PREVENTION PROGRAMS

In partnership with the Mendez Foundation,  Arizona Border Alliance staff provide Too Good for Drugs and Too Good for Violence program to youth in Southern Arizona schools in English and Spanish.

Skills development is at the core of Too Good for Drugs, a universal K-12 prevention education program designed to mitigate the risk factors and enhance protective factors related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) use. The lessons introduce and develop skills for making healthy choices, building positive friendships, developing self-efficacy, communicating effectively, and resisting peer pressure and influence.

Too Good for Drugs teaches five essential character development skills to build self-efficacy, promote healthy development, and academic success:

• Setting Reachable Goals
• Making Responsible Decisions
• Bonding with Pro-Social Others
• Identifying and Managing Emotions
• Communicating Effectively

Character Education and Asset Development are at the core of TGFV-A Peaceable Place and TGFV-Social Perspectives to provide students with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes they need for positive social development and supportive relationships.

The readiness and ability to socialize, connect, and cooperate with others is essential for positive peer bonding, healthy relationship building, and advocacy for one’s needs. The interpersonal skills built into the course include these primary skill constructs:

• Identifying and Managing Emotions
• Effective Communication
• Pro-social Peer Bonding

Together they promote Self-Awareness and Social Awareness within the student.

Funded by MATFORCE, the Arizona Border Alliance has several grants focused on drug prevention in Cochise County and Pima County.  These grants fund 1) Our Douglas Coalition and opioid prevention under a SOR Funding Grant, 2) Our Bisbee/Naco Expansion Coalition and opioid prevention under a SOR Funding Grant, 3) Our Pima County Coalition and opioid prevention under SOR Funding, 4) Our marijuana/vaping prevention programs under a SUBG Funding Grant, and 5) A Primary Prevention Program under a SUBG Funding Grant.

The Arizona Border Alliance is a member of SACLAZ (The Substance Abuse Coalition Leaders of Arizona, and part of MatForce).  SACLAz brings together over 30 substance use prevention coalitions in Arizona providing support and resources to coalitions to help educate their communities on current drug trends including fentanyl and vaping through the SACLAz toolkit.

Funded by SAMHSA, this multi-year prevention grant focuses on reducing substance use among youth and adults in Southern Arizona through the implementation of comprehensive bi-lingual prevention programs and strategies.  This highly competitive award shows how devoted the Arizona Border Alliance is to Substance Use Prevention and how much we have accomplished in such a short time.

Thrive is a comprehensive resilience and mental health program aimed at preventing substance use among youth in school settings. It focuses on equipping students with the skills to manage stress, build self-esteem, and develop healthy relationships. By implementing evidence-based practices, Thrive fosters a supportive environment that encourages open discussions about mental health and substance use. In Douglas, Arizona, this program can significantly impact the community by providing students with essential tools to cope with challenges, thereby reducing the risk of substance abuse.

Funded by the Cochise County Health Department, the ABA is providing the Safety First Curriculum to youth throughout Cochise County.  Safety First is made up of 13 lessons on alcohol, opioids/fentanyl, psychedelics, and other drugs. The purpose of the curriculums is to encourage youth to abstain from use, but this curriculum also includes a clear harm-reduction message for youth who are experimenting or using, to provide high school students with scientifically accurate information to empower them to quit and/or reduce harm, should they choose to continue to use. 

In partnership with Dr. Richard Cervantes and Behavioral Assessment, Inc.,  the Arizona Border Alliance is the premier agency in the State of Arizona providing Familia Adelante in Cochise, Pima, Santa Cruz, Yuma, Pinal, Graham, and Greenlee Counties.

Familia Adelante is an evidence based mental health promotion and drug prevention program that consists of 12 weekly English or Spanish language, 90-minute modules for at-risk Hispanic/Latino youth (ages 10-14) and their parents. A new Familia Adelante – Virtual program has been adapted to meet the needs of families who are unable to attend face-to-face group sessions. Familia Adelante addresses factors affecting risky behavior such as acculturation stress, low self-efficacy, social norms or peer pressure, family stress, and basic parenting skills, all topics addressed from the perspective of

Hispanic/Latino families. Familia Adelante also includes information on HIV and related risk prevention for youth ages 13-14. 

Funded by SAMHSA under the Strategic Prevention Framework - Partnerships for Success (SPF-PFS) Program, and in partnership with Circles of Peace in Nogales, Mariposa Community Health Center in Nogales, and Campesinos Sin Fronteras in Yuma, this five year grant is a foundational investment in substance use prevention in three border counties of Southern Arizona.