Fellow Stories: Developing Products for the New England Region

Fellow Stories Icons

 

 

 

2022 Substance Misuse Prevention Tools Supporting the Changing Landscape of Cannabis

with a Focus on the IC&RC Prevention Domains

 

CONNECTICUT FELLOW

Michael Awad, Ph.D.

MichaelAwadHeadshot

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.

 

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO SUPPORT YOUTH CANNABIS PREVENTION: A STRATEGY GUIDE FOR PREVENTIONISTS AND COMMUNITY COALITIONS

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.

 

2022 Download Button

 

 

MAINE FELLOW

Janet Dosseva, MPH, PS-C

JanetDossevaHeadshot

Janet (pronounced “Jeanette”) Dosseva is a dedicated public health professional specializing in youth substance use prevention. She is the Program Director for Westbrook Partners for Prevention, a Drug-Free Community coalition in Southern Maine. Janet is a certified Prevention Specialist and a two time alumnus from the University of New England, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Biology as well as a Master of Public Health degree. Janet loves implementing creative and innovative ways to engage communities in prevention and harm reduction strategies. She focuses on promoting health equity and amplifying youth voices. Janet is delighted to be working in the Westbrook community, where so many people are committed to supporting youth through collaborative efforts. She is also a member of the Cumberland County District Public Health Council, Maine Public Health Association, Maine Prevention Certification Board, Westbrook-Gorham Rotary Club, and various Maine CDC workgroups.

 

MOBILIZING COMMUNITY IN CANNABIS PREVENTION: A PREVENTION GUIDE IN THE ERA OF LEGALIZATION

 

This toolkit was created for prevention specialists who need some tips in navigating conversations with local lawmakers in the era of legalized cannabis use. Many prevention specialists feel discomfort in outreaching to their municipalities because they do not want to unintentionally advocate or lobby, as this is prohibited. This toolkit helps prevention specialists broach those conversations and clearly outlines the differences between advocacy and education. The latter is very much allowed and encouraged!

Along with the toolkit is a modifiable slide deck. This template serves to provide an introductory conversation between prevention specialists and their respective municipalities. It is a way to provide education and discussion as municipalities consider opting in to allow retail cannabis stores to operate in their area.

 

DOWNLOAD THE PRODUCTS

 

RHODE ISLAND FELLOW

Dan Fitzgerald, MPH, ICPS

DanFitzgeralsHeadshot

Dan is the Executive Director of the Chariho Youth Task Force, a substance use prevention and mental health promotion coalition in southern Rhode Island. Dan also serves as the Director of Advocacy for the American Lung Association in RI and MA. Dan’s educational background is in prevention science, social marketing, nonprofit management, and public health. Dan has worked at the state, local, and national level with nonprofits and state and federal agencies. In his career, Dan has served as a lead activism trainer and has traveled coast to coast delivering training and technical assistance to hundreds of thousands of students, educators, and medical professionals. Recently, Dan was recognized for his impact in the world of tobacco control and received the C. Everette Koop Unsung Hero Award in honor of the late United States Surgeon General. The Rhode Island General Assembly named Dan the “Advocate of the Year” while he was in high school and as the state’s “Champion for Children and Youth” in 2018. Dan volunteers his time with a variety of nonprofits including serving as the National Board Chair of SADD, Vice Chair of his local YMCA, Vice Chair of Wood River Health Services, Treasurer of the Rhode Island Certification Board, and as a community advisor to Brown University's School of Public Health.

 

PREVENTING YOUTH USE OF CANNABIS: CANNABIS PREVENTION ALTERNATIVE TO SUSPENSION PROGRAM

An alternative to suspension curricula and facilitators guide built on best practices for cannabis prevention within indicated populations.

 

DOWNLOAD THE PRODUCTS

 

MASSACHUSETTS FELLOW

F.J. Perfas, CPS

FJPerfasHeadshot

FJ Perfas serves the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a prevention professional, coordinating community-based youth substance misuse prevention efforts for the Department of Public Health. He believes prevention work is one of the most meaningful ways our systems of health and care can assure conditions in which people can be healthy and have a high quality of life. He embraces restorative and strength-based approaches as foundational to his work, believing deeper relationships are the key to thriving individuals and communities. He is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys spending his free time in the mountains and oceans, one of the reasons he loves living in the New England region.

