Resource Library

This decision-support tool offers a comprehensive listing of available data resources and surveys developed by and for a range of federal agencies and that collect data on marijuana use and its consequences.

Presents a list of 16 key data sources for prescription opioids and heroin to inform assessment and planning efforts.

This table presents selected strategies to prevent prescription drug misuse. These strategies have been selected because research shows that they directly address common risk factors associated with NMUPD. For each strategy, we provide a brief description and the associated factor(s) it addresses. Please note that while other strategies are currently in use, this list represents the few that have been rigorously evaluated.

The nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) has become an increasing public health concern in the United States, with abuse rates rising rapidly since the late 1990s. Yet preventing and reducing prescription drug misuse represents a major challenge for several reasons. First, we know less about the factors that contribute to NMUPD than about those that contribute to other drug use. Also, because of how prescription drugs are made available, these factors may differ from those that are associated with alcohol misuse and illicit drug use. This tool provides a starting point for understanding those factors that the research literature has identified as being associated with NMUPD and its consequences. Understanding these factors can help us assess, plan for, and select interventions designed to address them. The factors included in this tool have been organized according to the socio-ecological model, a multi-level framework that allows us to consider the different contexts in which risk and protective factors exist.

Recent legislation in Massachusetts requires that parents of middle and high school athletes and other adults such as coaches, athletic directors, athletic trainers, and school nurses receive educational materials on the potential dangers of opioid use and misuse. The educational materials shall also be distributed in written form to all students participating in an extracurricular athletic activity prior to the commencement of their athletic seasons.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) and Massachusetts Technical Assistance Partnership for Prevention (MassTAPP) collaborated to provide action steps to help prevent opioid misuse and overdose among student athletes. This fact sheet also highlight resources for addressing possible alcohol or opioid misuse or addiction.

This decision-support tool offers a summary of research findings on risk and protective factors associated with youth marijuana use.

This toolkit showcases some of the exciting ways prevention professionals are collaborating across communities and behavioral health fields to prevent substance use and misuse and promote overall health and wellness in their communities.

This document, available in English and Spanish, provides a list of potential state- and community-level partners to engage in opioid overdose prevention efforts.

These prevention core competencies and accompanying knowledge, skills, and abilities offer professional direction to the prevention field, affecting staff development and career ladders and pipelines, and providing guidance for training programs and service delivery qualification.

Easily access State and Territory Prevention Specialist Certification Requirements with this resource from the PTTC Network Coordinating Office.

Conducting a strong needs assessment is the foundation for developing a successful prevention plan. The Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) Data-Informed Decisions Working Group has designed this review sheet to support addressing data gaps through primary data collection. It provides several methods and select resources as a starting point for prevention team’s planning. These methods can involve varied means of data collection, including oral narratives, written text, photographs, video, and others.

How to construct, properly word the questions to prevent bias, format and pretest a questionnaire.

This session of the Race and Health Equity Peer Sharing call series was led by Nic Charest, Debra Morris, and Ben Spooner. The focus of this call was on how we can include youth voice in our prevention work.

We heard from two communities on how they’ve involved youth in their prevention work:

• Kara Showers, Youth Coordinator for Wakefield Youth Coalition (Melrose SAPC Cluster); Logan, Wake-Up Youth Action Team
• Jaime Lederer, Director, Community Health Youth Initiatives, Cambridge Health Alliance (Somerville SAPC - Everett Coordinator); Ileissa Ovalle, Everett Youth Coalition

Resources:

• CSPS PowerPoint Slides
• Summary notes
• Folder with notes and slides compiled from all the previous peer sharing calls

Community engagement processes are ongoing relationships between stakeholders, community-based organizations, consumers, residents, local public health, and providers. This tool adapted from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s he Community Engagement Guidelines for Community Health Planning 2017 provides an overview of some of the key elements of community engagement such as power sharing, communication, accommodations, and transparency.

The Racial Equity Data Road Map is a tool toward eliminating structural racism. It's a collection of guiding questions, tools, and resources to assist programs in taking concrete steps to better identify, understand, and act to address racial inequities.