Pathways Prevention Services

Contact the individual county offices, Black Hawk, Bremer,Buchanan, Butler, Chickasaw, and Grundy counties, for information regarding specific prevention services offered in each Pathways service area.

Pathways' prevention services aim to prevent the underage use, and the abuse, of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Pathways offers a variety of programs and activities to assist communities, schools, workplaces, and organizations address substance abuse issues. See our Prevention Programs Brochure for a list of programs offered in your communities.
 

Community Coalitions

Pathways works with a number of coalitions in Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Chickasaw, and Grundy counties to help area communities address substance use and addiction. Activities conducted by these community coalitions include:

• Increasing community awareness of substance abuse issues
• Working to encourage positive substance use/ abuse policy changes both locally and state-wide
• Promoting positive activities for youth development and volunteerism
• Reducing youth access to substances such as tobacco and alcohol
   

JEL (Just Eliminate Lies)

This is a national campaign by high school students that exposes the truth about big tobacco and their lies.  JEL's goal is to fight against the attempts to addict youth and to change people's attitudes about tobacco use.  (Offered only in Black Hawk, Chickasaw, and Buchanan counties, however technical assistance is available for other counties in our service area.) 

CMCA (Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol)

CMCA is an evidenced-based prevention program that utilizes community organizing strategies.  These strategies are designed to reduce adolescent access to alcohol by changing or implementing community polices and practices such as keg registration, social host liability, server training, and compliance checks.

Prevention Education Programs

BABES

This six- part series is an early education program that uses puppets to teach second grade students living skills that to help them make good decisions.  The intention is that these skills will remain with them throughout their lives.

Project Alert

Project ALERT is a  nationally recognized middle school substance abuse program that gives students insight, understanding, and actual skills for resisting substance abuse. Project ALERT successfully addresses tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and inhalants, which are the substances most commonly used by teens.

Teens Against Tobacco Use (TATU)

TATU is a nationally recognized program that teaches teenagers to be advocates for a smoke-free America.  Teens are trained to make presentations to grade school students about the hazards of tobacco use. 

Keep a Clear Mind (KACM)

This is a take-home drug education program for upper elementary school students (8 to 12 years old) and their parents. The material consists of 4 weekly sets of activities to be completed by parents and their children together.  KACM lessons are based on a social skills training model and designed to help children develop specific skills to refuse and avoid the use of "gateway" drugs. This unique, early intervention program has been shown to positively influence known risk factors for later substance use. 

Strengthening Families

This is a seven week program for parents and youth ages 10-14 that utilizes both family sessions and narrated videos.  This program is meant to reduce adolescent substance abuse and other problems through sessions that are highly interactive and include role-playing, discussions, learning games, and family projects.

PRIME for Life Parents Program

This program gives parents research-based information and skills to help reduce the likelihood that their child(ren) will experience substance abuse problems at any time in their lives.  The program focuses on alcohol, drugs, and prevention strategies parents can use when talking with their children. 

Intervention/Secondary Prevention Programs

Youth Diversion

This is a four week class for youth who have had an alcohol or drug related offence.  Classes are held weekly at Pathways, with new classes starting the beginning of each month.  The youth are given the tools to make low risk choices and are educated about the risk factors that lead to the onset of alcoholism or drug dependence.  Advanced registration is a must.

Other Prevention Services Provided

ATOD presentations/consultations- (Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs)

These are presentations for elementary, jr. high/ middle school,  high school, or college classrooms, Driver's Ed classes, workplace, churches, or youth groups. We develop research based programs fit to your needs.  We also offer consultations with substance abuse/tobacco workplace policy issues or general advice.

Newsletter Articles

We will provide evidence-based articles written by Pathways Prevention staff for school, business, or church newsletters based on the substance abuse prevention topic(s) of your choice.

Prevention Staff Contact Information

Prevention Staff 

Alice Baruth:
alice_baruth@Pathwaysb.org

Cathy Upham:
cathy_upham@Pathwaysb.org

Felicia Carter:
felicia_carter@Pathwaysb.org

Annemarie Goldhorn:
agoldhorn@Pathwaysb.org

Amy Schutte:
aschutte@Pathwaysb.org

Vicki Mueller:
vicki_mueller@Pathwaysb.org

Nora Rodriguez-Kurtovic
NKurtovic@Pathwaysb.org

Pathways' prevention programs are funded by the Iowa Division of Health Promotion, Prevention and Addictive Behaviors, the United Way, State and local grants, and individual and corporate donations.