One of the most appealing aspects of primary prevention and promotion in mental, emotional and behavioral (MEB) health is the broad scale impact that preventive activities have on overall health and wellbeing. The problem behaviors and other health conditions that they prevent span the full range of human experience from academic problems through juvenile justice, violence reduction, somatic illnesses as well as mental and addictive illnesses. Similarly, the risk and protective factors that impact healthy development also cover a wide range from nutrition through child abuse and neglect, other adverse and traumatic experiences, availability of addictive substances as well as biological and genetic vulnerability. Given this panoramic range of influences and effects, financing for MEB prevention and promotion is spread across many sectors of interest and government departments, different levels of organization (national, state and local) and differing sources of funding (public, private and philanthropic). This fragmentation in funding creates challenges in understanding and strategically directing our overall efforts in this area as well as maintaining sustainable funding for these activities. This paper will address these challenges by providing an overview of financing mechanisms for primary MEB prevention efforts and discussing implementation strategies being used across the country at the federal, state, and community levels. The aim of the paper is to help assure coordination among the widely varying interests in the prevention arena and the overall effectiveness of these investments.
The first half of the paper will catalogue major existing funding mechanisms that can be utilized by states, localities, and community based organizations as well as feature some innovative financing strategies that are emerging in the field. The second half will document implementation strategies to advance prevention efforts and coordinate financing, programming, and monitoring. Case examples will be utilized throughout the paper to illustrate the use of financing mechanisms and implementation strategies.
This guide is meant to be used by multiple stakeholders – federal, state, and local policy makers, community leaders, community based organizations and coalitions, advocates, researchers, and purveyors of specific evidence-based preventive interventions. These stakeholders include the full range of individuals who are interested in healthy human development and community wellbeing.
This paper was developed by authors Sarah M. Steverman, Ph.D., M.S.W, and David L. Shern, Ph.D.
Additional Resources
Recorded Presentations