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About Us

Wards 7 & 8 DC Prevention Center

The DC Prevention Center for Wards 7 & 8 (Wards 7 & 8 DCPC) is acollaborative venture with the Department of Health Addiction Prevention and RecoveryAdministration (DOH APRA), Bridging Resources In Communities, Inc. (BRIC), the leadcommunity based agency for this initiative, and the Ophelia Egypt Program Center ofPlanned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, Inc. (Ophelia Egypt). The Wards 7 &8 DCPC has been established at 3939 Benning Road, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20019,conveniently located near the c orner of Benning Road and Minnesota Avenue N.E. We areco-located with the Marshall Heights Community Development Organization. We are accessible to residents of both Wards 7 and 8 via nine Metro bus lines and two Metrosubway stations. There is also ample free parking inside the East River Shopping Center.

The Wards 7 & 8 DCPC utilizes a public health, social development model basedupon the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Strategic Prevention

Framework to engage in population/community level prevention that utilizes three corefunctions to address priority risk factors and target outcomes. The three core functionsare:

Community Education (provide current, relevant prevention information)

Community Leadership (develop new/strengthen existing prevention networks)

Community Changes (work with the networks in action plan implementation)

The target populations for this initiative are youth ages 8 to 18 along with those inthe community that influence them (e.g., peers, families, caregivers). Through our

prevention networks we will engage in neighborhood level action planning andimplementation that also focuses on specific populations (e.g. youth, seniors, parents)and specific community hubs (e.g. recreation or community centers, schools,churches). Ultimately, the neighborhood and Ward level efforts of the four DCPrevention Centers will provide a sustainable infrastructure that will help the Districtstrengthen substance abuse prevention efforts over the long-term.

Priority risk factors and outcomes are expected to expand and change as we identifythe protective factors that will reduce the onset of these risk factors in our specificcommunities. These are the current priority risk factors and related targeted outcomeswhich have been documented to contribute to alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse(ATOD) among children and youth in the District:

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Outcome: Increase inattitudes opposed to childrenand youth ATOD use

Outcome: Delay of first use(onset) and progression of riskand ATOD consequences amongchildren and youth

Outcome: Families, youth, andcitizens are part of theircommunitys planning,decision-making andevaluation for substance abuse

prevention

Risk factor: Favorableparental, caregiver, and adultattitudes toward ATOD useamong youth

Risk factor: Early initiation of ATOD use among children andyouth

Risk factor: Low neighborhoodattachment and communitydisorganization contributingtoward ATOD use amongchildren and youth

Risk factor: Friends/peers andfamily who engage in ATODuse

Risk factor: Availability of alcohol,tobacco, and other drugs to childrenand youth

Risk factor: Community laws andnorms favorable toward ATOD

Risk factor: Friends/peers whoengage in ATOD use

Our vision is to support a healthy and drug free District of Columbia that supportscommunities as a place where all children are safe, drug free and connected as well assupported by a network of caring families, community organizations, and faith basedorganizations. The success of this vision for our city will take strategic planning andintegrated prevention systems that reduce risk factors in each Ward. As we begin toidentify these prevalent risk factors within Wards 7 & 8, it will be important to engage incommunity conversations and trainings that will help to develop and sustain aninfrastructure of community leadership that will function at the Ward and District level.

For ALL of the communities in Wards 7 & 8, we also offer and host:

Structured trainings and workshops that will increase community knowledge,skills, and awareness of substance abuse trends and indicators. (Available UponRequest)

Community Conversations (Underage Drinking, Gateway Drugs, Risk &Protective Factors)