Founded in 1970

35 Walnut Ave, Suite 17
Clark, NJ 07066
Phone: (732) 381- 4100
fax: (732) 381-0140
TTY: (732) 381-4192
E-mail: director@preventionlinks.org
Web Site: www.preventionlinks.org

Executive Director: Pamela Capaci, CADC

At Prevention Links, our vision is to create a healthy and drug-free environment by strengthening community, family and youth through substance abuse prevention. We provide a wide variety of high-quality programs and services related to substance prevention issues. From young children to senior citizens, we offer opportunities to learn and develop positive life skills to equip people of all ages with the tools they need to make healthy life choices.

In addition to being an important resource to the citizens of Union County, we provide training and educational opportunities for our local schools, businesses, professionals and the legislators who serve Union County. We provide conferences, professional training, program development, public awareness campaigns and much more. Our Prevention Resource Center offers a wide variety of brochures, videos, books, posters and curricula.

We Collaborate with others similarly concerned. We Assist individuals and families with information, skills and referral. We provide Resources and Education to the community. We C.A.R.E. about prevention.

Prevention Links brings the following NJPN programs to Union County:

• Union 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
• Wellness Initiative for Senior Education (WISE)

We also provide the following additional programs:

All Stars Program
All Stars is an evidence-based program that seeks to prevent substance use (alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and inhalants), premature sexual activity, fighting and delinquency. The program does more than prevent negative behaviors—it enhances positive characteristics everyone wants young people to develop. The sessions are highly interactive and include small group activities, games and discussions.

Beginning Alcohol and Addictions Basic Education Studies (BABES)
This nationally-recognized primary prevention puppet   program, usually presented to third graders, is designed to give children a lifetime of protection from substance abuse. BABES helps young people to develop positive, healthy living skills and provides them with accurate, non-judgmental information about the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs.

Botvin LifeSkills (LST)
LifeSkills is a research-validated substance abuse prevention program proven to reduce the risks of alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse, and violence by targeting the major social and psychological factors that promote the initiation of substance use and other risky behaviors.

Congregation Assistance Program (CAP)
This program trains congregational core teams on substance use and abuse information. In turn, these teams are available as a resource and early intervention ministry for both members of their congregation and their community.

Footprints for LifeTM
Footprints for Life is a research-based primary prevention program that builds assets and teaches important life skills to students in grades two and three. Through the use of puppets and stories that feature “real life” situations experienced by a children’s soccer team, Footprints for Life teaches students about planning and decision-making practices, interpersonal skills, peer pressure, and peaceful conflict resolution.

Forest Friends
This developmental puppet program is designed to help first- and second-grade students learn about and deal with feelings, show respect, develop trust, a good self image and quality decision-making skills. The goal of the program is to equip children with affirmative living skills that will enable them to grow up resilient to the pitfalls of substance abuse.

Intoxicated Driver Resource Center (IDRC) 16-week Program 
This program is mandatory for anyone convicted of driving under the influence in New Jersey. Program topics include consequences of drinking and driving, laws relating to   driving while intoxicated, the nature of addictions and how self-help groups assist in recovery.

Keys to Innervisions (KIV)
The cognitive restructuring skills in KIV address the high-risk factors that predispose youth and adults to cycles of failure. This program is designed to change the beliefs and behaviors that lead to school failure, violence, substance abuse and other anti-social behaviors.

Neighborhood Crime Prevention Initiative
With funding from the NJ Dept. of Law and Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice, Prevention Links was awarded a Neighborhood Crime Prevention Initiative Grant.  The program offers law enforcement, criminal justice officials and community stakeholders the opportunity to identify a specific problem in the community, analyze the factors contributing to the problem, and implement a program tailored to the site-specific crime issue.

Pathways to Empowerment
This life-skills program is specifically designed to address the needs of children ages seven through 14 who have physical, emotional, developmental and/or learning disabilities.

Prehistoric Pals
This anger management/conflict resolution program for grades pre-kindergarten and kindergarten is designed to provide young children with the necessary skills to express and deal appropriately with feelings of anger and rage.

Professional Training
Training is available to individuals or groups who provide medical, social, criminal justice, religious or other human services. 

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

Smart Choices
This program for 5th and 6th graders deals with the challenges and pressures on pre-teens and teens, emphasizing responsible decision making to avoid substance abuse and other negative behaviors. 

Strengthening Families
This program is a parenting and family management project. It’s unique among parenting and family programs, because it was developed specifically for family units in which parents are at high risk for substance abuse and related issues.

Union County Coalition for the Prevention of Substance Abuse
The Coalition began its tenth and final year of Drug Free Communities grant funding in September 2008. Since its inception, the Coalition has focused on reducing substance abuse among youth in Union County by developing a viable, pro-active Coalition. The overriding accomplishment of the Coalition is the establishment of an institutionalized infrastructure in Union County. The Coalition has become woven into the fibers of the comprehensive prevention planning that takes place at the county and state level.