Acronyms and Definitions Acronyms
• BHS: Bureau of Highway Safety
• BRFSS: Behavior and Risk Factor Surveillance System
• C4CY: Communities for Children and Youth
• CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• CESN: Community Epidemiology Surveillance Network
• CSAP: Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
• CSHP: Coordinated School Health Program
• CSHE: Coordinated School Health Education
• DCC: District Coordinating Council
• DDR: Drug Demand Reduction program (National Guard)
• DFC: Drug Free Communities
• DHHS: Department of Health and Human Services
• DOE: Department of Education
• DOL: Department of Labor
• EUDL: Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws
• GLESN: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
• HMP: Healthy Maine Partnership
• HEAPP: Higher Education Alcohol Prevention Partnership
• IRC: Information Resource Center, Office of Substance Abuse
• JJAG: Juvenile Justice Advisory Group
• JMG: Jobs for Maine Graduates
• MAPSA: Maine Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse
• MASAP: Maine Association of Substance Abuse Programs
• MCDC: Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• MOU: Memorandum of Understanding
• MYAN: Maine Youth Action Network
• MYDAUS: Maine Youth Drug and Alcohol Use Survey
• MIYHS: Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey
• NCCC: National Center for Cultural Competency
• NE CAPT: North East Center for Application of Prevention Technologies
• NREPP: National Registry of Evidence Based Programs and Practices
• NE RET: Northeast Regional Expert Team
• OAS: Office of Applied Studies
• OJJDP: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
• ONDCP: Office of National Drug Control Policy
• RBS Training: Responsible Beverage Server/Seller Training
• RSPM: Restorative School Practices of Maine
• SAMHSA: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• SBHC: School Based Health Center
• SCC: State Coordinating Council
• SETU: Staff Education Training Unit
• SIRP: Student Intervention and Reintegration Program
• SPF SIG: Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant
• SYVC: Shared Youth Vision Council
• UDETF: Underage Drinking Enforcement Task Force
• YEPP: Youth Empowerment Policy Project
• YRBSS: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System
Definitions
Behavioral Health (broader than mental health): The term “behavioral health” is used in this document as a general term to encompass the promotion of emotional health; the prevention of mental illnesses and substance use disorders; and treatments and services for substance abuse, addiction, substance use disorders, mental illnesses, and/or mental disorders.
Cultural Competence: Cultural competence is the capacity to work effectively with people from a variety of ethnic, cultural, political, economic, and religious backgrounds. It is being aware and respectful of the values, beliefs, traditions, customs, and parenting styles of those we serve, while understanding that there is often as wide a range of differences within groups (e.g., Native Americans) as between them. It is being aware of how our own culture influences how we view others. Cultural competency is about developing skills. This includes improving your ability to control or change your own false beliefs, assumptions, and stereotypes; to think flexibly; to find sources of information about those who are different from you; and to recognize that your own thinking is not the only way. (Reference pending.)
o (2nd definition option) Understanding and appreciating the differences in individuals, families, and communities, which can include: thoughts, speech, actions, customary beliefs, social forms and material traits of a racial, religious or social group. It also affects age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or physical disability.
Evidence-based practice: From SAMHSA’s Center For Substance Abuse Prevention evidence- based interventions are defined in the SPF SIG Program by inclusion in one or more of the three categories: Included in Federal registries of evidence-based interventions; reported (with positive effects on the primary targeted outcome); in peer-reviewed journals; or documented effectiveness supported by other sources of information and the consensus judgment of informed experts.
Fidelity: Fidelity refers to adherence to the key elements of an evidence-based practice shown to be critical to achieving the positive results found in a controlled trial. Studies indicate that the quality of implementation strongly influences outcomes.
Institute of Medicine: Categories for Strategies and Interventions: The three categories are widely used to classify target populations, intervention strategies, and specific interventions.
