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Empowering youth
for a better future

Strategic Prevention Framework

AMHSA’s Comprehensive Approach to Community Prevention

The SPF Has 5 Core Steps

This framework was developed by SAMHSA to assist prevention planners in addressing community-related behavioral health issues, social norms, risk factors, protective factors, and environmental or social influences related to youth substance use and mental health.

strategic-prevention-framework

Core Principles

Two fundamental principles have been incorporated into the framework and are integrated to implement sustainable, culturally competent, and equitable practices geared towards substance use prevention and mental health promotion.

Cultural Competence

The ability to understand and effectively interact with people who have different values, lifestyles, and traditions based on their distinctive heritage and social relationships.

Sustainability

The process of building an adaptive and effective system that achieves and maintains desired long-term results.

Equity

The state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health.

Example: Action plans that only address or benefit issues within a whole population but lack cultural competency may cause situations where non-English speaking populations or sexual, gender, or racial/ethnic minorities do not or cannot benefit in one way or another. Consistent training, research, and education may help strengthen coalitions and challenge barriers to accessing or achieving health equity.