Prevention Strategic Plan
Overview
The Bureau of Substance Abuse established a committee in the summer of 2017 to inform the strategic plan process. In addition to bureau staff, committee members included representatives from the Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy, the Iowa Department of Education, the Iowa Department of Human Services, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety, along with community-based prevention and treatment service providers from across the state.
The Five-Year Substance Abuse Prevention Strategic Plan follows the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) model and is guided by the principles of cultural competence and sustainability throughout all five steps of the process. The Strategic Plan focuses on strategies for Evidence-Based Practices, Continuous Quality Improvement, Prevention Education, Workforce Development, and includes a special focus area on strategies to Reduce Opioid Use Disorder.
Performance Indicators
Established performance indicators that will be monitored to assess the impact of the implemented strategies include:
- Decrease underage drinking from 11% to 7% or fewer youth reporting alcohol consumption. Measured by the Iowa Youth Survey (IYS). State rate in 2016 of 3% for 6th graders, 5% for 8th graders, and 21% for 11th graders.
- Decrease marijuana use from 9% to 7% or fewer youth reporting its use. Measured by the Iowa Youth Survey. The 2016 IYS shows 1%, 2%, and 10% for 6th, 8th, and 11th graders, respectively.
- Decrease by 5% the number of 11th grade youth reporting misuse of prescription medications. Measured by the Iowa Youth Survey. Reduce by 5% (n=65) the current numbers of 11th grade youth (n=1,299) reporting prescription medication misuse.
- Decrease in binge drinking among adults from 28.6% (baseline 2008-09) to 20.3% (2019-20 reported data). Measured by NSDUH. Behavioral Health Barometer, Iowa reports that 18.1% of individuals aged 12-20 in Iowa engaged in binge drinking within the past month, higher than the national rate of 14.0%. NSDUH 2013-14 reports binge rate at 25.36 for Iowans 12+, 47.04 for 18-25 year-olds.
Resources and Reports