Florida Department of Children & Families
Substance Abuse Program
Florida: Where Prevention is a Shared Responsibility!
Welcome to the Substance Abuse Program Office Prevention Team website! This site assists Floridians to access information related to substance abuse prevention, on national, state, and local levels. Information is available on the state prevention policies and rules, special projects like the Prevention Partnership Grants, the Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey and more. These sites have a wealth of information on alcohol and other drugs. For more information about the Substance Abuse Program Office, call (850)487-2920.
What We Do
The Substance Abuse Program’s Prevention Team uses the Substance Abuse Response Guide (SARG) Process to help communities change conditions that underlie illegal, illicit and problem alcohol and other drug use patterns and related consequences in the State of Florida. At the state level, the SARG Process helps the Prevention Team to: 1) Gather and disseminate information; 2) Build community and state capacity through collaboration; and 3) Manage resources.
Community Health and Wellness Workgroup (CHWW)
Achieving population-level change on substance abuse outcomes requires a comprehensive and community approach. The Community Health and Wellness Workgroup (CHWW) has a broad representation of community and state partner representatives to consider and provide input on the state’s approach to population-level change.
Florida State Epidemiology and Outcomes Workgroup (SEOW)
Florida’s State Epidemiology Workgroup (SEOW) was established in June 2005 with funding from a federal Strategic Prevention Framework – State Incentive Grant (SPF-SIG). The SEW meets on a semi-annual basis to discuss epidemiologic data related to substance use/abuse and consequences. This site presents data that prevention providers, coalitions, and other stakeholders can use to design, and monitor their programs.
Florida Evidence-Based Practices Workgroup (EBPW)
The Evidence-Based Practices Workgroup (EBPW) is made up of professionals with backgrounds in epidemiology, strategic planning and community evaluation. The Workgroup meets regularly to review community Needs Assessment Logic Models and Comprehensive Community Action Plans, to provide consultation to communities to strengthen their selection of priorities and theories of change and on the identification and selection of relevant and appropriate evidence-based practices.
Prevention Partnership Grants
The Prevention Partnership Grants (PPGs) fund rigorous effective substance abuse prevention programs and strategies that impact underage drinking at the community level. PPG activities are related to the local community’s needs, resource assessments and community action plans. The PPG process is designed to demonstrate a clear, precise connection between local community indicators of a prevention need and the programs or strategies selected to achieve the outcomes with the greatest benefit to the local community.
The Prevention Partnership Grant defined in Florida Statutes, 397.99 is funded every three years. The PPGs were recently awarded in 2009 through the grant process.
The next grant process will be announced in the spring of 2012.
Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS)
The Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS) is a collaborative effort between the Florida departments of Health, Education, Children and Families, Juvenile Justice, and the Governor's Office of Drug Control. The FYSAS is the basis for many of the policy and programming decisions made in Florida and its counties. This page provides the risk and protective factor profiles, PowerPoint presentations as well as other special reports.
DCF Substance Abuse Prevention System Meeting
Annually, statewide and local organizations across all system sectors – providers, coalitions, region & circuit staff, HQ staff, and state support contractors – meet to discuss their roles in Florida’s substance abuse prevention effort at the DCF Substance Abuse Prevention System Meeting. This page provides agendas, PowerPoint presentations, handouts and evaluation summaries related to the annual meetings.
Reports and Publications
The Economic Costs of Underage Drinking in Florida, 2007