The mission of Being Adept, a research and science based nonprofit organization, is to prevent alcohol and drug abuse among adolescents by empowering youth and parents to make informed choices.

The best prevention for teenage substance abuse begins well before adolescents ever consider using drugs or alcohol. Early middle school is the time to get out in front of this issue and influence decision making. Research shows that youth begin experimenting with drugs and alcohol as early as the 5th grade, which is when our program is introduced to parents and pre-teens.

Being Adept offers a school-based, multi-component prevention plan for students and their parents. The classroom curriculum is science and research-based  as well as holistically focused. Medical professionals, scientists, therapists and college-age peer mentors work with students, parents and the community to reverse the normalization surrounding alcohol and drug use among youth. The classroom curriculum is tailored to each grade level beginning in late elementary school and culminating with the freshman year of high school. Classroom lessons and discussions happen in groups of 15 to 20 students over a period of six to eight months.

In a companion program for parents, parents receive concrete and applicable tools to help their children navigate the middle school years and the transition into high school.

It is an approach that has proven effective. UC San Francisco cited “significant increases” in knowledge about alcohol and drugs and the potential harms they cause following sessions using the Being Adept curriculum in an April 2011 preliminary study. Our expanded curriculum is currently the subject of a yearlong efficacy study by UC San Diego’s prestigious research department. Additional partners include Kaiser Permanente.

Thank you for visiting Being Adept. Please take some time to learn more about our cutting edge, interactive program, and contact us with any questions or comments.