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?
Effective prevention starts with asking questions. But which questions we ask, and how we ask them, often reflect biases that we don’t know we have…

EDC Talks: Vendors Can Prevent Marijuana Use 
Marijuana is being legalized in states across the country. How can we stop young people from misusing it? Gisela Rots explains.

Behavioral Health: 4 Ways to Build Programs That Work
Proactive health and wellness programs lay the foundation for healthy, stronger communities. Four EDC experts weigh in.

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.

Videos

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

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.

Webinars

In this webinar, EDC’s Shai Fuxman, Carol Oliver, and Gisela Rots share their expertise about the crucial role that prevention plays in curtailing the opioid crisis.

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

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

This resource library contains reports, analyses, surveys, and fact sheets developed as part of EDC’s administration of the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey from 2006 to 2014.

Reports

This report describes three post-overdose interventions that have shown promise in reducing the risk of subsequent overdoses and improving other health outcomes among people who have experienced a non-fatal overdose, highlighting the role of prevention practitioners in supporting these efforts.

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 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.

Reports

This document outlines a bold new vision for EDC's next chapter of work and impact. Building upon our 65-year legacy of global impact in education,