This menu highlights strategies at the community and societal-level that can address various shared risk and protective factors, which have the potential to reach more of a community’s population compared to individual and relationship-level programs alone.
However, some communities may identify local needs that are best addressed using programs that operate on the individual and relationship levels of the Social Ecological Model. Similar to strategy selection, it is important for communities to choose programs that are supported by evidence showing their effectiveness.
The Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development registry of evidence-based programs provides a rigorous analysis of the impact of promising and evidence-based programs to prevent substance abuse, violence, and other health behaviors of concern among youth. Programs listed in the Blueprints registry are focused on prevention through early intervention or treatment of the individual or family and are organized by the risk or protective factors they address. Explore which evidence-based programs align with various risk and protective factors here.
External funding for Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development concluded in July 2024. With input from our scientific advisory board and staff, Blueprints will be put into dormancy until it is possible to secure a sustainable, high-impact path forward. The dormancy process entails updating information on the existing programs listed on our website and ensuring that Blueprints will remain freely available and searchable while in dormancy. This process will be completed by June 2025. Read more about the future of Blueprints here.
A note to communities implementing a shared risk and protective factor approach to prevention using CDPHE funding: Agencies throughout the state of Colorado prioritize individual and relationship-level needs and are able to fund the implementation of evidence-based programs. Given the breadth of statewide funding available for efforts at this level, COFP funding can only be used to implement community and societal-level strategies like those outlined in this Menu. Should your community decide to implement an individual or relationship-level program, COFP coaches can support you in connecting with local foundations, sister agencies (e.g., Colorado Department of Human Services Office of Behavioral Health & Tony Grampsas Youth Services Program), and juvenile justice programs, some of which may be able to provide funding for program implementation.