A Note From Ray Lozano: How Our Trainings Align With the Six SAMHSA/CSAP Prevention Domains
For more than three decades, my mission has been to create youth drug-prevention trainings that are scientifically accurate, deeply engaging, and practical for communities across the country. Over the last several years, we have strengthened that mission even further by aligning all of our programs with the Six SAMHSA/CSAP Prevention Domains—a framework that represents the gold standard in evidence-based prevention.
This alignment ensures that whether I am speaking to students, parents, educators, nonprofit teams, or community coalitions, the content delivered is not only engaging and relatable but also professionally grounded, strategically focused, and fully in step with national prevention best practices.
Below is an overview of how our trainings support each domain and why this alignment matters for the communities we serve.
1. Individual Domain — Knowledge, Skills, and Personal Decision-Making
Every youth presentation, parent training, and educator workshop is designed to strengthen:
- personal decision-making
- refusal skills
- risk awareness
- emotional regulation
- understanding of brain development
Our “emotion before intelligence” communication model teaches young people why drugs affect their decision-making—and empowers them with tools to stay safe, confident, and in control.
2. Peer Domain — Navigating Influence, Belonging, and Pressure
Youth today face intense social pressure—from in-person friendships to online group chats and digital behavior norms. Our trainings address:
- peer influence and pressure
- social modeling
- online encouragement to experiment
- the desire to belong
- the fear of missing out
By helping youth recognize and manage peer influence, we strengthen their ability to choose health even in difficult moments.
3. Family Domain — Communication, Expectations, and Support
Our parent and caregiver trainings focus on:
- building open communication
- asking questions instead of lecturing
- setting healthy expectations
- strengthening emotional connection
- keeping conversations ongoing, not one-time
Families are one of the strongest protective factors against substance use. Our work supports parents in becoming active, approachable, trusted sources of guidance.
4. School Domain — Policy, Prevention Messaging, and Safe School Environments
Schools invite me back year after year because our approach:
- supports prevention policies
- integrates with SEL, PBIS, and MTSS frameworks
- improves student engagement
- promotes healthy school climates
- reinforces educator messaging
When youth understand why adults are trying to keep them safe, compliance increases and school culture improves.
5. Community Domain — Coalition Building and Shared Responsibility
We support coalitions, nonprofits, and community agencies by offering:
- consistent prevention messaging
- evidence-based content
- train-the-trainer models
- professional development
- community-wide engagement strategies
Our alignment ensures all sectors—from schools to health centers to youth programs—are communicating with unified purpose and clarity.
6. Society/Environmental Domain — Policy, Access, and Cultural Messaging
Our programs help communities understand the broader influences affecting young people:
- legalization and access
- social media normalization
- marketing tactics toward youth
- high-potency products
- local environmental risks
We equip adults with strategies to reduce access, strengthen protective norms, and create environments where healthy choices are easier to make.
Why This Alignment Matters
By fully integrating the Six SAMHSA/CSAP Prevention Domains into our curriculum, our trainings are not only engaging and memorable—they are strategically designed to produce measurable prevention outcomes.
Schools, coalitions, and community partners can trust that every presentation supports a comprehensive prevention approach rooted in national standards.
This alignment ensures consistency, quality, and impact across every population we reach—and most importantly, it helps young people make safer, healthier decisions during the most vulnerable years of their lives.
Thank you for partnering with us in this essential work.
— Ray Lozano
National Youth Speaker | Prevention Educator
