According to the Institute for Work & Health, secondary prevention “aims to reduce the impact of a disease or injury that has already occurred.” While substance use disorder treatment providers are working to reduce harmful behaviors and move individuals towards recovery, substance misuse prevention providers are working in the community to decrease risk factors and increase community wellness. Individuals in treatment and in recovery live in those communities and the prevention field is becoming more aware of the role that they can play in harm reduction and  the prevention of negative outcomes associated with substance use disorder. This session will review how this emerging awareness and increased interest in secondary prevention creates opportunities for treatment and prevention providers to work together.

Learning objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Describe the goals and primary activities used in secondary prevention efforts
• Discuss ways that treatment and prevention providers align efforts to support better outcomes for people diagnosed with a substance use disorder

Facilitators:

Marie Cox, MA, CPS

Marie Cox is responsible for coordinating the delivery of training and technical assistance that accurately reflects the science of prevention and meets the evolving needs of the substance misuse prevention field. Ms. Cox ensures that the SWPC Team is able to effectively assess the needs of states, tribes, communities and organizations and that the team provides quality services that are timely, relevant, and effective. 

Ms. Cox brings to the PTTC extensive experience in project coordination, systems development, high impact technical assistance, and curriculum development. She has facilitated the work of numerous groups to achieve positive outcomes through data driven, goals oriented decision making. She worked with the University of Oklahoma Extended Campus to develop the first Master of Prevention Science (MPS) degree in the nation and developed core coursework for that degree. She is a Certified Prevention Specialist and holds a master's degree in sociology from the University of Texas and a certificate in distance education from Indiana.

LaShonda Williamson- Jennings, MED, CPS

A certified prevention specialist, LaShonda Williamson-Jennings is responsible for providing and coordinating the delivery of tailored, state-of-the-science training and technical assistance that optimizes the ability of states, tribes, and communities to achieve substance abuse prevention outcomes.   She is also co-director of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Prevention Technology Transfer Center for region 6 where she monitors service delivery among multiple clients and staff, assuring solutions and service quality are of the highest standards and meet funder expectations. 

She has extensive experience managing projects, facilitating face-to-face and online trainings, identifying needs and delivering customized technical assistance, and coaching staff and clients to develop effective and sustainable state and tribal prevention systems.

Ms. Williamson-Jennings holds a Master of Education in adult education and administration from Northwestern Oklahoma State University, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from University of Oklahoma.  In 2014, she was named the Oklahoma Drug and Alcohol Professional Counselor Association’s Prevention Specialist of the Year.