Success StoryBotvin Lifeskills Youth Prevention Program in McCreary County



Botvin Lifeskills Youth Prevention Program in McCreary County

Author: Tracie Goodman

Planning Unit: McCreary County CES

Major Program: Substance Use and Mental Health – 4-H Youth Development

Plan of Work: Substance Use Prevention and Recovery

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services reports that 10% of adolescents self-report illicit drug use in the past month across Kentucky.  Substance use prevention programming is critical to the prevention, delayed onset, and/or early identification of substance use.  The Life Skills Training (LST) program, developed by Botvin and colleagues, is one of the most successful substance use prevention programs available for use. It teaches a variety of personal self-management skills and social skills in order to increase perceived self-efficacy and reduce the perceived incentives of substance use in youth and young adults.  

McCreary County was identified as a county to invest in as a part of a Rural Opioid Technical Assistance grant secured by University of Kentucky Family and Consumer Sciences Extension, to provide funding to institute Botvin’s Life Skills Training (LST) program in rural Kentucky counties.   As a part of this grant, McCreary County received approximately $1,600 in facilitator training at no cost to the county, and $1,380 in program materials to implement the program at McCreary County Middle School.  

McCreary County Extension Agents were trained to implement the program.  Throughout the course of the 2021-2022 school year, approximately 42 students participated in the 15 lesson program.  On post-test surveys, 95% of McCreary County students who participated in the LST program reported that they would use a relaxation strategy to cope with stress, as opposed to engaging in deviant or unhealthy behavior.  






Stories by Tracie Goodman


Master Logger program

about 3 years ago by Tracie Goodman

McCreary County has three lumber yards and 29 active certified Master Loggers. During the Covid-19 P... Read More


2020 McCreary CAIP

about 3 years ago by Tracie Goodman

In 2020, the McCreary County Extension office, in conjunction with the McCreary County Farm Bureau o... Read More


Stories by McCreary County CES


Fairy Gardens

about 3 years ago by Leah VanMeter

Research shows that spending quality time with children can have beneficial effect. Benefits can inc... Read More


Master Logger program

about 3 years ago by Tracie Goodman

McCreary County has three lumber yards and 29 active certified Master Loggers. During the Covid-19 P... Read More