This product is meant to serve as an introductory strategy guide for preventionists and community coalition members interested in using social media for primary prevention of cannabis use among youth in their communities. The guide introduces professionals to what social media is, the role it plays in cannabis prevention, recent research on the relationship between social media and youth cannabis use, practical considerations for developing social media, and how social media can be used to support different ICRC domains such as evaluation, communication, education and service delivery, community organization, and professional growth.
Michael Awad, Ph.D. is an NIH research fellow in the Division of Prevention & Community Research at Yale University. He is a licensed psychologist and mental health counselor, and his scholarly interests focus on improving access to and engagement with prevention and mental health services for underserved youth in school settings. Over his career, Dr. Awad has worked with school districts and administrators to develop programs, policies, and spaces that promote youth health and wellbeing. From working as a psychology teacher and guidance counselor in New York City public and private schools to developing and implementing positive youth development programs in New Haven public schools, Dr. Awad is committed to creating pathways for young people that allow them to reach their full potential. He currently serves as prevention coordinator for the city of New Haven and chair of the New Haven Prevention Council, where he uses social media for primary prevention and health promotion. Dr. Awad was a policy fellow in the Office of Behavioral Health Equity at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a minority fellow of the American Psychological Association, and earned his Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Columbia University.
