PreVenture is a mental health and early intervention program for youth ages 12-17. Developed by Patricia Conrod, PhD at the University of Montreal and used around the world, PreVenture is designed to help at-risk youth learn useful coping skills, set long term goals, and channel their personality towards achieving them.
Overdose Lifeline is licensed in the U.S. to train facilitators in the PreVenture Program.
of adolescents ages 12–17 admit to illicit drug use
of 12-year-olds admit to having tried alcohol
If you are a teacher, mental health practitioner, counselor, social worker, and/or prevention specialist, you can become a certified PreVenture facilitator and bring this proven, evidence-based intervention to your community.
“As a Certified PreVenture Facilitator, you will be able to make a valuable contribution towards helping teens understand how their personality impacts their life and assist them with learning skills to help them make the best possible choices.”
Unlike universal programs that offer generic coping skills and address normative attitudes around substance misuse, PreVenture focuses expressly on at-risk youth. The intervention is delivered to youth in a workshop format and introduces motivational pathways and coping skills based on individual personality profiles. These personality profiles are determined by the results of a screening survey called the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS).
Over a 2.5-day period you will learn about the evidence base and theoretical approach of Preventure and walk through a hands-on practical experience delivering the PreVenture program using Motivational Interviewing (MI) exercises and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles. Conducted online*
Upon completion you will receive a certification valid for one year. Certification licensing must be renewed annually for continued facilitation.
As part of your training, you will gain access to the preventure.us website which includes a personalized Facilitator dashboard with tools and support you’ll need to deliver the program successfully, such as:
Though it is preferred that a facilitator have a background in a clinical field, it is not required. It is, however, expected that facilitators have at least a history of working with vulnerable youth. Studies have shown that teachers are equally suitable implementers of the program.
We recommend there to be at least two fully committed facilitators within an organization or community. It is recommended that a community or organization consider the number of adolescents in their area, and base the number of facilitators on this information.
A facilitator should plan to help recruit participating organizations/schools, schedule and screen adolescents, and deliver both workshops for each of the four personality groups. On average, facilitators should plan to spend at least one-half day to screen and score students, and one day for each set of workshops. Time commitments will vary across regions.
Yes, anyone implementing the program, including screening, is required to obtain consent from the parents of adolescents. Parents must be provided with adequate information regarding the program, its implementation, and any risks that may be involved. Please refer to your state and local laws for all applicable regulations.
PreVenture is designed for adolescents ages 12-17, and thus is suited for middle-school to high-school aged students only.
All students must be screened before they are placed in a workshop. However, if a student’s score does not make them eligible for the program, they may still participate in the program. This process is outlined during the facilitator training.
90-minutes is the maximum time that should be spent during a workshop, however, workshops may take less time to complete. The time to finish a workshop session will vary on group size and student participation.
No, the program is designed to be completed in two 90-minute sessions, see above for clarification on workshop length. Modifications to the delivery of the program put the fidelity of the program at risk.
The screening process does involve specifically identifying students best served by the program, however, anyone who wants to participate may do so. Additionally, the personality assignment of youth is not revealed or discussed with anyone outside of the program facilitators. Students also establish and agree to a confidentiality agreement with one another at the start of the first workshop. The establishment of ground rules and building trust is an essential component of the program.
First and foremost, PreVenture is completely voluntary and a student should never be required to participate if they do not wish to. The workshops are designed to be facilitator mediated peer-to-peer skill building, and thus it is essential to the program that youth participation is voluntary.
No, there is no other follow-up once workshop #2 is completed for each of the personality groups. The program is designed to be brief, while remaining effective. Screening – Workshop #1 – Workshop #2 – Done.
