Youth prevention education, support groups, and wellness classes are at the heart of the work done by Tarzana Treatment Centers (TTC) in the community. From the beginning, TTC has made prevention goals a priority in encounters with families whose youth may be impacted by alcohol/drug and/or mental health issues.

TTC’s youth-oriented prevention programs reach deep into our communities with support from federal and state agencies like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and other local County funding partners. These community programs focus on prevention efforts both directly with youth as well as with adults in direct and daily contact with youth.

TTC helps parents and youth gain a greater understanding of SUD (substance use disorder) and mental health problems. Thus, we provide families with the tools they need to stop alcohol/drugs and/or mental health issues from taking over their young person’s life. Whether it is a school presentation focused on stopping youth from experimenting with drugs and alcohol or a Youth Mental Health First Aid training for parents and professionals, the goal is to prevent damage and raise awareness.

Indeed, from a balance between experience and expertise, the prevention team at TTC knows that prevention efforts must look at the whole picture. Therefore, these programs connect the dots between a variety of behavioral disorders, including SUD challenges and mental health conditions.

Youth Prevention Programs and Behavioral Disorders

Prevention awareness and youth prevention groups also play a significant role in addressing behavioral disorders, including youth mental health. By learning the symptoms and signs of various mental health conditions, youth can recognize a problem before it worsens. As a direct result, young people avoid self-medicating the pain behind the onset of many substance use disorders.

By raising awareness early on through prevention efforts, TTC helps to reduce such risk factors. TTC’s prevention efforts also focus on addressing stress, anxiety, depression, and suicide ideation among youth

Moreover, this awareness helps not only themselves but also peers, friends, and family members. From the information provided in TTC prevention programs, youth become able to translate knowledge into action. When ideally working, youth prevention programs lead to the empowerment of young people.

The Prevention Education Program and Young People

The Prevention Education Program (PEP) is a prime example of a successful youth prevention program. Supported by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, PEP provides Community Health Promotion in the San Fernando Valley and Antelope Valley. By increasing awareness and support for substance use prevention, PEP helps to bring prevention education to the community.

In the PEP approach, TTC focuses on decreasing marijuana use among youth. Therefore, altering youth’s perception of underage marijuana use is the first step. A goal of youth prevention programs is to reveal the harm caused by substance use disorders.

In the Prevention Education Program, the target audience includes middle and high school students. The ages of these students range from 12 to 18. When addressing a wide age range of youth, there is a need for different approaches. After all, what works for a sixth-grader will not be effective with a high school junior. Thus, different curriculums and resources are put to target different age ranges and raise awareness.

Tobacco-Free Champions = Youth Prevention Programs

Additionally, before the pandemic in Reseda, the Tobacco-Free Champions Kick Off & Wellness Event was another excellent example of TTC’s youth prevention programs and efforts. From dance performances and drum circles to local food offerings and a Nicotine Anonymous panel, this example of TTC prevention efforts around tobacco use inspires young people and parents to consider healthy alternatives

The Youth Prevention Programs at TTC understand that preventing drug use must be more than just saying no. When the opioid crisis is spiraling out of control, youth need to know the dangers. To increase their long-term impact, these prevention efforts need to include healthy alternatives to substance use disorders.

To prevent substance use disorders and mental health difficulties, these programs also focus on positive role modeling. When working well, youth prevention efforts foster a sense of hope. Such positivity is sustainable by shifting the mindset towards health and well-being. Indeed, when properly expressed, youth prevention programs are a vital element in keeping youth on the right track.