Prevention Starts Long Before a Crisis

/ Commentary, Program Update / By

How SENT Is Building Stronger Pathways for Youth, Families, and Community Health

Prevention is often misunderstood.

It’s not just about saying “don’t.”

It’s not about waiting for warning signs to become emergencies.

And it’s not something that happens in isolation.

True prevention is about reducing risk, strengthening protective factors, and building environments where people have the tools, relationships, and supports they need before a crisis ever occurs.

At SENT, prevention is not a separate program.

It is woven into everything we do — from after-school connection and emotional skill-building to clinical care, family support, and recovery services. This approach is grounded in research, informed by lived experience, and aligned with the goals of The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS), Behavioral Health Services Commission.

Why Prevention Matters

The Data Behind the Need

Research consistently shows that risk for substance use and mental health challenges does not emerge suddenly. It builds over time, influenced by stress, isolation, trauma, lack of connection, and limited access to supportive resources.

Well-documented findings tell us:

  • The hours immediately after school, roughly 3:00–6:00 PM, are among the highest-risk times for youth when supervision and structure are limited
  • Youth who are unsupervised after school are nearly three times more likely to engage in risky behaviors
  • Early initiation of substance use significantly increases the likelihood of long-term substance use disorder
  • Chronic stress without healthy coping tools increases vulnerability to both substance use and mental health challenges

These risks are not about poor character or bad parenting. They are the predictable result of environmental stressors, unmet emotional needs, and lack of connection.

Prevention works when communities address those root causes early.

“Prevention doesn’t start when things fall apart — it starts when someone feels seen, supported, and not alone. Long before a crisis, people are giving signs they’re struggling. Paying attention early changes everything.” — Tricia McCourt, Addiction Specialist, SENT

Prevention Is Not Just About Avoiding Harm

It’s About Building Protective Factors

The same research that identifies risk also clearly identifies what protects young people and families over time.

Protective factors include:

  • Strong, consistent relationships with caring adults
  • Positive peer connections
  • Emotional regulation and coping skills
  • Structured, engaging environments
  • Opportunities for purpose, service, and skill-building

Youth who experience these protective factors are significantly less likely to initiate substance use, more likely to seek help early, and more likely to develop resilience when challenges arise.

This is the foundation of SENT’s prevention strategy.

Emotional Regulation Is a Prevention Strategy

Adolescence and young adulthood are periods of rapid brain development. The areas of the brain responsible for emotion and reward develop earlier than the areas responsible for impulse control and long-term decision-making, which continue developing into the mid-20s.

When stress is high and coping skills are limited, young people are more likely to turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Research shows:

  • High stress without emotional regulation skills increases the likelihood of substance use as a form of self-regulation
  • Youth with stronger emotional regulation skills are less likely to engage in impulsive or risky behaviors
  • Teaching coping skills early reduces long-term risk

That’s why SENT emphasizes emotional regulation, expression, and coping skills as core prevention tools, not add-ons.

Through creative expression, trusted relationships, and skill-building opportunities, young people learn how to name emotions, process stress, and make safer choices when pressure shows up.

Connection Is One of the Strongest Forms of Prevention

Isolation is a major risk factor for both substance use and mental health challenges. Connection is one of the strongest protective factors we have.

Decades of research confirm that youth who feel connected to peers, mentors, and caring adults are:

  • Less likely to use substances
  • Less likely to experience severe emotional distress
  • More likely to seek help early
  • More likely to stay engaged in school and community

This is why Campus Connections exists.

Campus Connections

Prevention Through Belonging, Skill-Building, and Purpose

Campus Connections provides open-access, low-barrier after-school opportunities designed to reduce isolation and increase protective factors.

Students can simply show up and participate in:

These spaces are intentionally designed to be welcoming, consistent, and relational. No referral is required. No cost. No pressure.

For students who need deeper support, SENT also offers invitation-based groups, such as Making Sense of Your Worth (MSOYW), typically referred by teachers or school partners. This layered approach ensures that young people receive support at the level they need, when they need it.

Prevention is not one-size-fits-all. It works best when there are multiple entry points.

“By the time there’s a crisis, a lot has already been carrying weight for a long time. Prevention is about showing up earlier — before the breaking point — and walking with people while things are still manageable.” — Tricia McCourt, Addiction Specialist, SENT

Prevention and Treatment Are Not Opposites

They Are Part of the Same Continuum

While prevention aims to reduce risk before problems escalate, SENT also recognizes that treatment and recovery services must be accessible, coordinated, and compassionate.

Through SENT’s wraparound model, prevention connects seamlessly to:

  • Mental health counseling
  • Substance use disorder services
  • Peer support
  • Neighbor Advocacy (case management) and resource navigation
  • Family support services
  • Health and wellness care

This integrated approach ensures that when someone needs more than prevention alone, they don’t fall through the cracks.

Instead of asking individuals and families to navigate disconnected systems, SENT works to ensure they can walk through one door and access coordinated care.

Why This Matters for Families and the Community

Prevention is not just about individual outcomes. It has a community-wide impact.

Research shows that effective prevention reduces:

  • Emergency room visits
  • Crisis interventions
  • School disruptions
  • Long-term health care costs
  • Strain on child welfare and justice systems

At the same time, it strengthens:

  • Emotional well-being
  • Academic engagement
  • Workforce readiness
  • Family stability
  • Community safety

Prevention is not an expense. It is an investment.

Setting the Stage for the Months Ahead

This blog marks the beginning of a larger conversation. Over the coming months, SENT will continue sharing education, tools, and opportunities focused on:

  • Understanding risk factors
  • Strengthening coping and emotional regulation
  • Increasing access to connection and support
  • Normalizing help-seeking
  • Highlighting prevention in action

Prevention is not something we do to a community.

It is something we build with a community.

And it starts long before a crisis ever shows up.

WORKS CITED / SOURCES

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