This course is filled, as is the waitlist for the course. We are not accepting anymore applications at this time. We will be holding another course in early 2023. To be notified when we open up another course, sign up for our weekly emails: WEEKLY EMAIL LINK.   

We will also announce the course opening on our FACEBOOK PAGE. If you "Like" and "Follow" our Facebook page, the post regarding the course opening will show up in your news feed. 

IMPORTANT NOTE:

To register for the SAPST:

1. Complete the free, self-paced online course Introduction to Substance Abuse Prevention: Understanding the Basics.
2. Complete and submit the online application for this course. Please have your certificate of completion for the Introduction to Substance Abuse Prevention course available – you will be asked to upload it during the application process.
3. The course is limited to 40 participants on a first-come, first-serve basis for applicants who meet the required criteria.
4. Click the “REGISTER” button above to access the application form.
5. The deadline to apply is 5:00 PM CT on October 3, 2022; however, registration may close prior to October 3 if the course has been filled.

TRAINING DATES:

November 7, 10, 14, and 17, 2022 from 9:00 AM–3:00 PM CT

HOW TO APPLY:

Click the “REGISTER” button above to access the application form.

This training is full.  Registration is closed. 

DESCRIPTION:

The Virtual Substance Abuse Prevention Skills Training (SAPST) is an innovative distance-learning training that blends a pre-requisite, self-paced online course with a combination of live, interactive sessions conducted over video conferencing and individual homework assignments completed before and between the live sessions. Grounded in current research and SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF), the Virtual SAPST provides foundational knowledge and skills necessary to implement effective, data-driven prevention interventions that improve substance-related outcomes, reduce behavioral health disparities, and improve wellness.

The Virtual SAPST includes the following topic areas:

• Introduction to Substance Abuse Prevention: Understanding the Basics (self-paced, online)

     Basic terminology and facts

     History of substance use and prevention in the U.S.

     Addiction and the brain

     Effects and health risks of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs

• Setting the Foundation: From Theory to Practice (live video-conference sessions and homework activities)

     Behavioral health

     Institute of Medicine’s/National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s Continuum of Care

     Public health approach

     Risk and protective factors

     Developmental perspective

• Application: SAMHSA’s SPF (live video-conference sessions and homework activities)

     Assessment, capacity, planning, implementation, and evaluation

     Cultural competence, sustainability

AUDIENCE:

The SAPST is designed for:

• Entry-level (less than five years) prevention administrators and practitioners
• Members of substance misuse prevention community coalitions
• Professionals working in fields related to substance misuse prevention
• Training and technical assistance providers supporting those in the substance misuse prevention workforce and the broader community

Please note that priority will be given to those applicants who are substance misuse prevention practitioners located in HHS Region 5: Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. If you live outside Region 5, you are welcome to complete the application and be placed on the waitlist. Individuals from outside Region 5 will be accepted as space is available.

PARTICIPANT COMMITMENT & EXPECTATIONS:

• Complete the self-paced online course, Introduction to Substance Abuse Prevention: Understanding the Basics, and submit the online application
• Participate in all 4 virtual sessions of training on November 7, 10, 14, and 17 from 9:00 AM–3:00 PM CT
• Complete and submit homework assignments between each training session via a Google form (approx. 2 hours of homework will be assigned each session)
• Have the appropriate technology and work environment available to join the Zoom training sessions
• Actively engage during training sessions using both camera and microphone — participants must be on camera at least 90% of the time.

CERTIFICATES:

• Participants that fully attend all sessions and satisfy all course requirements will receive a certificate of attendance for 22 contact hours.
• No partial credit will be given for this course.
• Participants will need to confirm with their certification board to determine if these contact hours are accepted for their specific continuing education certification requirements.

PRESENTERS:

Tracy Desovich 

Tracy Desovich serves as a training and technical assistance consultant for the Great Lakes PTTC through her position at the Education Development Center (EDC). She has more than 30 years of experience in substance misuse prevention and public health, primarily with community level practitioners in Massachusetts and with schools in Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Before joining EDC, Tracy directed two Massachusetts regional technical assistance centers and developed, implemented, and evaluated prevention services on two different college campuses.

Albert Gay 

Albert Gay is a national trainer and consultant in the field of substance use prevention. He has worked with governmental agencies, as well as with Indiana University’s School of Public Health as an Education and Training Specialist and Research Associate with the Prevention Insights.  In this position, he coordinates substance use and HIV prevention strategies and training. Nationally, he has trained the behavioral health workforce, the United States military, and diverse population groups and community coalitions in the Strategic Prevention Framework. Locally, Albert was the coordinator for a Communities That Care coalition; and currently, he is the chair of a county council and a key stakeholder for a city-wide coalition (both of which are Drug-Free Communities Coalitions). Besides prevention, his other areas of interest include youth work, faith-based initiatives, mental health promotion, social justice, cultural competence, historical trauma, organizational development, and strategic planning

The Great Lakes/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.