 

RESTORATIVE PRACTICES IN PREVENTION: TAKING A RELATIONSHIP-BASED APPROACH TO PREVENTING YOUTH CANNABIS USE THROUGH RESTORATIVE PRACTICES

A guide for community prevention efforts focused on keeping youth healthy while navigating the evolving cannabis landscape. Through adopting restorative practices and focusing on relationships, this guide seeks to support youth health and well-being while applying lessons learned from youth alcohol and tobacco use prevention efforts.

 

2022 Download Button

 

NEW HAMPSHIRE FELLOW

Annika Stanley-Smith, CPS

AnniStanleySmithHeadshot

Annika Stanley-Smith is a certified prevention specialist with a degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University. Annika has worked in the prevention field since 2014, serving as the Director of Substance Misuse Prevention, for the Capital Area Public Health Network since 2019. In May 2016, she earned her Certified Prevention Specialist credential. That same year, New Futures awarded her the Tom Fox Prevention Scholarship in recognition of her demonstrated leadership and significant service to the delivery of preventing drug and alcohol problems. In 2021 she was awarded the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce Young Professional of the Year award. Annika played a key role in the development of the Recovery Friendly Workplace and continues to develop meaningful partnerships between the prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery fields.

 

CANNABIS CONVERSATIONS: A TOOLKIT FOR COMMUNITIES WITH A HARM REDUCTION LENS

A communication frame that will compassionately educate prevention professionals and community members on the impacts of cannabis use on young brains while not stigmatizing cannabis use for therapeutic or medical reasons.

 

2022 Download Button

 

VERMONT FELLOW

Mariah Flynn Sanderson

MariahFlynnSandersonHeadshot

Mariah Flynn (she/her) has worked in the substance misuse field in Vermont for 20+ years as a counselor, a case manager, and for the last 14 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! VT and the Chittenden Prevention Network, a statewide and regional effort to coordinate substance use prevention resources and strategies for the areas, and still serves on the Steering Committees for both. Mariah served as the Coordinator of the Tobacco Free College Campus Initiative for the state of Vermont for many years until that position ended last year. In her personal time she is Co-Chair of Smart Approaches to Marijuana Vermont, a grassroots effort to bring public health research and science into policy decisions related to cannabis in VT. Mariah loves spending time with her two teenagers and is passionate about building communities that provide youth and families with the skills and environment to support healthy choices.

 

HEALTHY COMMUNITY, HEALTHY PEOPLE: COMMUNITY CANNABIS POLICY TOOLKIT FOR THE VERMONT PREVENTION PROFESSIONAL

A toolkit that prevention professionals and communities working on cannabis related policy improvement can use to help support prevention and public health at a community level.

 

 2022 Download Button

 

 

2021 Substance Misuse Prevention Tools supporting Diversity & Intentional Inclusion in Prevention

 

MAINE FELLOW

Laurie Jevons, M.S., CPS II

Headshot of Laurie Jevons New England PTTC 2021 Fellow

Laurie (she/her) serves as Fearless Future’s Programmes Account Manager. A former social worker, Laurie has worked with communities across Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts and Montana to promote inclusive health and wellness strategies. Laurie has previously contributed to two statewide toolkits focused on educating youth and young adults about legalized cannabis. A graduate of McGill University, Laurie holds a Master’s degree in organizational development a Project Management Professional certification, and is a Certified Prevention Specialist.

 

CANNABIS IN THE UNITED STATES A TOOLKIT FOR NON-CITIZENS IN MAINE 

The toolkit provides education for immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and green card holders about cannabis, which some states have legalized but remains federally illicit. The toolkit (including a fact sheet) is translated into eight languages identified as priorities by community partners in Maine. The toolkit aims to support non-citizens in making informed decisions about working in the cannabis industry or how using cannabis may impact legal standing as a non-citizen.

DOWNLOAD THE PRODUCT (available in 9 languages)

 

 

MASSACHUSETTS FELLOW

Fernando Perfas, B.S.B.A., PS-C

Headshot Fernando Perfas

Fernando is a person of faith, a son, a brother, a husband, and a father. He is also a prevention professional who serves the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, managing and coordinating youth substance misuse prevention efforts at the Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services. Fernando has dedicated over 14 years to the field of prevention, which he believes is one of the most meaningful ways our systems of health and care can improve the quality of life for everyone in our communities. He embraces restorative and strength-based approaches as foundational to this work, believing relationships are key to building the health and resilience of individuals and communities. Fernando is a Certified Prevention Specialist with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. In addition to being a public servant, he is also an avid outdoorsman who enjoys spending his free time in the mountains and on the ocean, be it in beautiful New England or his native state of New York.

