Founded in 1967

1405 Highway 35
Ocean, NJ 07712

Phone: (732) 663-1800
FAX: (732) 663-1698
E-mail: mpangelini@preventionfirst.net
Website: www.preventionfirst.net

Executive Director: Mary Pat Angelini, MPA, CPS

Prevention First is an advocate for change, a provider of substance abuse and violence prevention education, and a proponent of healthy lifestyles. We work to minimize the incidence and impact of substance abuse and to counterbalance its negative impact on society. The agency attempts to empower personal growth toward positive change to prevent and eliminate substance abuse and related violence.

Prevention First offers high quality programs that equip children with fundamental tools to help them make the right choices throughout their childhood, adolescence and on into young adulthood. Today’s world requires a new skill set to safely maneuver through these crucial times in a child’s life. We provide these skills through prevention education programs in schools, businesses and the community at large.

Prevention First brings the following NJPN programs to Monmouth County:

• Monmouth County Prevention Resource Center
• Childhood Drinking (CD) Coalition
• Compass Gang Prevention Program
• Disabilities and Addiction Project
• Faith-based Initiative
• Jason’s Message: Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drug Abuse Prevention
• Parents Who Host Lose the Most
• Wellness Initiative for Senior Education (WISE)

We also provide the following additional programs:

Beginning Alcohol and Addictions Basic Education Studies (BABES)
BABES is a primary prevention program that teaches important life skills and provides accurate, non-judgmental information about the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs to children between the ages of five and nine.

Bullying Prevention Program
This program helps young children recognize and change bullying behavior. Students will discuss issues related to bullying and teasing during hands-on interactive sessions.

Chess Child
Chess Child is a highly structured substance abuse prevention program targeting children 10 to 14 years of age. It works by using chess instruction, guided chess play, historic chess games and notation system study to promote the development of the values, skills, and behaviors necessary for independent thought and purposeful, directed action.

Community Partnership for Tobacco Prevention
Funded by the N.J. Dept. of Health and Senior Services Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program, this program provides health education programs, raises awareness about New Jersey’s Smoke-free Air Act and works to reduce exposure to second-hand smoke among all New Jersey residents.

Get Real About Violence
This six-lesson curriculum for middle school students is used as a base from which students can begin to change their attitudes and behaviors about violence and the attitudes and behaviors of those around them.

Kicking Out Mr. BUTTS
This one-hour slide show demonstrates the influence of tobacco advertising on young people. By revealing the advertising strategies used to attract specific vulnerable population groups, and by exposing myths behind tobacco use, this program empowers young people to counteract the harmful effects of tobacco advertising.

Life Skills Training (LST)
LST teaches skills to impressionable youth so they can recognize unhealthy behaviors and influences and develop the capabilities to resist alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

Marijuana Reality Check
This three-lesson program uses a video, cooperative learning and the environmental approach to change community norms around marijuana through the use of a media campaign.

Parenting Classes: Every Person Influences Children (EPIC)
This program teaches the effect of positive parenting on children today and in the future. The classes focus on family strengths and look at the risk factors associated with substance abuse and child abuse.

Peer Resource and Education Program (PREP)
PREP is a grassroots program that involves teens living in Monmouth County. Our staff work closely with the local agencies that provide youth services to ensure effective delivery of services.

PETER Principle
This six-lesson program helps elementary students learn and practice life skills that help them to resolve conflict. Using hands-on activities and demonstrations, children learn strategies for dealing with conflict, respecting differences and similarities, understanding feelings, developing communication skills and cooperation.

Project Oz
This curriculum provides an innovative approach to education and prevention of substance abuse among school-aged children with learning disabilities and mild retardation. It is specifically designed to assist these children by responding to and addressing a variety of issues, stressors, and problems they face in a productive and positive manner.

Reaching Everyone By Exposing Lies (REBEL)
This youth-driven tobacco control movement is designed to prevent and reduce the spread of tobacco use among adolescents and other community members.

Second Step Conflict Resolution
As children enter adolescence, they often experience conflicting and confusing emotions. This program focuses on reducing impulsive and aggressive behavior and increasing the level of social competence among pre-teens.

Strengthening Families
This comprehensive, primary prevention program focuses on building and sustaining “healthy families.” Working in collaboration with a number of community organizations, it combines prevention education with strategies for behavioral and community change.

Training Institute
Our professional staff can provide free presentations on a variety of topics through our Training Institute. For more information, contact Barbara Sprechman at 732-663-1800 ext. 211.