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SPF Overview

SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) is a model that guides the selection, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based, culturally appropriate, sustainable interventions addressing substance abuse. The SPF comprises five key steps:

Sustainability

We often think of sustainability as the ability to find another source of funding after an initial grant ends. But sustainability is not only about sustaining funds; it is also about sustaining the gains you have made in addressing a health problem—in this case, preventing or reducing opioid misuse. It means constantly building on your efforts by retaining and improving the strategies that are shown to be effective in achieving your identified outcomes, and discontinuing or modifying those that do not seem to be working as well.

Cultural and Linguistic Competence

Cultural competence is the ability of an individual or organization to interact effectively with people from different cultures.28 Developing cultural competence is an evolving, dynamic process that takes time and occurs along a continuum.28

For your efforts to prevent or reduce opioid misuse to be effective, you must consider cultural competence at each step of the SPF model—you must understand the cultural context of your target community and have the required skills and resources for working within this context.