Georgia Department of Behavioral Health &
Developmental Disabilites
OFFICE OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PREVENTION

Prevention involves interventions that occur prior to a diagnosis of a disorder and are intended to prevent or reduce risk of developing the disorder.

The Office of Behavioral Health Prevention's (OBHP) services promote the health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities through a variety of strategies and activities.
Our mission is to lead and support a comprehensive data-driven strategic plan for assisting communities in developing, implementing, and evaluating proactive evidence-based strategies that promote wellbeing and healthy behaviors and lifestyles.
Behavioral health is a state of mental/ emotional being and/or choices and actions that affect wellness

We provide prevention services in 3 main inter-related areas:
Substance Abuse Prevention
Suicide Prevention
Mental Health Promotion

OBHP Infrastructure
Since 2005, the OBHP has established and used a Community Advisory Council (CAC) body of community stakeholders to provide ongoing input and feedback on planning, implementation, and evaluation of prevention initiatives. The OBHP has also established a State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup (SEOW) that provides ongoing input and feedback around data, methodologies, and evaluation of activities. They facilitate identification, use, and sharing, of data resources across multiple agencies/organizations related to prevention. The OBHP also uses an Evidence Based Advisory Board of Experts (EBAB) to provide input and technical assistance as needed for planning, implementation of prevention initiatives.

Prevention is a part of a Continuum of Care
OBHP provide services and interventions that target Georgians prior to the onset of a diagnosis of a disorder. The interventions are intended prevent or reduce risk for developing disorders. Prevention services raise awareness of the prevalence and consequences around the issues, increases symptom identification and early access to care, and builds protective factors to prevent development of associated disorders.
Prevention Efforts Target Risk & Protective Factors
RISK FACTORS
Characteristics at the biological, psychological, family, community, or cultural level that precede and are associated with a higher likelihood of problem outcomes
PROTECTIVE FACTORS
Factors that contribute to a lower likelihood of problem outcomes or that reduce the negative effects of a risk factor (National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, 2009)

OBHP uses the Strategic Prevention Framework and a data-driven public health approach to implement evidence-based strategies within local communities across Georgia to achieve culturally appropriate and sustainable positive outcomes.
The goal is to match the strategies that work best for the problems identified in those communities and to build the capacity of local communities and their processes to sustain those outcomes. We try and accomplish this through broad statewide prevention initiatives that compliment targeted initiatives (targeting specific issues/substances, high risk/impacted populations, and/or high risk/burden geographic areas).

NOTES:

NOTES:

Prevention Saves Lives
Prevention is part of a continuum of care. It is an intervention that occurs prior to the onset of a disorder and is intended to prevent or reduce risk for the disorder.
Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities Office of Behavioral Health Prevention 2 Peachtree Street, NW 22nd Floor Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Travis Fretwell, Director (404) 232-1251
Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL) (800) 715-4225
My GCAL app available on iOS and Android
Office of the Commissioner (404) 657-2252
Office of Constituent Services (404) 657-5964 dbhddconstituentservices@dbhdd.ga.gov
Career Opportunities dbhddjobs.com
dbhdd.georgia.gov/bh-prevention gaspsdata.net facebook.com/GeorgiaDBHDD twitter.com/DBHDD

Mental health promotion involves actions to create living conditions and environments that support mental health and allow people to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
Cross Training OBHP incorporates mental health promotion throughout all of its substance abuse prevention and suicide prevention efforts; and provides mental health promotion cross-training to staff and providers.
Media Campaign - "Spot the Signs, Talk About It, Get Help"
Developed "Spot The Signs" PSA as part of a media campaign to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and improve communications for appropriate referrals.

Mental Health Promotion

Mental Health Promotion

Mental Health Promotion
Determinants of Mental Health Multiple social psychological and biological factors determine the level of mental health of a person at any point of time. A Few Ways to Promote Mental Health Include: Support for children (e.g., skills building programs, child and youth
development programs) Programs targeted toward vulnerable groups, including minorities,
indigenous people, migrants, and people affected by conflicts and disasters (e.g. psycho-social interventions after disasters) Mental health interventions at work Mental health promotional activities in schools (e.g., programs supporting ecological changes in schools and child-friendly schools) Violence prevention programs (e.g., reducing availability of alcohol and access to firearms) Promotion of the rights, opportunities, and care of individuals with mental health challenges
Mental Health Promotion

