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The Office of Behavioral Health, Community Prevention and Early Intervention Programs (OBH-CPEI) is committed to promoting the health and safety of Colorado citizens by working with our community partners to improve access to high quality primary prevention of substance use programs. OBH-CPEI works in partnership with key policymakers, prevention providers, various state level organizations, families, individuals and, most importantly, communities to promote and strengthen the Colorado substance abuse primary prevention infrastructure throughout the state.
Local communities are paramount to the success of prevention programming throughout the state, and it is with the communities where the real work happens. OBH-CPEI funds local communities throughout the state to implement a wide range of community level, empirically based prevention programming aimed at preventing the misuse of legal and illegal substances, while reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors associated with substance misuse and general wellness.
According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an annual average of 11.5 percent of Colorado adolescents aged 12-17 initiated alcohol use for the first time in the past year from 2011 to 2015. The annual average for initiated marijuana use in the past year was 7.7 percent , and an annual average of 5.2 percent initiated cigarette use in the past year.
Colorado will often rely on the data from the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey and the NSDUH to do the following:
A comprehensive approach to behavioral health also means seeing prevention as part of an overall continuum of care. The Behavioral Health Continuum of Care Model recognizes multiple opportunities for addressing behavioral health problems and disorders. (Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, 2017)
Speak Now addresses the use of alcohol and marijuana, and the misuse of prescription drugs and other drugs among Colorado's youth. It's an educational resource for parents and caregivers on how to start conversations and keep them going about the risks of alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs and other drugs among youth. The Speak Now! website is accessible in english and spanish.
For questions, or more information about Speak Now!, please contact:
Sharon Liu, Community Prevention Programs Manager Prevention and Early Intervention Programs Office of Behavioral Health sharon.liu1@state.co.us | 303.866.7507
For more information about substance abuse prevention and early intervention programs and services, please contact:
Jenny Corvalan-Wood, Director of Community Prevention and Early Intervention Programs Office of Behavioral Health jenny.wood@state.co.us | 303.866.7424
Bonnie Holladay, Community Prevention Programs Coordinator Office of Behavioral Health bonnie.holladay@state.co.us | 303.866.7503
Jodi Lockhart, Community Prevention Programs Manager Prevention and Early Intervention Programs Office of Behavioral Health jodi.lockhart@state.co.us | 303.866.7497
Shaina Riciputi, Evaluation Data Manager for Community Prevention and Early Intervention Office of Behavioral Health shaina.riciputi@state.co.us | 303.866.7708
Melissa Sandoval, Program Assistant Community Prevention and Early Intervention Programs melissa.sandoval@state.co.us | 303.866.7513
Jessica Triplett, Community Prevention Programs STR Manager Prevention and Early Intervention Programs Office of Behavioral Health jessica.triplett@state.co.us | 303.866.7510