Community Health Promotion Unit, SMC Health

Welcome to San Mateo County Health System's 

What is the Prevention Learning Academy? to build capacity of local organizations, community groups and county staff in primary prevention, defined as interventions that are applied before any disease or harm exists. Topics include social norm change, policy strategies and other environmental prevention strategies to reduce access to alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other drugs. The Prevention Learning Academy applies a public health lens and actively incporporate the social determinants of health and their root causes into trainings. This is where we take a closer look at social and institutional inequities that, in turn, create inequitable environments where people of color and other marginalized communities are disadvantaged (aka systems of oppression). 

Who should attend? Our target audience includes: prevention professionals, prevention partnership members, coaliton members, faith-leaders, parents, school staff, law enforcement, non-profit and county agency staff, policy makers and others. 

What will attendees learn and discuss?

Core learning objectives:

• Understand the health impacts of alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and other drugs
• Apply a public health lens to substance use, misuse and abuse, exploring the social determinants of health and their root causes 
• Build knowledge, skills and capacity to implement AOD prevention activities

If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Reyes 650-802-6587 ekreyes@smcgov.org