Substance Abuse Prevention
Alcohol & Substance Abuse Prevention Project (ASAPP) Forty providers across Georgia use SAMHSA's Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) process to address alcohol and substance abuse issues identified in each community.
Red Ribbon Campaign A week-long national drug prevention awareness campaign celebrated October 23 -31. Georgia holds a kick-off event.
PFS II PFS2015 (GenRx) Prescription Drug (GADAPC) A targeted initiative in three high-risk communities (Catoosa, Early, and Gwinnett counties) to address the growing health crisis of prescription drug misuse, abuse, and overdose deaths among 12-25 year olds.
Voices For Prevention (V4P) A statewide contract supporting collaboration, advocacy, and education to build a unified statewide voice for substance abuse prevention.
Prevention Clubhouses Sites in Norcross, LaGrange, and Dawsonville provide mentoring, family activities, education, employment services, nutrition, physical activities and evidence-based prevention curriculum to youth ages 12-17 at high risk for alcohol and drug abuse.
SYNAR Tobacco Compliance Inspections States are required to pass laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18. These laws must be enforced, and state must conduct annual, unannounced inspections to verify that retailers are not selling tobacco to minors.
Substance Abuse Prevention

Substance Abuse Prevention
Drugs Don't Work Program Designed to help employers become certified drug-free workplaces by establishing employee assistance programs and drug-free workplace policies.
SPF Rx Project Use of SPF process to identify five high-needs communities in Georgia and implement strategies to prevent and reduce abuse and misuse of Rx drugs.
Maternal Substance Abuse (MSA) Child Development Project A statewide contract committed to raising the awareness of alcohol and other substance use among pregnant moms and their devastating effects.
STR Opioid Grant A state-targeted response to the opioid crisis, the grant includes a media campaign, pilot SPF programs for four sites, a school transition mentoring project, and a naloxone education and training program.
Georgia Teen Institute A youth leadership program for Youth Action Teams throughout Georgia that begins with a summer training program and continues with year-round support.
GASPS Data Warehouse Project An innovative online repository containing information on behavioral health issues, their consequences, and related social indicators. It is a one-stop shop for gathering state-and county-level data, as well as other national or external resources, related to substance abuse prevention, suicide prevention, and mental health promotion. www.gasps.data.net
Georgia Rx Drug Abuse Prevention Collaborative (GADAPC) An initiative focused on the prevention and reduction of prescription drug abuse and substance abuse in Georgia.
Substance Abuse Prevention

Suicide Prevention
Suicide prevention is activities implemented prior to the onset of an adverse health outcome (e.g., dying by suicide) and designed to reduce the potential that the adverse health outcome will take place.
Community and Clinical Education & Training DBHDD, OBHP staff work with statewide core providers, contractors, and other stakeholders to implement evidencebased trainings like QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer), Mental Health First Aid, ASIST, and other content.
Public Policy Guidance and Support Under the Jason Flatt Act, pursuant to code Section 37-1-27, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities consults with the Department of Education to ensure certificated public school personnel receive annual training in suicide awareness and prevention.
Additionally, DBHDD promotes provides provider guidance on public policy 01-118, entitled, Suicide Prevention, Screening, Brief Intervention and Monitoring. This policy 01-118 provides guidance for comprehensive community providers and community Medicaid Providers to screen, monitor, and intervene for suicide risk.
Youth Suicide The Garrett Lee Smith Youth Suicide Prevention Grant is a multi-year federal grant for youth suicide prevention activities to reduce deaths and attempts for youth ages 10-24 in high-needs areas in Georgia. The project also promotes suicide prevention as a core component of health-behaviors as well as provides care and support to individuals affected by suicide.
Program and Community Technical Assistance Through a multi-faceted approach of evidence-based prevention trainings, field visits, intervention activities, coaching, and postvention strategies, the Suicide Prevention Program provides technical assistance to prevention programs, coalitions, clinical units, and the community related to suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention.
Strategic Partnerships We extend suicide prevention and related training services around the state of Georgia through strategic partnerships with community service boards, other state agencies, not-for-profit organizations, civic groups, faith-based organizations, hospitals, and contractors.
Suicide Prevention

Suicide Prevention
For 24/7 help with licensed clinicians call the Georgia Crisis and Access Line 1-800-715-4225
Spot The Signs
Can you spot the warning signs in someone around you?
Talk About It
Let the person know you see that something is wrong and that you care.
Take Action
Tell a trusted adult or professional. The Georgia Crisis and Access Line is available if you or someone you know is in crisis. Licensed clinicians assist you in getting the help you need, 24/7.
Suicide Prevention