South Southwest PTTC

COURSE DESCRIPTION Learn the fundamentals of accessibility, which involves specifically considering the needs of people with disabilities when developing products and services to ensure they benefit everyone. PRESENTER Rachel Karch "With a background in education spanning over twelve years, I have had the privilege of teaching middle school and high school social studies, as well as art education in Oklahoma public schools. My passion for teaching extended beyond the classroom, as I took on the role of mentoring prospective teachers and educating fellow educators on innovative teaching methodologies through a mentorship program with OU. This is when I learned I loved teaching teachers how to learn. My journey in education evolved as I pursued a Master's degree in Instructional Design at the University of Oklahoma, with a specific emphasis on gamification in the classroom. This academic pursuit opened doors to becoming a Curriculum Developer and later, an Instructional Designer with the Center for Public Management at the University of Oklahoma. Soon after I acquired a position as the Instructional Design Manager and Accessibility Manager at the Southwest Prevention Resource Center."

COURSE DESCRIPTION This workshop will explore the intersection of youth mental health and substance misuse. Presenters will outline effective strategies and interventions that prevention professionals can implement to improve mental health and reduce substance misuse among youth.  PRESENTERS Cindy Rivera Change Consultant, Project Director specializing in early childhood and mental health across the lifespan. With over 20 years of nonprofit experience working at the community level to implement programming to meet identified needs. She worked across communities from Tennessee to American Samoa on issues ranging from community volunteerism to chronic disease prevention. Cindy believes when community members are seen as experts, organizations may begin to support innovative solutions to complex challenges. Cindy holds a master’s degree in social work from Arizona State University and a master’s and bachelor’s degree in Mexican American studies from the University of Arizona. She is originally from Arizona, however, has spent the past 9 years zigzagging the country as military spouse. Currently, she resides in Fort Moore, Georgia, but will always call Southern Arizona home. “Listening is where love begins: listening to ourselves and then to our neighbors.”  – Fred Rogers    Since 1996, veteran Derrick Newby has worked in the field of prevention and public health in both the public and private sectors. He serves as a training and technical assistance specialist for the South Southwest Prevention Technology Transfer Center for HHS Region 6.   As a veteran's counselor and advocate, Mr. Newby gained experience with the impact of federal programs on communities after working as a special assistant to a member of Congress. He then worked as the Program Coordinator in Arkansas for the Delta Region AIDS Education and Training Center for 15 years, facilitating the education of providers interested in increasing their capacity to provide comprehensive services related to HIV including testing and treatment. In 2017, he was selected for a position with the University of Arkansas Little Rock and served as a Program Coordinator with MidSOUTH Center for Prevention and Training for 5 years, helping to facilitate the growth of the prevention system.   Serving on the Arkansas Prevention Certification Board since 2020, Mr. Newby has a Master of Public Administration and a bachelor of science in psychology with a minor in education.    

COURSE DESCRIPTION As cannabis laws continue to evolve across the country, prevention professionals and community stakeholders are faced with new challenges and opportunities in addressing youth substance use and promoting public health. In this webinar, we will explore practical strategies and best practices for responding to cannabis legalization at the grassroots level. From community education and policy advocacy to youth prevention programs and enforcement efforts, attendees will gain valuable insights and actionable steps for effectively addressing the impact of cannabis legalization on their communities. PRESENTER Mariah Flynn is a Certified Prevention Specialist who has worked in the substance misuse field in Vermont for 23+ years as a counselor, a case manager, and for the last 16 years as the Director of the Burlington Partnership for a Healthy Community, a substance misuse prevention coalition serving Burlington, Vermont. She is a founding member of Prevention Works! Vermont, the Chittenden Prevention Network, and the Northwest Regional Prevention Network; statewide and regional efforts to coordinate substance use prevention resources and strategies for the areas, and she serves on the Steering Committee of Prevention Works! VT. Mariah also previously served as the Coordinator of the Tobacco Free College Campus Initiative for the state of Vermont and the Co-Chair of Smart Approaches to Marijuana-Vermont. She completed two Fellowships with the New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center to develop a toolkit for Vermont prevention professionals and communities working on cannabis related policy improvement to use to help support prevention and public health at a community level. In addition to spending as much time with her two teenagers as they will let her, Mariah is also passionate about building communities that provide youth and families with the skills and environment that supports healthy choices.  

In this Issue The Importance of Accessibility: 5 Simple Steps Resources Highlighting Accessibility and Disabilities Epi Corner: Social Network Analysis: A Helpful Tool in the Prevention Toolbox What's Happening Around the Region? Webinar: Elevate Your Work: Accessibility for Prevention Professionals Webinar: Reducing Youth Substance Misuse by Implementing Mental Health Initiatives New From SAMHSA National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month Get Involved with National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month - A Toolkit

In this Issue Systems Thinking for Prevention Professionals Epi Corner: Addressing Parental Loss in Children of Overdose Victims What's Happening Around the Region? Webinar: Elevate Your Work: Accessibility for Prevention Professionals Exciting Updates! HealtheKnowledge Online Learning Platform An Important Announcement from the Blueprints Registry New Products and Resources from the South Southwest PTTC New From SAMHSA

COURSE DESCRIPTION The SSW PTTC region 6 and Strategic Prevention Technical Assistance Center (SPTAC) regions 6 and 7 provides insights about the "Principles for Prevention Professionals Across the Spectrum," formally the continuum of care. In this comprehensive session, participants explore the fundamental principles that guide effective prevention practices across the entire Spectrum.   Select the View Resource button to watch the recording and link to the materials below. Principles for Prevention Professionals across the Spectrum PPT PRESENTERS Sarah Davis, MNM is the associate director for the Rocky Mountain Public Health Training Center housed within the Center for Public Health Practice at the Colorado School of Public Health. The Rocky Mountain Public Health Training Center is one of 10 HRSA-designated regional public health training centers. She leads a team that provides high-quality, primarily distance-based training to professionals addressing public health issues throughout PTTC Region VIII. She also supports national workforce development efforts as part of the Public Health Learning Network. Sarah holds a Masters in Nonprofit Management and has spent the past 20 years in the public health field working as a project and team leader, a facilitator and trainer, grant writer and manager. Her background includes program planning and implementation, integrating program and policy initiatives, and working with coalitions. Sarah lives in Denver with her husband, high school daughter, and two dogs. Sean P. Byrne, MED, MCP, ICPS, LMSW, LPC-S is the Senior Training and Technical Assistance Specialist for the University of Oklahoma’s Strategic Prevention Technical Assistance Center.  He is the owner/CEO of The Byrne Center, a private counseling practice serving individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, and trauma issues. He has written and been awarded grants to work with local law enforcement doing critical incident debriefings, training a law enforcement peer support team, and a collaborative mental health/law enforcement response team. Sean is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Master of Social Work, Internationally Certified Prevention Specialist, and EMDR therapist who has been engaged in community and individual change for over 30 years. Sean is the former Co-Chair for the Partnership for a Drug Free Oklahoma and co-founder and past President of the Oklahoma Prevention Policy Alliance, a legislative advocacy group that helped pass numerous laws surrounding alcohol, tobacco, and drug use.   Sean has been active in the Oklahoma treatment and prevention systems for his entire career, starting as a Teenline volunteer while in high school and serving as an Executive Director of a regional prevention center for over 20 years. He has a Masters of Secondary Education with an emphasis in Community Mobilization, and a Masters of Counseling Psychology from Northwestern Oklahoma State University and recently completed a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Oklahoma.