 

RESTORATIVE PREVENTION: HOW CENTERING EQUITY IN PRIMARY PREVENTION CAN BUILD HEALTHY COMMUNITIES AND PREVENT SUBSTANCE MISUSE 

A guide for local and regional substance misuse prevention efforts that seeks to improve community health by building relationships and a sense of connectedness, while paying close attention to those that are often excluded.

This guide will introduce the concept of "Restorative Prevention," a mental framework for rethinking our approach to community-based substance misuse prevention efforts. The goal of this framework is to build healthy communities through a process of systemic equity that restores communities to a state better than they once were. I will define terms and key concepts as a proposed foundation for adopting restorative and equity-centered practices, particularly among those demographics that existing health and prevention systems are failing to serve or support.

By increasing social capital, repairing harm, and restoring relationships, this framework also seeks to prevent substance misuse by addressing the disconnection and pain often at its root. By shifting our attention to the broader systems that perpetuate harm, and away from a singular focus on individuals and populations alone, we may truly begin to address the structural roots of the issues that manifest as substance misuse and prevent it before it ever occurs.

This guide discusses ways to integrate these practices into the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s (SAMHSA) Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) process. The guiding principle of Culture Competence will be expanded to one of Cultural Responsiveness by including additional cultural frames and perspectives. Finally, I will expand on the concept of Restorative Prevention, and what it can look like in practice, as a means of shifting our traditional prevention approaches towards a vision of unity and solidarity.

 

Download Button

 

 

NEW HAMPSHIRE FELLOW

Alissa Cannon, BS, PS-C 

Alissa Cannon Headshot

Alissa is a Certified Prevention Specialist working in the field of Juvenile Justice and Prevention for the New Hampshire Juvenile Court Diversion Network, a statewide Nonprofit Organization coordinating screening for substance use and mental health in juvenile court diversion programs. She has worked in the areas of prevention and community/school-based health education for nearly 15 years and has enjoyed every moment of it. She also proudly serves on the Prevention Taskforce of the NH Governor's Commission on Prevention, Treatment & Recovery, the Alcohol & Other Drug Policy Advisory Committee for New Futures, and is actively working with the NH Service to Science Expert Panel to designate the NH Juvenile Court Diversion Model as Evidence-Based.

Alissa is originally from south Louisiana, but now resides in New Hampshire with her wife and their two rescue dogs, Conrad and Gronk. She enjoys time spent outside in the sunshine planting flowers and vegetables and eating ice cream by the ocean. Alissa holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is completing her Master’s in Education in Health Education and Promotion.

 

SUBSTANCE MISUSE PREVENTION WITH LGBTQIA+ YOUTH: A HEALTH EDUCATOR'S GUIDE

A self-guided and reflective tool that is inclusive of evidence-based practices, risk and protective factors and coping skills specific to LGBTQ+ youth for educators to utilize when developing and evaluating their own curriculum and informational products, to ensure they are being intentional with their inclusion and support of LGBTQIA+ youth. 

 

Download Button

 

 

RHODE ISLAND FELLOW

Daniel Fitzgerald, MPH, ICPS

Headshot of Dan Fitzgerald New England PTTC 2021 FellowDaniel is the Executive Director of the Chariho Youth Task Force and a National Senior Manager of Advocacy for the American Lung Association. Dan’s educational background is in prevention science, social marketing, nonprofit management, and public health. Dan has worked at the state, local, and national levels with nonprofits and state and federal agencies working at the intersection of public health and social justice. Prior to his current roles, Dan worked as a Prevention Fellow with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) and was stationed at the RI Department of Behavioral Healthcare working with all the states funded prevention coalitions. Under his direction over the last 14 years, the Chariho Youth Task Force has become a 501(c)3 nonprofit working to create a society driven toward physical and mental well-being created through collaboration, education, and activism working primarily in Charlestown, Hopkinton, and Richmond, RI. In this role, Dan was recognized as the Washington County Champion for Children by the RI General Assembly and as the RI Advocate of Year by the Rhode Island Department of Health. In his role with the American Lung Association, Dan leads a national public policy campaign and serves as the advocacy lead for the State of Rhode Island on topics related to tobacco, lung cancer, access to care, and climate change. Recently, Dan was recognized for his impact in the world of tobacco control and received the 2019 C. Everette Koop Unsung Hero Award in honor of the late United States Surgeon General. In recent years, Dan has worked as a staff trainer for the Human Right Campaign and has lead state and local training and technical assistance around LGBTQ+ programming and inclusion for prevention providers, educators, and health systems. Dan is an Internationally Certified Prevention Specialist and sits on the Rhode Island Certification Board.

