The Regional Substance Use Prevention Integration Centers, or RSUPICS, were designed to help increase access to substance use prevention information. Our purpose is to partner with youth-serving organizations throughout our designated region in the State of Illinois to determine the most effective ways to incorporate substance use prevention information into their work. The RSUPIC aims to provide support, guidance, education, and training to community partners across Illinois.
RSUPICS work to integrate substance use prevention utilizing the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association's (SAMHSA) 6 Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) strategies. This allows us to meet the needs of each youth-serving organization, considering their individual needs and capacity for integration.
Information Dissemination: A one-way communication that provides awareness and knowledge of available prevention programs and services, as well as the nature and extent of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use and their effects (e.g., brochures, health fairs, resource directories)
Education: A two-way communication between educator/facilitator and participants that aims to affect critical life and social skills that include decision-making, refusal skills, critical analysis, and judgment abilities (e.g., classroom or small group sessions, parenting/family management classes, education programs for youth groups)
Alternatives: Constructive and healthy activities that exclude alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use (e.g., drug-free dances and parties, community service activities)
Environmental: Establish or change/strengthen community standards, norms, and policies around substance use and misuse (e.g., promoting the establishment or review of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use policies in schools, modifying advertising practices, product pricing strategies)
Community-Based Processes: Strengthen the community's ability to effectively provide prevention and treatment/recovery services for substance use disorders (e.g., community and volunteer training, multi-agency collaboration, coalition building, and networking)
Problem Identification and Referral: Identify individuals who have engaged in illegal or age-inappropriate use of tobacco or alcohol and who have indulged in the first use of illicit drugs to assess if their behavior can be reversed through education (e.g., employee assistance programs, student assistance programs, driving while under the influence education programs)
How can you get involved?
Join our Regional Advisory Board! Our meetings are held virtually every other month and are a great way to connect with other social service agencies and providers across IDHS Region 4. We collaborate on the best ways to increase our communities' knowledge about critical issues affecting them and share updates and upcoming events.
Learn more or connect for services!
Reach out to us via email rsupic4@fgcinc.org or fill out the contact form https://www.preventionintegrationcenter.org/contact to connect with us to learn more about how to partner with the RSUPIC and how we are serving the communities in IDHS Region 4!
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