Lessons Learned From an Interdisciplinary Paraprofessional Training Program for Preventing Adolescent Substance Use and Suicide in Underserved Areas

Mental health issues among youth in the United States have reached distressing levels, especially in marginalized populations. Many approaches to help solve this problem are geared toward intervention. However, to reduce the number of young people who experience mental health issues such as depression and nonprescribed substance use, it is important to focus first on prevention. Solutions that account for the barriers and struggles of youth from at-risk communities can emerge from interdisciplinary collaboration. This paper describes an innovative interdisciplinary educational program that trains and prepares undergraduate college students to apply prevention strategies to reduce suicide and nonprescribed substance use among youth in rural and/or underserved communities. Challenges met during the implementation of the program and recommendations for best practices are presented.