policy Forum’s Spotlight series which highlights innovative programs to address the opioid crisis.
A brief overview of the Jackson County, West Virginia Anti-Drug Coalition (JCADC), a multi-agency drug abuse prevention program. Started in 2009 to address growing substance misuse in the region, the coalition includes the local health department and 12 community organizations including law enforcement, youth coalitions, treatment providers, medical professional, civic and religious groups, business owners, the board of education and the local media. JCADC provides culturally appropriate education campaigns, drug take back events,and collects data on overdose deaths and the drugs involved to target interventions and media campaigns. The JCADC efforts have resulted in a reduction in both overdose deaths and misuse of prescription medication in the community. Part of the Addiction Policy Forum’s Spotlight series which highlights innovative programs to address the opioid crisis.
The website for Project ALERT, an evidence-based substance abuse prevention curriculum for grades 7 and 8 developed by the RAND Corporation. On-line training, lessons plans, posters and videos are available for free for educators. Project ALERT recently added an opioid lesson to the core curriculum.
This briefing paper from the National Judicial Opioid Task Force provides an overview of parent partner programs, where parents facing child welfare or dependency proceedings are paired with a peer adviser who helps them understand and navigate the process. Parent partner programs in Washington, Iowa,
This collection features reports and websites that address recovery in special populations.
This discussion paper from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic looks at how the opioid epidemic in America affects 5 special populations: justice-involved individuals, people living in rural communities, veterans, adolescents and young adults, and people who inject drugs.
This summary provides an overview of a research study that looked at how expanding public insurance eligibility led to increases in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment provider acceptance of public insurance and increases in adolescent access to SUD treatment services.
This 7-page report provides an overview of operationalizing and funding youth and parent peer support services in residential treatment settings. The report defines the continuum of services from involvement to engagement, describes the services provided by youth and parent peer support, and provides an overview of financing and sustainability strategies.