 

QUEER-INCLUSIVE PROGRAMMING: AN ALLY’S GUIDE TO PREVENTION 

A resource for prevention providers that will showcase the importance of working with the LGBTQ+ community, how to launch queer-inclusive programming in a meaningful way, and collect inclusive data around sexual orientation and gender identity. The guidance document includes state-specific infographics for all of New England.

 

DOWNLOAD THE PRODUCTS

 

LGBTQ+ Prevention Brief      CT - LGBTQ State Infographics       MA - LGBTQ State Infographics

ME - LGBTQ State Infographics       NH - LGBTQ State Infographics.     RI - LGBTQ State Infographics

VT - LGBTQ State Infographics

 

 

RHODE ISLAND FELLOW

Kathy L. Gardner, MPS, ACPS

Kathy Gardner HeadshotKathy is a very versatile, compassionate, and reliable Certified Prevention Specialist and has 15+ years of experience to offer. Kathy followed her passion for working with youth later in life and returned to school to complete her Bachelor’s in Social Services and Health at Roger William’s University. She then went on to complete her Master’s in Prevention Science at the University of Oklahoma. Currently, Kathy is the Project Manager of a Partnerships for Success Grant covering the South County area of Rhode Island. Prior to her current position, Kathy had the opportunity to implement and manage a variety of Federal grants over the years; Drug Free Communities, STOP Act, as well as RI state grants. Kathy has been trained in an extensive list of Evidence Based Programs from Substance Abuse Prevention, Suicide Prevention, RX360, and programs specific to the American Indian Population. The love of building coalitions, establishing relationships with stakeholders, and mentoring young people keeps Kathy excited about her work. One of Kathy’s main goals is to recruit more young people to follow their passion through the prevention field.

 

AMERICAN INDIAN: SUBSTANCE MISUSE PREVENTION WITH NEW ENGLAND NATIVE POPULATIONS 

A toolkit to provide Prevention Specialists who work with Native American communities the ability to better understand the culture, use data for future funding specific to Native communities, and carry out the implementation of evidence-based programs that are inclusive of their culture. It also addresses and provides guidance on health disparities within the Native American Tribes.

 

Download Button

 

 

 VERMONT FELLOW

Jessica Summer, M.L.I.S

Jessica Summer HeadshotJessica is the Executive Director for the Milton Community Youth Coalition in Milton, Vermont. She is passionate about prevention work and how we use and collect data to tell the story of why prevention is important in our communities. Jess has done a little bit of everything in prevention over the years, but is particularly proud of the work she did with middle and high school youth advising youth prevention groups across three different schools. She has six years of experience in prevention, with a prior five in library and information sciences. She has a BA in English and a Certificate of Women in Leadership from Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire and a Master of Library and Information Science from North Carolina Central University. 

As part of this fellowship, Jess is working on a survey tool to make youth behavior data collection easier and faster for communities. The goal is to draft a digital survey that tracks substance use and mental health trends that takes 10 minutes or less of class time to administer that could be given quarterly. Through a tool like SurveyMonkey, these survey results are immediate and give us a snapshot of shifting behavior trends in real time, allowing us as prevention professionals to respond in real time, rather than waiting for biannual YRBS results.

 

TRENDING DATA NOW: A GUIDE TO CONDUCTING YOUR OWN VIRTUAL RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY

This guide is designed to help schools administer a shortened youth risk behavior survey more frequently. This shortened survey focuses on mental health, substance use, perceptions, and assets. Many of the questions are identical to those from the full survey, which allows schools and health officials to draw comparisons between already existing longitudinal data. This shortened survey is also available through SurveyMonkey, a user-friendly digital format that allows students to complete the survey using school-provided computers or tablets. The shorter format is also designed to take no more than 15 minutes of class time, which makes it easier for schools to implement without sacrificing a full class period. Lastly, the digital format allows schools to immediately analyze and compare results. No long delays means that school officials can immediately address concerning trends in real-time, and evaluate the effectiveness of school interventions. This format is also easy to edit, allowing schools to add a question or two to evaluate local programs.

 

DOWNLOAD THE PRODUCTS

If you have a survey monkey account and would like to have this survey transferred to your account, please send your username in an email to [email protected]

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2024 Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) Network
map-markermagnifiercrossmenuchevron-down