Brain-Based Prevention: What Every Parent and Educator Needs to Know
When it comes to substance misuse prevention, we often focus on the "what"—the substances themselves. But as Dr. Crystal Collier explains in her conversation with Dave Closson on the Prevention Leaders Podcast, the real focus should be on the "how"—building the skills necessary to navigate challenges, make healthy choices, and develop resilience. In this episode, Dr. Collier shares her expertise in neuroscience, prevention research, and therapy to explore how prevention professionals, educators, and parents can help kids and young adults strengthen their executive functioning skills and avoid risky behaviors.
The Root of the Issue: Disconnection and Lack of Skills
Dr. Collier highlights a fundamental issue: many young people today are struggling with disconnection and a lack of coping skills. Whether it’s the pervasive presence of technology, the breakdown of family and community structures, or the normalization of high-risk behaviors, kids are increasingly turning to substances, gaming, pornography, and other addictive behaviors to self-soothe.
“I want kids to fall in love with their brains so much that they want to protect them from risky behaviors.” — Dr. Crystal Collier
Her approach to prevention? Shift the focus from substance-specific programs to skill-building strategies that strengthen the brain’s executive functions.
Watch the episode here:
Why Executive Functioning Skills Matter
The frontal lobe, which governs judgment, impulse control, emotion regulation, and decision-making, is the last part of the brain to fully develop—continuing to mature until the mid-20s. Risky behaviors during adolescence can stunt this development, making it even harder for young people to make sound decisions later in life.
Dr. Collier categorizes executive functioning skills into two groups:
Lower-level skills: Organization, selective attention, working memory, and task initiation.
Higher-level skills: Abstract reasoning, impulse control, judgment, emotion regulation, and frustration tolerance.
By strengthening these skills, kids become better equipped to handle peer pressure, stress, and the discomfort of boredom or anxiety—reducing their need to engage in risky behaviors in the first place.
Practical Strategies for Parents and Educators
Dr. Collier emphasizes that prevention starts at home and in schools with intentional conversations and consistent reinforcement. Here are a few of her key recommendations:
1. Foster Connection Through Conversations
Kids who feel connected to their parents and caregivers are significantly less likely to engage in risky behaviors. One of the most impactful strategies? Have regular, open-ended conversations.
Use national prevention awareness days as conversation starters (e.g., National Smokeout Day, Suicide Prevention Day).
Eat meals together as often as possible—kids who regularly eat dinner with their families have lower rates of substance use.
Encourage curiosity and discussion rather than using fear-based messaging.
2. Implement the Functional Family Rule
A key takeaway from the podcast is the power of functional family dynamics. Dr. Collier contrasts functional families with dysfunctional families:
Functional families: Talk, feel, deal, and trust.
Dysfunctional families: Don’t talk, don’t feel, don’t deal, don’t trust.
Creating a family code—a simple, written set of family values—reinforces expectations around behavior and decision-making. Example:
“In the Closson family, we treat others with kindness, take care of our brains, and don’t use drugs.”
By consistently referring back to this code, kids internalize the values and expectations that guide their choices.
3. Engage Schools in Prevention Programming
Dr. Collier’s Know Your Neuro program provides free, neuroscience-based prevention education for K-12 students, educators, and families. Her research-backed curriculum is:
Science-based and easy to integrate into existing school programs.
Focused on skill-building over scare tactics.
Designed for adaptability—schools can tailor it to their unique needs while maintaining core prevention messaging.
“If every teacher in every grade consistently teaches the same thing—the basic message that risky behaviors hurt executive functioning skills—kids will develop stronger decision-making abilities over time.” — Dr. Collier
Take Action: Prevention Starts Now
The key takeaway? Effective prevention isn’t about saying “no” to specific substances—it’s about saying “yes” to building lifelong skills.
Here’s how you can take action today:
Parents: Start having small but meaningful conversations with your kids about risk-taking and decision-making.
Educators: Incorporate neuroscience-based prevention programs like Know Your Neuro into your school’s curriculum.
Prevention Professionals: Advocate for skill-based prevention approaches in your community.
🔗 Resources:
Dr. Crystal Collier’s Book: The Neuro Whereabouts Guide [Available on Amazon]
Free Prevention Curriculum: Know Your Neuro Program
