Prevention

The Council on Chemical Abuse offers Berks County schools and communities a wide array of prevention services designed to prevent youth involvement with drug use and other destructive behaviors.  These services, by targeting specific individual, family, community, and school risk factors, provide Berks County youth and family members with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop and maintain healthy drug-free lifestyles.


School-based prevention services are the cornerstone of the Council’s youth-focused prevention services.  Classroom education utilizing evidence-based prevention programs provides youth with vital knowledge regarding alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Peer prevention services such as Berks PRIDE, Peer Mediation, and BUSTED! offer youth valuable life skills training and opportunities to spread a drug and violence-free message to their peers and the community. 

The Council on Chemical Abuse reaches out to families with its community-based prevention services such as the Safe Homes Parents Network and the Drug-free Express Kids (DFX) Club.  Evidence-based family programs such as Creating Lasting Family Connections, provide parents and youth with dynamic opportunities to strengthen family relationships. The Council also supports the efforts of community partnerships through mini-grant funding.  For more information on our prevention programs, please contact Rebecca Reinhart or Marcia Goodman-Hinnershitz.