Invited Symposium I: Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth: Unleashing the Power of Prevention The Coalition for the Promotion of Behavioral Health

Behavioral health problems in childhood and adolescence take a heavy individual, social, and economic toll on millions of lives. These problems range widely—from anxiety and depression to alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse; delinquent and violent behavior; dropping out of school; and risky sexual activity and unwanted pregnancies. For decades, the approach to behavioral health problems was to treat them only after they were identified – at a high and ongoing cost to young people, families, and communities. Strong evidence from the past three decades indicates that we can prevent many behavioral health problems before they emerge. In this session, members of the Coalition for the Promotion of Behavioral Health discuss advances in prevention science and outline the goals and strategies of Unleashing the Power of Prevention, an action plan aimed at increasing the use of tested and effective preventive interventions for young people from birth to age 24. Unleashing the Power of Prevention is a central component of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare’s Grand Challenge of Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth.