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Northwest PTTC

Social Development Research Group University of Washington
9725 3rd Ave NE, Suite 401
Seattle,
WA
98115
HHS Region 10
WA, AK, ID, OR
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Washington State University (WSU) will lead SAMHSA's Region 10 Northwest (NW) Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) in partnership with The Social Development Research Group (SDRG) at University of Washington (UW), and the Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies (CASAT) at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). NW PTTC partnering institutes share a vision to expand the impact of community activated prevention by equipping the prevention workforce with the power of prevention science. Every year, communities in Region 10 lose millions of dollars and thousands of bright futures to alcohol, cannabis, opioid misuse, violence and crime. The NW PTTC will serve as a primary training and technical assistance (TTA) resource to Region 10 by leveraging the knowledge of prevention science with the application of community capacity-building, workforce development, and expertise in knowledge transfer mechanisms.

Recent News

From the Northwest PTTC
Jan. 16, 2025
Monday, December 30, 2024 Many differences appeared to exist prior to any substance use, pointing to the role brain structure may play in substance use risk, NIH-supported study suggests. Read more
Dec. 17, 2024
New NIH-funded data show lower use of most substances continues following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nov. 27, 2024
We are recruiting for a paid Prevention Fellowship for theNorthwest Prevention Technology Transfer Center! Join us for an information session on December 10, 2024 to learn more about this opportunity. Applications are Due at 11:59 pm on December 16, 2024 To Apply: External (non-WSU affiliated) candidates click here. Internal (affiliated with WSU) candidates click here. About the […]

Upcoming Events

Hosted by the Northwest PTTC
Webinar/Virtual Training
Part 2: Equipping Adolescents: An introduction to Guiding Good Choices, a tested and proven parenting program. Webinar Series Description The Prevention and Parenting Across the Lifespan webinar series will highlight programs, research, and resources available to support caregivers in promoting healthy youth development. This series will look at opportunities to prevent substance misuse during adolescence and college-age years. The series is designed to support and enhance the work of substance misuse professionals and coalitions. Webinar Description In this presentation, we will describe the Guiding Good Choices five-part workshop series for parents of children aged 9-14. We will cover the program’s evidence base, the outcomes, target audience, and describe what is recommended in terms of a successful implementation. We will also cover licensing and available implementation supports for the program. Webinar Objectives In this webinar, participants will: Be able to describe the GGC program and identify the program’s target population and outcomes. Understand what is required for successful, high-fidelity implementation of GGC.   Date & Time Thursday, February 27, 2025 10:00 am – 11:00 am Alaska 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Mountain (View in your time zone) Audience Prevention practitioners, allied health partners and community members working to prevent substance misuse in tribes, communities, and states in HHS Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington).   Presenters Meghann Wolvert Meghann Wolvert, is a certified Prevention Specialist with a Master's in Environmental Education. She has over 10 years of experience in prevention work, with a strong commitment to fostering health and wellness in her community. She served as the Mackinac County Communities That Care (CTC) Coordinator and is a certified Guiding Good Choices (GGC) trainer, empowering families with effective prevention strategies. Ms. Wolvert’s journey into prevention began during her time with AmeriCorps, where she began to develop a deep connection to theories and practices which led to building healthy, supportive environments for youth. Inspired by the potential of SDS to strengthen both her community and her own family, Ms. Wolvert has dedicated herself to supporting others in implementing this framework in their communities. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Ms. Wolvert now resides in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with her family, where she continues to support CTC efforts, promoting positive youth development and long-term well-being across the region.     Registration Register for Part 2: Equipping Adolescents: An introduction to Guiding Good Choices, a tested and proven parenting program.   Register for Part 1: Equipping Caregivers: Adult-supervised drinking during adolescence increases the risk for alcohol misuse. Register for Part 3: Equipping College Students: An introduction to First Years Away from Home, a resource to support transitions to college.   COST: FREE!   Continuing Education Participants will receive a certificate of attendance of 1 hour for completion of this live webinar event.   Questions Please contact Holly Simak ([email protected]) for any questions related to registration.  For any other questions, please contact Kathy Gardner ([email protected]).
Webinar/Virtual Training
An Enhanced Prevention Learning Series Series Overview: This 6-week series offers an interactive experience for participants to explore the role of systems change in substance misuse prevention. Participants will examine capacities shown to enable evidence-based interventions to achieve and sustain expected results and learn how to incorporate these into their work. Trainers will share examples from their own systems change experiences and will highlight how leveraging leadership, communications, funding, and data can help participants to achieve their prevention goals. The distance learning series will include skill-based learning opportunities, individual and group activities, reading assignments, and group discussion. By the end of the EPLS, participants will be able to: Describe the importance of systems change to success in the field of prevention Name four capacities necessary to create enabling contexts Identify personal strengths and areas to enhance leadership capacity Name at least two strategies to communicate the value of prevention to enhance system change efforts focused on prevention List three resources they can access to complete the fund mapping process in their community Describe why data systems are essential in prevention Audience: Community-level prevention practitioners and allied partners working to prevent substance misuse in the Northwest (HHS Region 10) states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Please note: This training is reserved for prevention professionals working in HHS Region 10. Prevention professionals interested in this course but who work outside of HHS Region 10 are encouraged to contact their region’s PTTC to learn about similar courses available to them. Dates and Times: Wednesdays, March 5, 12, 19, 26, April 2, & 9, 2025 12:00 p.m. – 01:20 p.m.     Alaska 01:00 p.m. – 02:30 p.m.     Pacific 02:00 p.m. – 03:30 p.m.     Mountain (View in your time zone) Facilitator: Meghan Blevins, MA, has over 15 years experience in healthy youth development, and community enhancement, including juvenile justice, prevention science, coalition building and maintenance, needs assessments, and data-driven decision-making for improved community outcomes. She started her journey of community enhancement as a Juvenile Justice programming supervisor at the Olivet Boys & Girls Club and with Berks County Juvenile Probation in Reading, PA, as a programmatic (and fun!) alternative for adjudicated youth who may otherwise be heading to placement. Seeing the changes in youth during the duration of programs, but wondering if there was data to validate the youth improvements led her to work as a Systems Change Specialist at Penn State University’s Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center’s EPISCenter. In this role, she helps guide communities through the Communities That Care (CTC) process as a certified CTC coach, and support local and state prevention collaboration. Currently, Meghan is a Research Associate with the Dawn Chorus Group, focusing on people and communities collectively working toward social, environmental, and well-being goals. These goals and projects include Energize Delaware’s Empowerment Grant promoting energy equity, healthy homes, and the Social Determinants of Health, and WE in the World and CDC’s well-being and vaccine hesitancy and health equity within underserved communities. She has had the honor of presenting a numerous Pennsylvania-based conferences, as well as the Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development conference, CADCA’s 28th National Leadership Forum, developed and presented “Organizational Elements for Effective Coalitions” Enhanced Prevention Learning Series through the Prevention Enhancement Technology Center (PTTC) funded through Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. Meghan serves/served on the board for the PA Youth Survey, PA Coalition on Domestic Violence, Reading Beautification, Inc., and The Coalition for the Promotion of Behavioral Health, as well as a guest lecturer and field instructor for multiple colleges and universities. Looking to further improve community health, Meghan earned her Master of Arts degree in Community Psychology and Social Change from Penn State University and likes to dance, all activities on the water, and time at the beach. Commitment and Expectations: If your experience with Zoom is limited or you want to review key features of Zoom, please view the 20-minute Introduction to Zoom video prior to the first session on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 on how to use and maximize the platform. Participate in 6 sessions of training, for 1.5 hours on scheduled series days/times. Complete up to ONE hour of independent learning activities between each session. Use a web-camera and have access to appropriate technology to join the online videoconferencing platform (i.e., internet connection, built-in or USB webcam, desktop/laptop computer, built-in/USB/Bluetooth speakers & microphone). Actively engage and be on camera 90% of the time during each session, since this is not a webinar series and active participation is essential to gain/improve skills. Certificates: Participants who complete the entire course will receive a certificate of attendance for 15 hours. Partial credit will be considered if a participant completes over 80% of the course and submits completed prep packets to the course facilitator for review for any missed session. Participants will need to confirm with their certification board to determine if these certification hours are accepted towards their specific certification requirements. To help make engagement more comfortable, we limit the number of people who can enroll in EPLS. If you cannot commit to joining the sessions or completing the prep-work packets, please defer this opportunity to others on our waiting list. Register Here: Leveraging Systems Change EPLS Registration Cost: Free!   Questions? Please contact Holly Simak ([email protected]) if you have questions regarding registration. For any other questions, please contact Britany Wiele ([email protected]).
Webinar/Virtual Training
Part 3: Equipping College Students: An introduction to First Years Away from Home, a resource to support transitions to college. Webinar Series Description The Prevention and Parenting Across the Lifespan webinar series will highlight programs, research, and resources available to support caregivers in promoting healthy youth development. This series will look at opportunities to prevent substance misuse during adolescence and college-age years. The series is designed to support and enhance the work of substance misuse professionals and coalitions. Webinar Description We will describe the theory, evidence base, and core elements of the First Years Away from Home: Letting Go and Staying Connected handbook for caregivers of first-year college students. We will explore the handbook, which includes information about parenting during the transition to adulthood, guidance on warmly supporting young adults’ growing autonomy, and activities related to values and expectations. We will share outcomes of the clinical trial of the handbook, which found that students whose caregivers received the handbook were significantly less likely to use alcohol and cannabis in their first and second years of college. We will also discuss best practices for collaborating with universities on substance use prevention efforts. Webinar Objectives In this webinar, participants will: Learn about the theoretical grounding, evidence base, and core elements and activities of the Letting Go and Staying Connected handbook for caregivers of first-year college students. Collaboratively explore the interactive caregiver-student activities in the Letting Go and Staying Connected handbook. Learn best practices for engaging and collaborating with colleges and universities on student substance use prevention efforts.   Date & Time Thursday, March 27, 2025 10:00 am – 11:00 am Alaska 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Mountain (View in your time zone) Audience Prevention practitioners, allied health partners and community members working to prevent substance misuse in tribes, communities, and states in HHS Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington).   Presenters Clara Hill, MPH Clara Hill is a Research Associate and co-lead of the Improving Prevention through Action (IMPACT) Research Lab at Washington State University. Her academic background is in public health, with an MPH from the University of Washington and undergraduate degrees in psychology and English literature. Her research interests include mental health promotion, early childhood development, and parenting across the lifespan. Her current work in the IMPACT lab is primarily focused on disseminating evidence-based prevention research and programming and on strengthening the prevention workforce.     Registration Register for Part 3: Equipping College Students: An introduction to First Years Away from Home, a resource to support transitions to college.   Register for Part 1: Equipping Caregivers: Adult-supervised drinking during adolescence increases the risk for alcohol misuse. Register for Part 2: Equipping Adolescents: An introduction to Guiding Good Choices, a tested and proven parenting program.   COST: FREE!   Continuing Education Participants will receive a certificate of attendance of 1 hour for completion of this live webinar event.   Questions Please contact Holly Simak ([email protected]) for any questions related to registration.  For any other questions, please contact Kathy Gardner ([email protected]).

Products & Resources

Developed by the Northwest PTTC
Multimedia
‎ Part 1: Equipping Caregivers: Adult-supervised drinking during adolescence increases the risk for alcohol misuse. ‎ January 30, 2025 ‎ Webinar Series Description: The Prevention and Parenting Across the Lifespan webinar series will highlight programs, research, and resources available to support caregivers in promoting healthy youth development. This series will look at opportunities to prevent substance misuse during adolescence and college-age years. The series is designed to support and enhance the work of substance misuse professionals and coalitions. Webinar Description: Parents teach their children many skills. Some parents may try to teach their teens how to drink alcohol responsibly in the home so that their teens will know how to better manage alcohol when they move out on their own. Even though this is a very logical thing to do, it can make teen and young adult drinking problems worse. Dr. Bailey will share recent research by her team showing that teens who drank at home with parent or adult supervision have more alcohol problems not only in their teens, but also into their 30s. Webinar Objectives: In this webinar, participants will: Learn basic information about teen alcohol and drug use, including when teens start using different substances, which ones they are most likely to use, and common effects of substance use on teens. Understand why allowing teens to drink in the home is not a good idea. Webinar Recording and Slides: Prevention and Parenting Across the Life Span Series - Part 1 - Recording Prevention and Parenting Across the Life Span Series - Part 1 - Slide Deck Presenters: Jennifer A. Bailey, PhD is the Assistant Director and Director of Research in the Social Development Research Group at the University of Washington. She is trained in developmental psychology, which is the study of how people grow and change during their lifetime. She has over 20 years of experience researching risk and protective factors for drug and alcohol use in adolescence and adulthood. She also studies the effects of drug and alcohol policy on substance use. Questions: Contact Kathy Gardner at [email protected], if you have additional questions about the content related to this webinar.
Multimedia
Webinar 3: How to Effectively Implement an evidence-based program. January 15, 2025   Webinar Series Description: The Evidence-Based Programs Webinar Series is designed to enhance substance misuse prevention efforts through a structured three-part webinar series.   Webinar Description: The third and final webinar in this training series will focus on five best practices for evidence-based program (EBP) implementation. The presenters will provide research-based tools and strategies for assuring you maintain the core elements of the program needed to achieve positive outcomes while also adapting the non-core elements to enhance fit with your target audience. Through the presentation, we will reflect on how these best practices help promote health in the implementation of substance misuse prevention programs. Webinar Objectives: In this webinar, participants will: Learn key terms, theories, and best practices for evidence-based program implementation. Learn how to apply research-based tools and strategies to assure you maintain the core elements of the program needed to achieve positive outcomes while also adapting the non-core elements to enhance fit with your community. Webinar Recording and Slides: Evidence-Based Programs Webinar Series -Webinar 3 - Recording Evidence-Based Programs Webinar Series -Webinar 3 - Slide Deck Additional Resource: EBP Webinar 1-3 Additional Resources Presenters: Brittany Cooper is Associate Professor of Human Development and graduate faculty in the Prevention Science PhD program at Washington State University. She also co-leads the Northwest PTTC and is President of the Society for Prevention Research. Dr. Cooper’s research, teaching, and outreach centers around the translation of prevention science for public health impact. For over a decade, she has collaborated with federal, state, and other community leaders to improve the field’s understanding of how best to support evidence-based prevention programs in diverse community settings. Kat Bruzios is a postdoctoral scholar across University of Washington’s School Mental Health Assessment, Research, and Training (SMART) and the ALACRITY Centers. She earned her PhD in Prevention Science from Washington State University. She has training and experience in identifying effective prevention strategies. Dr. Bruzios has expertise in the implementation of evidence-based prevention programs and using implementation strategies to achieve positive behavioral health outcomes for youth, families, and communities in various settings. Questions: Contact Kathy Gardner at [email protected], if you have additional questions about the content related to this webinar.    
Multimedia
Webinar 2: How to choose the right evidence-based program for my community.   December 18, 2024   Webinar Series Description: The Evidence-Based Programs Webinar Series is designed to enhance substance misuse prevention efforts through a structured three-part webinar series.   Webinar Description: The second webinar in this series will dive deeper into a three-step process for choosing the right evidence-based program (EBP) to meet your community’s needs. Step 1 includes assessing your community’s needs and priorities. Step 2 uses the information from Step 1 to identify and narrow your EBP options by considering the type of EBP needed. Step 3 involves comparing EBPs by assessing their strength of evidence and degree of fit with your community’s needs and resources. Throughout this webinar, the presenters will provide tools and resources to help support the three-step process and participants will learn how to integrate health in each step.   Webinar Objectives: In this webinar, participants will: Learn how to determine your community’s prevention needs and priorities. Learn how to identify evidence-based programs that align with your community’s prevention needs and priorities. Learn how to assess the strength of evidence for evidence-based programs and their fit with your community’s needs and resources.   Webinar Recording and Slides: Evidence-Based Programs Webinar Series -Webinar 2 - Recording Evidence-Based Programs Webinar Series -Webinar 2 - Slide Deck   Additional Resource: EBP Webinar 2 - Additional Resources   Presenters: Brittany Cooper is Associate Professor of Human Development and graduate faculty in the Prevention Science PhD program at Washington State University. She also co-leads the Northwest PTTC and is President of the Society for Prevention Research. Dr. Cooper’s research, teaching, and outreach centers around the translation of prevention science for public health impact. For over a decade, she has collaborated with federal, state, and other community leaders to improve the field’s understanding of how best to support evidence-based prevention programs in diverse community settings. Kat Bruzios is a postdoctoral scholar across University of Washington’s School Mental Health Assessment, Research, and Training (SMART) and the ALACRITY Centers. She earned her PhD in Prevention Science from Washington State University. She has training and experience in identifying effective prevention strategies. Dr. Bruzios has expertise in the implementation of evidence-based prevention programs and using implementation strategies to achieve positive behavioral health outcomes for youth, families, and communities in various settings.   Questions: Contact Kathy Gardner at [email protected], if you have additional questions about the content related to this webinar.
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