Many people are unaware of the biological, environmental, and developmental risks associated with addiction. That is why Just Five, our educational platform, exists. We seek to educate people about the dangers of addiction and help them recognize if they or someone they know, show signs of a substance use problem.

Just Five is an easy-to-use program intended to reduce stigma, and provide information about treatment, and prevention techniques. The program is catered to the general public as well as people in the workforce. This is part of our plan to provide resources to millions of families who are looking for information, tools, and support. The majority of companies don't offer addiction education in their catalogs. Hence, why we felt it necessary to create the Just Five educational platform. In the same way that companies educate people about health and wellness and mental health issues, they should also educate them about addiction. Just Five can be used in conjunction with other initiatives to achieve a healthy workplace or promote a recovery-friendly workplace.

Just Five helps to identify signs of addiction and offers resources to help people understand their options and access professional help. This helps to reduce the stigma associated with addiction and provides them with the support they need to make informed decisions about their health and well-being. Just Five uses animated videos, interactive learning, and supplemental materials, to accomplish this. The program is visually appealing, diverse, and interactive. Our lesson style and language guides ensure consistency and the use of progressive addiction-related language. There are Spanish and English versions of the program and versions tailored for people with disabilities.

Our goal is to get everyone to treat addiction education as another piece of what we need to know to be healthy, well-balanced, and successful contributing members of society. Access to quality education can help individuals build better decision-making skills, enabling them to take control of their lives and reduce the risk of becoming dependent on substances. That is why we partner with employers, consortiums, states, or cities to spread the message because it will have a wider reach.

Shatterproof Ambassadors are also key to helping us introduce people to Just Five because they are passionate about helping spread awareness and creating change, and their stories can be incredibly inspiring and motivating. This is work that they do professionally in their communities, especially to educate their peers. Since Just Five is online and self-paced, people can learn on their own time.

Our hope is to continue to equip people with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their health. By using Just Five, people can recognize if there's a problem, find out how to conduct a self-assessment, and use preventive measures to help themselves, or the people in their lives who need it. In the case that someone doesn’t have a connection to addiction, Just Five provides the knowledge needed to help eradicate stigma. Health education can save lives.

Interested in the program? For more information about Just Five, please email
justfive@shatterproof.org.