Military-connected youth* experience unique challenges that impact their educational and social-emotional learning, putting them at greater risk for substance use and behavioral health challenges. Increasing resiliency by cultivating a culturally competent, supportive environment in schools and communities helps mitigate these challenges. Participants will learn how to enhance existing infrastructure to deliver substance misuse prevention programs to military-connected youth.

* Military-connected youth are the children (including step and foster children), siblings, and grandchildren of anyone who is currently serving or has served in the armed forces.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Understand the risk factors that make military youth more vulnerable to substance use and behavioral health problems compared to non-military-connected youth.
• Describe how to increase capacity and readiness to serve military-connected youth.
• Identify evidence-based practices that support and build resiliency within military-connected youth

CERTIFICATES:

Registrants who fully attend this event or training will receive a certificate of attendance via email within two weeks after the event or training.

PRESENTER: 

Sarah Flowers, CPS 

Sarah Flowers, CPS, grew up in a military family outside the world’s largest naval base in Virginia Beach, Virginia. As a Gold Star Sibling and military family member, she brings unique perspectives gained from her personal experiences to prevention, empowering individuals, and communities to create and promote healthy environments, lifestyles, and behaviors. She works with state, and national agencies and organizations to develop and coordinate evidence-based strategies to increase resilience within military and veteran families. She specializes in training and consultation on capacity building, community engagement and best practices working with military families.

The Great Lakes A/MH/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.