The Walker Center offers a Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program in cities throughout South Central Idaho.

The Drug and Alcohol Prevention program offered by the Walker Center benefits students in grades 3rd through 8th. The groups meet in various locations throughout South Central Idaho including Bliss, Buhl, Burley, Castleford, Dietrich, Filer, Jerome, Shoshone, Gooding, Hollister, Twin Falls and Hailey.

It is offered at no cost as it is funded through the Department of Health and Welfare and a United Way grant. The Walker Center prevention program utilizes the Life Skills Training curriculum, which has been researched for over 30 years.

Botvin Life Skills Training (LST) is a research-validated substance abuse prevention program proven to reduce the risks of alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse, and violence by targeting the major social and psychological factors that promote the initiation of substance use and other risky behaviors. This comprehensive and exciting program provides adolescents and young teens with the confidence and skills necessary to successfully handle challenging situations.

Rather than merely teaching information about the dangers of drug abuse, The Walker Center promotes healthy alternatives to risky behavior through activities designed to:

• Teach students the necessary skills to resist social (peer) pressures to smoke, drink, and use drugs
• Help students to develop greater self-esteem and self-confidence
• Enable students to effectively cope with anxiety
• Increase their knowledge of the immediate consequences of substance abuse
• Enhance cognitive and behavioral competency to reduce and prevent a variety of health risk behaviors