Prevention programs play an important role in the human services profession. Primary prevention refers to any intervention that occurs before the initial onset of a specific problem and covers many different activities.

Based on your Reading in the text and your own research, respond to the following questions:

• Describe the various levels of prevention and give an example of an intervention at each level. Choose examples that are different from those already mentioned by your classmates.
• Compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the various levels of prevention in the context of a specific problem or disorder. Identify which level of prevention would be most effective with the issue or problem you have chosen. Again, choose something not already discussed by a classmate.
• Respond to the question: why is an emphasis on primary prevention crucial in the human services field?
• In order to be effective as a human service professional, it is important to become familiar with the resources available in our own community. Using the internet and other resources, research prevention programs in your community. Describe several of these programs and discuss the problems or disorders they are attempting to prevent. Do you think they are effective at this task? Why or why not?
• Discuss any obstacles likely to impact these programs in your community.