It is vital to reduce the impact of substance misuse and enhance the behavioral health of all individuals, families, and communities. To do so, EDC uses proven, comprehensive approaches that respond to the complex causes of behavioral health issues including systemic racism, adverse childhood experiences, trauma, and stress.

For decades, we have led initiatives that prepare the behavioral health workforce to provide innovative and effective substance misuse prevention, treatment, and recovery services anchored in culturally responsive and trauma-informed care. Our award-winning consultation services, trainings, and tools are propelling improvements in the quality and equity of programs, practice, and policies across the U.S. and worldwide.

In partnership with practitioners, community leaders, and people with lived experience, we address urgent and emergent behavioral health challenges across the lifespan. Today, these include challenges—such as problem gambling and digital wellness—that can co-occur with substance misuse and mental health issues. All of our work draws on our staff’s expertise in cultural responsiveness, the use of data to drive change, continuous improvement, and prevention and implementation science.

Related Content

Substance Misuse and Equity: Are We Asking the Right Questions?
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Behavioral Health: 4 Ways to Build Programs That Work
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Preventing Problem Gambling in Massachusetts
Who is most at risk for problem gambling, and how can communities and casinos work together on prevention? Rebecca Bishop shares insights.

EDC Tapped to Help Combat Substance Misuse in Indianapolis Schools
Taking a comprehensive approach early in school has the potential to prevent substance use in later grades and beyond, says Chuck Klevgaard.

Want to Improve Public Health? Address Systemic Racism
Policy changes are key to addressing racial disparities in public health, including substance misuse. Learn more in this roundtable discussion.

Why Should We Engage Faith Leaders in Prevention?
Faith-based organizations have a powerful role to play in substance misuse prevention, says Ben Spooner.

Empowering Kentucky’s Substance Misuse Prevention Workforce
How can we help communities understand the pillars of effective prevention? Explore stories about the work of Prevention Solutions@EDC.  

EDC Talks: How to Address Problem Gambling?
For some people, gambling can create a dependence that affects their health, wellness, and relationships, says Rebecca Bishop.

Resources

Here are a few of our resources on substance abuse prevention. To see more, visit our Resources section.

Resource libraries

This resource library contains programs and strategies for addressing school-based health and safety issues, including bullying, substance abuse, mental health, and school discipline.

Toolkits
Developed for the Massachusetts Health Officers Association, this toolkit prepares local health department staff to respond to the opioid epidemic.
Reports

This resource offers a brief introduction to prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), highlighting how practitioners can use PDMP data to prevent prescription drug misuse in their states and communities.

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is one of the most pervasive and devastating consequences of the opioid crisis, affecting six newborns per 1,000 hospital births. This webinar will explore the current evidence for what drives this problem and what works to prevent it.

Resource libraries

The CSPS resource library provides access to a wealth of information to support substance misuse prevention efforts.

Resource libraries

This website offers a range of print and online resources developed by EDC to prevent substance misuse and related behavioral health problems.

Websites

Through engaging activities, reflections, and videotaped interviews with prevention leaders, this award-winning online course explores the range of factors associated with opioid overdose and promising strategies to address it.

Videos

Problem gambling is a public health and social justice issue that impacts individuals, families, and communities.

Fact sheets

This online fact sheet describes consultation that EDC experts provided to advance Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) staff’s efforts to prepare communities to reduce substance

Toolkits

This guide includes information gathered from existing research and practice literature on environmental strategies that aim to reduce non-medical use of prescription drugs. For each strategy, the guide includes information on: the populations for which the original strategy was designed, evaluation outcomes that provide evidence of effectiveness, and additional resources (e.g., links to additional guidelines) for readers.