PREVENTION & INTERVENTION
Research-backed games and digital intervention courses that engage students in substance-use prevention, mental health, and healthier decision-making. Schools can support prevention and respond to nicotine or cannabis use with an educational alternative to suspension.
THE PURPOSE
Playbl offers a portfolio of digital experiences for schools and youth-serving organizations. Story-based games develop prevention skills; targeted courses address nicotine or cannabis use when students need a more focused response. The program choice depends on student age, the concern being addressed, and whether the goal is prevention or intervention.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Vaping and tobacco prevention for ages 11–14. Students navigate seven storylines involving health risks, peer pressure, tobacco marketing, and decision-making. Approximately three hours of available gameplay can be incorporated into health instruction or a prevention initiative.
Opioid-misuse prevention and mental health promotion for high school students. Interactive stories and skill-building activities address difficult situations, support systems, responsibility, and healthier choices. The focus is on building knowledge and decision-making skills before substance use becomes established.
A five-module, evidence-informed online vaping intervention. Students examine why they vape, the effects of nicotine use, and strategies for making changes. Schools can incorporate the course into an educational alternative to suspension for nicotine or tobacco policy violations.
A targeted cannabis-use course for school and community settings. Topics include high-potency THC, effects on wellbeing and the body, cravings, withdrawal, and seeking appropriate support. Cognitive behavioral strategies include planning how to respond to high-risk situations.
ReFresh and ReMind offer companion learning for parents and guardians. Short digital lessons cover warning signs, health concerns, conversations with young people, and ways to support a child who is already using nicotine or cannabis.
The broader portfolio includes PlayForward for risk reduction and future orientation, PlayTest for health advocacy, and empowerED for student agency and school connection. K12 Wellness can help identify which program is relevant to your students.
IN YOUR SCHOOL
Match a program to student age and the prevention or intervention goal.
Place the experience within health instruction, student support, community programming, or a response to a policy violation.
Use the digital stories or course modules to support reflection and skill development.
Determine how staff follow-up and family resources will reinforce the student’s experience.
RESEARCH & APPROACH
Playbl grew out of the work of Dr. Lynn Fiellin and the play2PREVENT Lab at Yale School of Medicine, with research continuing at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. Its research library includes randomized trials and peer-reviewed studies of game-based behavioral health education.
SmokeScreen research has examined vaping-risk perceptions and refusal skills. PlaySmart studies have examined opioid knowledge, perceived risk, and mental health outcomes. ReFresh is described as evidence-informed. The evidence for one program should not be treated as an identical finding for every course in the portfolio.
Ask about the research and implementationCOMMON QUESTIONS
ReFresh is the targeted vaping-intervention course. SmokeScreen is primarily positioned for prevention with middle school students. A school’s response should match both the student’s needs and its own support procedures.
Yes. ReFresh and ReMind can provide an educational component of a school’s response to nicotine or cannabis use. K12 Wellness can help you consider the relevant course and how it fits your policy and staff follow-up.
Parent editions of ReFresh and ReMind provide information and strategies for caregivers, extending the conversation beyond the student’s course.
Student ages, the concern you want to address, the available time, the delivery setting, and the evidence for the specific program. Our team can walk through those questions with you.
LET’S START WITH YOUR PRIORITIES
Share your priorities and questions about Playbl. Our team will help you review the program and the next step.
info@k12wellness.com ↗K12 Wellness
Supporting schools and community partners.