Substance Abuse Prevention in Early Childhood

Course Description

Research continues to accumulate on how enhancing protective factors early in a child’s life can protect against a multitude of risks, including substance misuse. The purpose of this intermediate level continuing education course, developed using information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institute on Drug Abuse, is to address the specific ways in which early interventions can have positive effects on development and can target individual, family, school, and community precursors of drug use, abuse, and addiction. Summaries of specific, research-based early childhood interventions are presented as well as resources to support prevention–related initiatives. 

Course Objectives

1. Outline principles that address the specific ways in which early interventions can have positive effects on child development.

2. Discuss how early childhood experiences, along with exposure to risk and protective factors in early years, impacts substance abuse and prevention.

3. Summarize the components of the Logic Model for Intervening in Early Childhood to Prevent Drug Abuse.

4. Review various research-based early intervention substance abuse prevention programs that span the prenatal to transition to school developmental periods.

5. Differentiate between universal, selective, and tiered intervention programs at each developmental level.

6. Identify how theory, observation, and behavioral studies are used to provide the rationale for designing and implementing intervention programs.

7. Describe necessary steps taken prior to selecting and implementing an intervention.