PREVENTION FIRST

Name

PREVENTION FIRST

Legal name

Prevention First, Inc.

Website

https://prevention.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Substance Use Prevention Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Behavioral Health & Substance Use Public Health Programs (BPAIAJAK), Substance Use Prevention & Student Assistance Programs (School-Based) (EDAKAMAJ), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Substance use prevention
• Prevention training services
• Technical assistance programs
• Mental health promotion
• Public health campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Grants: Primary revenue stream from federal grants, particularly SAMHSA funding. In mid-January 2026, federal funding constituted more than half of Prevention First's operating budget, demonstrating significant dependency on government grants.
2. Training and Technical Assistance Services: Fee-for-service training programs, professional development services, and technical assistance to organizations and professionals in the substance use prevention and treatment field.
3. Donations and Contributions: Charitable contributions from individuals and organizations supporting the mission of reducing substance misuse in communities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Prevention First is an Illinois-based nonprofit that delivers substance use prevention and treatment training, technical assistance, and professional development to organizations, government agencies, and prevention professionals statewide. It operates resource centers for alcohol, cannabis, opioids, mental health, and youth/caregivers, plus multiple public awareness campaigns. The organization has served as Illinois' preferred provider of SUPP training and technical assistance for the Illinois Department of Human Services since 1985.

Product overview

Prevention First is a nonprofit organization founded in Illinois in 1980 that provides a comprehensive portfolio of substance misuse prevention and mental health promotion programs, training, and public awareness campaigns. The organization operates multiple interconnected programs including the Substance Use Prevention Training & Technical Assistance (SUPP TTA) and the Substance Use Treatment Training & Technical Assistance Center (SATAC), which provide professional development services to prevention and treatment professionals across Illinois. Additional offerings include the Youth and Caregiver Resource Center (YCRC) for families impacted by substance use, the Reimagine Youth Development Training, Technical Assistance, and Support (RYD-TTAS) for firearm violence prevention, and Mental Health Training & Technical Assistance. The organization also runs multiple public awareness campaigns including 'Let's Talk Cannabis,' 'A Dose of Truth,' 'Naloxone Now,' 'Unfaded,' and 'Guard and Discard.' Prevention First serves as the preferred provider of SUPP training and technical assistance for the Illinois Department of Human Services since 1985, and offers Prevention Specialist Certification support for professionals seeking credentials in the field.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Substance Use Prevention Training & Technical Assistance
• Substance Use Treatment Training & Technical Assistance Center (SATAC)
• Youth and Caregiver Resource Center (YCRC)
• Reimagine Youth Development Training, Technical Assistance, and Support (RYD-TTAS)
• Mental Health Training & Technical Assistance
• Prevention Specialist Certification
• CADC Training Program
• Opioid Learning & Response Collaborative
• Leadership Center
• Illinois Prevention Conference

Quantifiable outcome

• Prevention First has been Illinois' preferred provider of SUPP training and technical assistance since 1985
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Illinois Department of Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government partner for which Prevention First serves as the preferred provider of Substance Use Prevention Program (SUPP) training and technical assistance since 1985. Also partners with the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention for the Reimagine Youth Development program.
• Illinois Department of Human Services - Office of Firearm Violence PreventioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with Prevention First to provide training, technical assistance, and support to organizations under the Reimagine Public Safety Act (RPSA) for stronger and safer communities in Chicago and Greater Illinois.
• Illinois Certification Board (ICB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICB works to protect the public by providing competency-based credentialing to human service professionals. Prevention First provides resources and exam preparation for Certified Prevention Specialist certification, endorsed by ICB.
• SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency providing grant funding and guidelines that Prevention First uses to deliver services. In 2026, SAMHSA grant termination letters threatened over $2 billion in mental health funding affecting Prevention First.
• National Prevention OrganizationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrevention First partners with various national organizations including CADCA, National Prevention Network, and Prevention Technology Transfer Center Network for resources, conferences, and best practices.
• Illinois Department of Public HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState health department providing resources and collaboration for substance use prevention and public health initiatives in Illinois.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA): National nonprofit membership organization that trains and supports community coalitions on substance use prevention, the same core function Prevention First performs at the state level. Prevention First lists CADCA as a national partner, and the two operate in the same evidence-based prevention space with overlapping training and TA offerings.
• National Prevention Network (NPN): Network of state prevention leaders affiliated with NASADAD that advances evidence-based substance use prevention policy and practice, directly comparable to Prevention First's role as Illinois's state-level prevention infrastructure provider.
• C4 Recovery Foundation: Nonprofit that supports addiction treatment and recovery professionals through workforce development, training, and peer recovery services — directly comparable to Prevention First's SATAC training program for substance use treatment professionals.

Broad incumbents

• Prevention Technology Transfer Center Network (PTTC): Federally funded network of regional centers that deliver training and technical assistance on substance use prevention to practitioners nationally, directly overlapping with Prevention First's TTA mission and competing for the same practitioner audience.
• Join Together / Partnership to End Addiction: National nonprofit focused on substance use prevention, treatment, and family support that provides resources, training, and public awareness campaigns — comparable to Prevention First's mix of TTA, family resources (YCRC), and campaigns (A Dose of Truth, Unfaded).
• Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: Large national nonprofit that delivers addiction treatment, professional training, and prevention resources, comparable to Prevention First across the treatment-prevention continuum with substantially greater national scale.
• National Council for Mental Wellbeing: National membership organization for behavioral health providers that delivers training, certification, and policy advocacy across mental health and substance use, comparable to Prevention First's training, TA, and mental health program portfolio.
• CASAColumbia (now Partnership to End Addiction) research arm / National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse: Major national research and advocacy organization on addiction and substance use that informs evidence-based prevention policy, comparable to Prevention First's reliance on prevention science and its public-facing campaign work.

Regional players

• Illinois Association for Behavioral Health: Illinois-based nonprofit membership association that represents behavioral health providers and advances substance use and mental health policy in the state, comparable to Prevention First as a regionally focused prevention and behavioral health advocate.

Others

• Illinois Department of Public Health: State public health agency that Prevention First partners with on substance use prevention initiatives, providing a government counterparty and ecosystem reference for the state's public health prevention infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/drugfreeIL

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PREVENTION FIRST