From Prevention Action Alliance
By Bobbie Boyer
The month of March is set aside to honor women’s contributions in American history.
In Ohio, we have a history that includes many women that acted as trailblazers, opening doors as leaders to shine their light for change. The prevention profession in Ohio has also been influenced by a group of very gifted women, many that I have worked alongside over the years. I consider Hope Taft to be one of the most remarkable advocates for prevention that we have ever seen. She led the charge in the early days for creating resources and encouraged us to dream big. When Hope and I walked into the office of the newly appointed director of the Ohio Department of Drug and Alcohol and Drug Services (ODADAS) and requested funding for prevention 32 years ago, I had no idea how that initial seed would grow. I am thankful to Hope and others that helped to create vision and resources for the field.
During those first years, we built coalitions, created drug free schools’ programs and implemented prevention practices within local communities. Since then, the prevention field has blossomed to become a credentialed profession with its own language and evidence-based practices. The research continues to support our understanding and inform our work. We know that healthy Mental, Emotional and Behavioral (MEB) development is shaped by experiences and circumstances that cross generations within families and affect entire communities. Risk factors, such as poverty and community violence, require approaches designed to impact those social determinants of health. The work of prevention addresses these challenges to achieve health equity through advocacy, multi-sector engagement and community change. MEB promotion and prevention efforts are provided across the lifespan so that we are impacting the broader intersections of relationships across generations, within organizations and communities.
The pandemic has provided an opportunity to learn more about public health strategies and how each person plays a role in protecting communities from the spread of the virus. The same is true for preventing mental, emotional, and behavioral health disorders. Prevention professionals guide the development and implementation of collaborative partnerships and plans for policy, programs and services that target individuals, families, organizations, and communities. However, the opportunity is open and broad for all to play a role in prevention efforts.
Today, Ohioans are blessed to have leaders at the top that understand the value of prevention. Governor DeWine made bold decisions to elevate prevention in his first days in office and continues to support investments to support our work. Lori Criss, the Director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services works hard to understand the needs of Ohioans and supports efforts to expand the impact of prevention strategies.
I look forward to our continued work together with a spirit of collaboration and cultural humility as we mitigate risk and build safe, supportive, and resilient communities for all Ohioans.
Photo credit: Global Fund for Women