1. Universal preventive interventions: Addresses general public or a segment of the entire population with average probability of developing a disorder, risk, or condition.
2. Selective preventive interventions: Serves specific sub-populations whose risk of a disorder is significantly higher than average, either imminently or over a lifetime. 3. Indicated preventive interventions: Addresses identified individuals who have minimal
but detectable signs or symptoms suggesting a disorder.
Intervention: Intervention refers to a spectrum of responses to reduce or ameliorate the problem behaviors under consideration. Among the least intrusive but often effective interventions are conversations between an adolescent and a concerned parent, teacher, physician, or friend. More formalized interventions include prevention programs (aimed at preventing drug use onset), early intervention programs (aimed at intervening before the substance use becomes problematic), and intensive treatment programs (typically directed at stopping current use and maintaining abstinence).
Prevention: Prevention means the use of methods or activities that seek to reduce or deter specific or predictable problems, protect the current state of well-being, or promote desired outcomes or behaviors.
http://www.childwelfare.gov/preventing/overview/whatiscap.cfm
o (2nd definition option) Prevention is the active, assertive process of creating conditions that promote well-being.
Promising Practice: These practices have been tested but the results are not as clear as those results in the evidenced-based research category above. Practices that fall in this category are based on some type of research – whether it is theoretical, qualitative, or quantitative – but data have yet to be collected on effectiveness. Promising practices may have been tested under different conditions and, therefore, may have a research foundation. However, the practices themselves have not been tested using the most rigorous research designs, or were tested in
different educational contexts.
o (2nd definition option) Promising Programs have the appropriate components for successful prevention, but have not yet been supported by rigorous evaluations. They are made up of strategies that have been found effective in previous research.
o (3rd definition option) Clinical practices for which there is considerable evidence or expert consensus and which show promise in improving client outcomes, but which are not yet proven by the highest or strongest scientific evidence.
Restorative Justice: Restorative justice is a new way of looking at criminal justice that focuses on repairing the harm done by people and relationships rather than on punishing offenders. Restorative justice includes communities of care as well; with victims’ and offenders’ families and friends participating in collaborative processes called “conference” or “circles.”
McCold, P. & Wachtel, T. (2003). In Pursuit of Paradigm: A Theory of Restorative Justice; International Institute For Restorative Practices.
Safe and Drug Free Schools: The Safe and Drug Free Schools funding is used to prevent violence in and around schools and to strengthen programs that prevent the illegal use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
Substance Abuse Prevention: OSA’s approach to substance abuse prevention uses research- based concepts, tools, skills, and strategies which reduce the risk of alcohol and other drug related problems. Substance abuse prevention means keeping the many problems related to the use and abuse of these substances from occurring.
Sustainability: Sustainability refers to the process through which a prevention system becomes a norm and is integrated into ongoing operations, ensuring that prevention values and
processes are firmly established, that partnerships are strengthened, and that financial and other resources are secured over the long term
Violence Prevention: Violence Prevention is an effort to reduce risk factors and promote protective factors in relation to violence. It addresses all levels that influence violence: the individual, the relationship, the community, and society. Violence Prevention also promotes awareness about violence and helps to foster the commitment to social change.
PYD suggest that most young people can develop and flourish if they are connected to the right mix of social resources. The PYD perspective recognizes that some youth grow up in
circumstances that do not equip them for the transition from childhood to adulthood. It also recognizes that some youth behave in ways that cause serious problems for themselves and their communities. Jeff Butts, Chapin Hall Center for Children: Issue Brief #105
o (2nd definition option): Positive youth development (PYD) is a comprehensive framework outlining the supports young people need in order to be successful. PYD emphasizes the importance of focusing on youths’ strengths instead of their risk factors to ensure that all youth grow up to become contributing adults.
Youth Engagement: Youth Engagement is the meaningful participation and sustained
involvement of a young person in an activity with a focus outside of him or herself; specifically on the growth and well-being of other youth.