Unleashing the power of prevention: A plan to advance effective policy and practice to prevent behavioral health problems

David Hawkins, Ph.D.
University of Washington

ABSTRACT:
In the last 35 years, prevention scientists have made remarkable progress in developing and testing effective interventions for preventing behavioral health problems in children and adolescents. The Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development website at University of Colorado lists over 60 efficacious preventive interventions.  Yet effective prevention policies and programs are still not widely used.  Dr. Hawkins will present an overview of Unleashing the Power of Prevention, an action plan for increasing the use of tested and effective preventive interventions and thereby reducing child and adolescent behavioral health problems in the US by 20% in a decade.  The presentation will include a discussion of Encouraging Healthy Parenting through Primary Care, an example of how we can unleash the power of prevention nationwide.  Unleashing the Power of Prevention is published as a discussion paper by the National Academy of Medicine and is available at
http://nam.edu/perspectives-2015-unleashing-the-power-of-prevention