According to the U.S. Attorney General, “Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling—it harms both individual and societal health.” This 90-minute webinar will explore the concept of social connectedness and its impact on our individual and community health. We will also explore what role we have as substance misuse prevention professionals to address the issue of social connectedness.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Define social connectedness.
• List at least three impacts of a lack of social connectedness and loneliness.
• Identify the risk and protective factors for substance misuse that are impacted by social connectedness
• Name at least three actions that prevention professionals can take to increase social connectedness.

CERTIFICATES:

Registrants who fully attend this event or training will receive a certificate of attendance via email within two weeks after the event or training.

PRESENTERS: 

Erin Ficker 

Erin Ficker serves as a prevention manager for the Great Lakes PTTC. For more than 16 years, Erin has worked in substance abuse prevention supporting communities to use evidence-based strategies and data-driven processes in substance abuse prevention planning and implementation.  She works with community level prevention practitioners and schools in the development, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of prevention interventions.

Kris Gabrielsen

Kris Gabrielsen is the co-director of the Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center. She has worked in the substance misuse prevention field for over 30 years, has a Master of Public Health degree, and is a Certified Prevention Specialist. Kris was the Associate Director of the Western Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT), co-authored the first Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Training curriculum, and co-authored the textbook, Substance Abuse Prevention: The Intersection of Science and Practice. As a consultant, she has worked with states and communities across the nation to bridge the gap between research and practice, assisting prevention professionals in maximizing their effectiveness.

The Great Lakes A/MH/PTTC is offering this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training is being provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.