580-9-47-.05   Prevention Strategies

1. (1)     All prevention strategies proposed for implementation shall be documented in a prevention plan that follows the Strategic Prevention Framework, submitted to the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) Division of Mental Health and Substance Use Services Office of Prevention, every (2) years.
2. (a)     Amendments to the Prevention Plan are the responsibility of the provider and shall be approved by the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) Division of Mental Health and Substance Use Services Office of Prevention prior to implementation.
3. (2)     All prevention strategies shall be approved by the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) Division of Mental Health and Substance Use Services Office of Prevention prior to implementation.
4. (3)     All prevention strategies implemented shall be documented on a prevention activity sheet.
5. (a)     Education.
6. 1.      All Education strategies must be evidence based.
7. 2.      Education strategies may be used in conjunction with another strategy(ies).
8. (b)     Alternative.
9. 1.      Alternative strategies shall be used in conjunction with other Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) strategies to decrease substance use and use among adolescents and young adults.  Documentation must demonstrate such activity.
10. 2.      Adult to participant ratio must be assessed to ensure safety and supervision with all alternative activities as deemed appropriate by the agency.
11. 3.      Alternative activities should be age appropriate and culturally relevant to the target population being served.
12. (c)     Community Based Process.
13. 1.      Community Based Processes shall focus on capacity enhancement through organizing, planning, interagency collaboration, coalition building and networking.
14. (d)     Problem Identification & Referral.
15. 1.     Problem Identification & Referral services may not include an assessment for treatment services.
16. 2.      Referral programs shall not be intervention programs that involve mental health and substance use treatment.  Limited prevention activities may include education and brief educational interventions that lead to specific referral services.
17. 3.      Brief interventions under Problem Identification and Referral, when appropriate, must result in referrals facilitated by prevention staff with health care providers, juvenile justice, school personnel or other community resources.
18. 4.      Problem Identification & Referral strategies must be used only with indicated or selective population(s).
19. 5.      Problem Identification and Referral may be used in conjunction with another strategy(ies).
20. (e)     Environmental Strategies.
21. 1.      The environmental strategy shall address access and/or availability of tobacco, alcohol and/or other drugs and social norms within the community domain.
22. 2.      Access and availability strategies must be measurable to ascertain whether program goals and objectives have been achieved.
23. 3.      The environmental strategy may define a community as a neighborhood, town, school district, zip code designation, community’s name with specific boundaries (streets/avenues) and a specified urban, rural or suburban area.
24. 4.      Documentation of partnerships to meet environmental strategies shall include all support documentation.
25. 5.      Media advocacy may accompany an environmental strategy when appropriate.  The media advocacy approach must be documented and include planning documents, contracts for service, sample messages and publicity content.
26. (f)     Information Dissemination Strategies.
27. 1.      The information dissemination strategy shall provide information through one-way communication between the agency and the community (audience).
28. 2.      Information Dissemination may be used in conjunction with another strategy(ies).

Author: Division of Substance Abuse Services

Statutory Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §22-50-11.

History: New Rule: Filed January 27, 2000; effective March 2, 2000. New Rule: Filed June 19, 2012; effective July 24, 2012. Repealed: Filed June 25, 2012; effective July 30, 2012. Amended: Filed August 22, 2013; effective September 26, 2013. Amended: Published July 31, 2025; effective September 14, 2025.