Jeff Wolfsberg and Associates, Inc. is a privately owned consulting firm that partners with independent and public secondary schools,  colleges, and universities to help design and implement evidence-based and theory-driven educational programs on student health issues. Our integrative prevention® approach utilizes the three prevailing theories in drug education research: (1) Risk and Protective Factors; (2) Developmental Assets; and (3) The Resiliency Model.

Jeff is a highly regarded  leader in the world of school-based drug education and early intervention.  With more than a decade of counseling and educational experience,  Jeff has worked with more than 1,500 of the world’s finest independent secondary schools, colleges, and universities in enhancing their response to underage drinking, alcohol misuse, and teen drug use.

Jeff has designed and presented programs to universities, Fortune 500 companies, educational conferences, and professional associations.  Jeff’s articles and comments on adolescent substance abuse and personal development appear in many publications, including TIME Magazine, The Boston Globe, Educational Digest, Independent School Magazine.  He is a regular guest expert for FOX TV , expert blogger for The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, and has provided commentary on adolescent and family health for National Public Radio affiliates and other national media outlets.  He is also the author and narrator of the two-disc instructional audio program “Mom, Did You Ever Try Drugs – Answers to the Most-Asked Questions about Parenting, Alcohol and Other Drugs” and “7 Mistakes Parents Make When Talking With Their Teen About Dating.”

Our “Behavioral Model” Approach

We take a cognitive-behavioral approach to addressing a biopsychosocial problem – namely teen drinking, mental health, and other drug use.  The essence of the cognitive-behavioral approach is (1) identify the behavior (s) to change, and (2) understand the functional relationship between the individual’s behaviors and the context in which the behaviors are embedded.  The cognitive-behavioral approach teaches students how to anticipate, identify, and manage high-risk situations, while also preparing for the future by striving for lifestyle balance; it seeks to outfit the student with the necessary behavioral “tools” to use whenever and wherever signs of trouble appear.

We believe that effective drug education needs to abandon the old style where students ask questions of the authority figure and the authority figure dispenses wisdom and advice.  This approach reinforces the reliance on an outside figure and the tendency to look for truth outside ourselves.  We believe that teens have a natural internal compass to move towards health. Our instruction assists and act as a coach in this natural movement.  We provide schools and communities with trusted information and personal and professional insight that allows them to reduce the risks associated with underage drinking, alcohol misuse, and teen drug use.

Drug Education Program Overview

Prevention is more than random good acts, done with the hope of touching “just one person.”  It is more than slogans, negative media messages, or an ex-addict telling their story.  Addressing substance use and personal health in school begins with early childhood education, continues through high school and into college.

The research and our professional experience informs us that an effective prevention strategy is better understood not as a single approach, but rather a portfolio of approaches to reduce the harms associated with substance use and promote healthy behaviors.  A single approach to drug prevention cannot meet the norms of every school community or the needs of every student.

Adolescent substance use is a complex social problem requiring the hard work of systems change and committed individuals.  Moving beyond “quick and easy,” schools and communities are encouraged to build multi-dimensional programs with intensity, duration, and a long-term vision.  The essence of our consulting approach is to assist schools in focusing on “what matters and what is worthy” rather than jumping to the “how” of programming, policy development, and techniques.

A well conceived, comprehensive alcohol and other drug prevention strategy is a major undertaking, and one which requires substantive commitment to its planning, implementation, and sustenance. Coordinated, long-term efforts hold the best possibilities for making a permanent and meaningful difference in your community.

Our Consultation and Programs Help Schools To:

• Mobilize and engage diverse members of the community in positive youth development.
• Establish a shared vision, common language and collaborative prevention planning structure.
• Develop a data-driven profile of the school’s risks, strengths and institutional obstacles.
• Establish action priorities based on the data showing school and community needs.
• Develop clear and measurable outcomes that can be tracked over time to show progress.
• Help schools act on their values and focus on “what matters and what is worthy”.

Key Features of Our Drug Education Program:

• (IOM Type) Universal & Indicated Prevention Program
• Systems-oriented AND individual-oriented
• Evidence-based & Theory driven
• Combining both prevention and health promotion activities