Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Training

What is the Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Training (SAPST)?

A professionally trained workforce is extremely important to the continuing improvement of substance abuse prevention services in Minnesota.  The Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Training (SAPST) curriculum is designed to provide up-to-date, evidence-based information to the prevention field.  

SAPST covers the following:

Module 1 - Introduction, History and Overview of Drugs and Prevention

• Examples of ineffective drug prevention approaches with explanation of what made them ineffective
• History of drugs in America
• System of drug classifications
• Guidelines for substance use and nonuse
• How to share concerns with someone whose substance use concerns you
• Timeline of prevention efforts
• Seven building blocks of effective prevention programs

Module 2 - Prevention Research

• Evidence-based prevention
• Risk factors/protective factors theory of substance abuse prevention, the resiliency approach and the developmental assets framework
• CSAP and NIDA's Prevention Principles

Module 3 - Prevention Program Planning

• Five steps of SAMHSA's Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) - concepts and resources for additional information on completing the five steps

Module 4 - Evaluation

• Purposes of evaluation
• Distinguish between research and evaluation
• Key components of evaluation
• Use the logic model as a guide to create an evaluation plan

Module 5 - Cultural Context of Prevention

• Key definitions related to culture and diversity
• Dominant cultural values and beliefs in U.S. society that both encourage and discourage alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use and abuse
• Discussion on dimensions and elements of culture and diversity and their relationship to prevention planning through the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF)
• Why and how prevention professionals should be knowledgeable about, and committed to, addressing issues related to diversity
• Why and how prevention programs should be responsive to the diverse needs, histories, cultures, and strengths of all groups that the  program serves
• Key skills and practices that utilize diversity as an asset in prevention program planning and implementation

Module 6 - Using Human Development in Prevention

• Emotional development of humans based on emotional expressiveness and understanding
• Social development of humans based on thinking about self, thinking about others and thinking about relationships between people
• Moral development of humans based on moral internalization, construction and self-control
• Prevention strategies that focus on human emotional, social, and/or moral development

Module 7 - Prevention and the Media

• Influence of media in prevention
• Media advocacy principles
• Discussing of alcohol and tobacco ads
• Social marketing basics

Module 8 - Bringing it all Together

• Redesigning a prevention program based on information learned in the SAPST
• Review of important points from the training
• Discussion: applying what was learned during the training to work environments

The SAPST is a 40 hour training.  For more information please call 763-427-5310, 800-782-1878 x142