Seven action steps to unleash the power of prevention

Abstract

For this special issue, the Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research solicited papers describing progress and advancements relative to the goals and 7 action steps of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare Grand Challenge to Ensure Healthy Development for All Youth by Unleashing the Power of Prevention.We received papers describing intervention research, implementation research, and methodological innovations that further collective thinking and action for taking effective prevention to scale. Three commentaries reflect on efforts to unleash the power of prevention from the perspectives of program developers, service providers, and educators. This introduction orients readers to the articles comprising the special issue on the Grand Challenge to Ensure Healthy Development for All Youth by Unleashing the Power of Prevention, provides a progress report on the 7 action steps to unleash the power of prevention, and offers suggestions for ongoing research.