Name of Intervention/ Program
“Talk. They Hear You.”® campaign
Background and Situation Analysis
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) mission is to reduce the effects of substance misuse and mental disorders on America’s communities. In particular, SAMHSA works toward underage drinking prevention by supporting state and community efforts, promoting the use of evidence-based practices, educating the public, and collaborating with other agencies and interested parties. “Talk. They Hear You.”® is a trademarked campaign that centers on the voices and experiences of the populations to be served. The campaign’s design, development, implementation, and evaluation reflect the application of data, prevention science, communications, collaboration, and strategic programmatic investments. The campaign aims to help parents and caregivers, educators, and community members: 1. Get Informed: Increase their awareness of the prevalence and risks of underage drinking and other substance use; 2. Be Prepared: Equip them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to prevent or reduce underage drinking and other substance use; and 3. Take Action: Encourage and increase their actions to prevent or reduce underage drinking and other substance use.
Priority Audiences(s)
The “Talk. They Hear You.”® campaign’s primary audiences are parents and caregivers, educators, and community members.
Behavioral Objectives
SAMHSA works to prevent underage drinking by supporting state and community efforts, promoting the use of evidence-based practices, educating the public, and collaborating with other agencies and interested parties.
Description of Strategy/Intervention
“This Life for Us” is a television PSA from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) “Talk. They Hear You.”® campaign. The PSA aims to help parents and caregivers better understand and harness the power of the people and resources in their communities to prevent underage drinking and other substance use. Among its key messages is that strengthening communities builds resilience and creates hope. It also reinforces the important role community members can play in a child’s life and how we all can step up to be a community for others. Specifically, the PSA highlights how your community—your home, neighborhood, school, social groups, arts organizations, athletic teams, workplace, faith community, etc.—is a valuable resource for support that can help improve the health, wellness, and well-being of young people. The PSA comes in 60-, 30-, and 15-second versions.
Implementation
SAMHSA works to prevent underage drinking by supporting state and community efforts, promoting the use of evidence-based practices, educating the public, and collaborating with other agencies and interested parties.
Evaluation Methods and Results
Synergy Enterprises, Inc., on behalf of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), engaged PSN – The Public Service Network to track video and audio public service announcements (PSAs). The PSAs were produced as part of the “Talk. They Hear You.”® campaign, which served to educate the public about prevention efforts and reduce the occurrence of these activities. The PSAs ended with a call to action to visit https://talktheyhearyou.samhsa.gov, which features skill-building tools, knowledge-increasing resources, and behavior-modeling scenarios for parents, caregivers, and communities. “Talk. They Hear You.”® television, radio, and print PSAs have collectively garnered more than 24.1 billion impressions, with 2.4 billion of those impressions occurring in 2023. Distribution of these PSAs has generated an estimated $283 million in free airtime and ad space.
Entry Letter: HH