North Inland Substance Use Prevention

TURN Behavioral Health Services (TURN BHS) – North Inland Substance Use Prevention (NISUP) uses environmental prevention strategies and a community-change model to prevent substance use problems throughout the County of San Diego’s North Inland Region to help reduce youth access to alcohol and other drugs. This research-based approach to prevention includes community communication throughout the North Inland Region by organizing substance use prevention community meetings and various collaborations to develop and implement their own policies, and further awareness and enforcement of existing policies, ordinances, and laws around alcohol and drug access and use. Our efforts are dedicated to creating and shaping environments that encourage a healthy, drug-free lifestyle, and communities that allows youth to grow up free of the use of harmful substances.

TURN BHS – NISUP provides these services under of the County of San Diego Prevention Services strategic prevention framework for its four primary countywide substance use prevention (SUP) initiatives:

• The Underage Drinking Initiative (1995), which addresses underage drinking issues in our communities and across the Border;
• Methamphetamine Strike Force (1996), which addresses the personal, community and environmental impact of methamphetamine;
• The Marijuana Initiative (2005), which focuses on youth use of marijuana, and
• The Prescription Drug Task Force (2008), which addresses the illicit use of prescription drugs in the region.

Program Services

In working towards our substance use prevention (SUP) goals, we actively:

• Convene audiences of all ages to talk about and promote awareness of alcohol and other drugs issues, environmental prevention strategies, and the community-change model
• Use media advocacy to support SUP prevention strategies
• Engage and organize communities to change social norms and policies that improve their neighborhoods
• Collaborate with and train community members to administer community assessments and surveys for data analysis and presentations
• Partner with local law enforcement
• Participate in regional and countywide policy development
• Develop youth leadership and community advocacy
• Develop and facilitate regional substance use prevention youth groups called Youth Advocacy Coalitions (YAC) to rally and train youth to effect positive change in their communities; currently operating in Escondido, Fallbrook, and San Marcos
• and much more as community situations direct

Eligibility Requirements

TURN BHS – NISUP serves all communities in the entire North Inland Region of San Diego County: Escondido, Poway, San Marcos, San Diego (Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Penasquitos, 4S Ranch, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Sabre Springs), Fallbrook, Rainbow, Bonsall, De Luz, Valley Center, Pala, Pauma Valley, Ramona, Julian, Santa Ysabel, Warner Springs, Borrego Springs, and our region’s Tribal and Rural communities.

More Information

For more information about TURN BHS – NISUP, please call (858) 391-9303.

Funded by the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, Behavioral Health Services.