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Description

The future of prevention in Alaska is already taking shape in its communities. Across the state, coalitions, youth-serving organizations, schools, and behavioral health partners are building locally grounded approaches to youth well-being, informed by growing experience with the Icelandic Prevention Model (IPM). Their conditions vary in readiness, organizational capacity, funding stability, and access to local data, but their direction is shared: stronger, community-driven prevention. Alaska’s opportunity is to connect these efforts through durable statewide infrastructure that builds on local strengths and preserves community ownership. The IPM supports this work through a data-informed, community-driven approach grounded in the understanding that youth outcomes are shaped by families, schools, peer relationships, and community environments. The model emphasizes local data collection, broad community engagement, shared decision-making, and sustained investment in healthy communities. Since 2017, Alaska communities have explored how these principles can be adapted within diverse local contexts, yet no comprehensive statewide assessment of implementation has previously been conducted (Kristjansson et al., 2020a). This report presents the first statewide assessment of IPM-related prevention efforts in Alaska. It examines how communities are interpreting and applying the model, identifies implementation patterns, strengths, and opportunities, and considers how coordinated statewide infrastructure can support continued growth. The findings are based on coalition meetings, implementation planning discussions, field visits, stakeholder engagement, and cross-site analysis conducted between September 2025 and May 2026.

Publication Date

7-1-2026

Keywords

Alaska, Icelandic Prevention Model, well being, youth outreach, IPM, prevention

The State of the Icelandic Prevention Model (IPM) in Alaska A Statewide Landscape Assessment of Community Readiness, Implementation, and the Future of Prevention

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