For more information about Pathways Prevention Services or to set up a service contact: Vicki Mueller at vmueller@pathwaysb.org
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/addiction and problem gambling. 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
Prevention Education Programs
SHEEP (Students Hearing & Experiencing Elementary Prevention)

Pathways’ SHEEP Program’s Most Valuable Players!
This 6-week program written using health literacy guidelines, uses animal puppets and baseball to introduce 2nd graders to key concepts and strategies to begin planting the seeds of prevention of substance use, as well as introducing healthy life choices.
LifeSkills (Botvin)
This research-validated middle school program has been shown to reduce substance abuse and other risky behaviors.. Pathways can provide LifeSkills to your 6th-8th grade students.
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.
Youth Tobacco Programs
We work with middle or high school students to develop peer and community education and activities that fight against attempts to addict youth to tobacco products. Our goal is to change people’s attitudes about tobacco use and reduce use. (Black Hawk, Buchanan, Grundy and Tama Counties. Technical assistance is available for other counties in our service area.)
Workplace Trainings
We offer consultations for substance abuse/tobacco workplace policy issues or general advice. We also offer required two hour Drug-Free Workplace trainings for a cost of $20 per supervisor and one hour refresher trainings for $10 per supervisor. Group rates may apply.
Other Prevention Services Provided ATOD presentations/consultations- (Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs and problem gambling)
These are presentations for elementary, jr. high/ middle school, high school, or college classrooms, Driver’s Ed classes, workplaces, 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.
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.