Products and Resources Catalog

Why Prevention Matters: Applying Prevention Science to Practice Carolina Corrales, Ph.D. Learning Objectives: Describe substance use prevalence Discuss risk and protective factors for substance use Provide the impact of substance use and reasons for prevention science

COURSE DESCRIPTION This training explores strategies for effectively engaging marginalized communities in prevention efforts. Participants gain insights into the unique challenges faced by these communities and learn practical approaches to promote empowerment, inclusivity, and equity in prevention initiatives. Select the View Resource button to watch the recording and link to the materials below.  Mobilizing vulnerable populations PPT Community Mobilization DCP Factsheet PRESENTERS Dr. Earl Nupsius Benjamin-Robinson led the development of Louisiana’s first health equity plan and is thus leading efforts, in LDH, to operationalize health equity protocols and practices agency-wide. Dr. Benjamin-Robinson is a public health practitioner with over 19 years of experience and is adjunct faculty at Xavier University’s Public Health Science Program. Since 2015, he’s been distinguished by the American Psychological Association as a Health Equity Ambassador and is a practitioner-scholar member of the Health Disparities, Education, Awareness Research & Training (HDEART) Health Equity Scholars and is the Co-founder of The BACH Group – a community and behavioral health consulting firm. Dr. Benjamin-Robinson is an alumnus of Loyola University, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, completed post-graduate work at the University Of Mississippi Medical Center & John Hopkins University, and is a Doctor of Health Science graduate from Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Health Sciences.           ​

This is a follow-up session to Breaking Intergenerational Patterns of Addiction, Trauma, and Dark Secrets (December 2020), you can view the recording at Session One Link HERE.   DESCRIPTION Fueled by toxic shame, patterns of trauma, addiction and dark secrets are often repeated in families across generations. Unhealthy relationships perpetuate these  patterns, until the cycles are broken. This presentation includes use of the iceberg model to help families understand the link between trauma, addiction, and dark secrets.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES Articulate how toxic shame fuels trauma, addiction, and dark secrets in families across generations. Help adolescents develop healthy friendships as a prevention strategy. Help families deal with generational shame and begin to break patterns of trauma, addiction, and dark secrets.   PRESENTER Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC is Project Manager Illinois for Great Lakes ATTC and Mental Health TTC. He is the 2021 recipient of the NAADAC Enlightenment Award, a lifetime achievement award for the advancement of NAADAC and the substance use disorder treatment profession. Mark is an international speaker in behavioral health whose presentations have reached thousands throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, The West Indies and Guam. Mark is the author of five books and has a 30-year career as a university educator at the University of Chicago, Loyola University of Chicago, Illinois State University, and the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. He is co-founder of Serenity Academy, the only recovery high school in Illinois.   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.  

DATA BRIEF DESCRIPTION The Charting Paths to Prevention: Mapping Social Vulnerability and Alcohol-Related Deaths training highlights the SSW PTTC's data brief on the association and complex interplay between social vulnerability and alcohol-related deaths for the South Southwest (SSW) Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) area (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas), shedding light on how social determinants of health intersect with patterns of alcohol misuse and mortality.  Select the Webinar Recording button to watch the video and follow the links below to download the training PowerPoint and the Charting Paths to Prevention: Mapping Social Vulnerability and Alcohol-Related Deaths data brief. PowerPoint Charting Paths to Prevention: Mapping Social Vulnerability and Alcohol-Related Deaths. PRESENTERS Nicole Schoenborn brings 20 years of award-winning public health experience to the South Southwest Prevention Technology and Transfer Center (SSW PTTC). She currently oversees all evaluation reporting and analysis and manages the evaluation database for the SSW PTTC. She plays a vital role in providing high-impact training and technical assistance (T/TA) services to the prevention workforce, emerging prevention professionals, organizations, and community prevention stakeholders. Ms. Schoenborn develops innovative program evaluation so that state and community-level prevention practitioners can achieve successful outcomes. With a specific focus on addressing health disparities, she works with states and tribes to develop processes and programs that achieve long-term public health impact. Specifically, she collaborates with subject matter experts to guide states and tribes in the design of effective logic models, methods, and evaluation plans. Nicole works to create supportive and responsive research environments that interconnect services for historically underserved populations and reduce adverse public health outcomes. Ms. Schoenborn holds multiple certifications, namely, she is an Internationally Certified Prevention Specialist and an Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Interface Certified Instructor. She received her master’s degree in experimental psychology and bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Central Oklahoma.   Dr. Beverly Triana-Tremain, co-author of Evaluation Time: A Practical Guide for Evaluation, serves as the epidemiologist for the South Southwest Prevention Technology and Transfer Center Region 6, with over 30 years of experience in technical assistance and training, evaluation, research, and quality improvement processes. She has expertise in process and impact evaluation, quality improvement studies, research methodology, and project management. Dr. Triana-Tremain plays a crucial role in providing high-impact training and technical assistance services to the prevention workforce, emerging prevention professionals, organizations, and community prevention stakeholders.  Dr. Triana-Tremain provides training and technical assistance on data-driven public health interventions and effectively communicating data to stakeholders in order to improve understanding in various populations. She has worked across the public and private sector for over 50 organizations to develop quality improvement plans in the areas of workforce development, public health improvement, and community impact. She also has extensive project management experience, particularly developing logic models that focus stakeholders on intentional project outcomes. A certified Lean Six Sigma Green and Yellow Belt, Dr. Triana-Tremain received her doctorate from Texas Woman’s University in community health, with a public health concentration. She also has a master’s from Texas Woman’s University and a bachelor’s from Texas A&M University-Commerce.     

DATA BRIEF DESCRIPTION Charting Paths to Prevention: Mapping Social Vulnerability and Alcohol-Related Deaths explores the association and complex interplay between social vulnerability and alcohol related deaths for the South Southwest (SSW) Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) area, shedding light on how social determinants of health (SDOH) intersect with patterns of alcohol misuse and mortality. It also identifies potential avenues for targeted intervention and policy development to mitigate the disproportionate impact of alcohol-related deaths on vulnerable communities. Select the Data Brief button to download Charting Paths to Prevention: Mapping Social Vulnerability and Alcohol-Related Deaths.

Webinar Description The association between chronic exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and poor behavioral health outcomes across the lifespan is well-established, but ACEs are preventable. This webinar will explore the evidence supporting upstream strategies that can prevent ACEs from happening in the first place as well as positive childhood experiences (PCEs) that can mitigate the harms of ACEs. Recent data sources that can be used to monitor ACEs and PCEs at the state-level to guide prevention and evaluation activities will also be explored.   Webinar Objectives By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to: Explain the influence of ACEs and PCEs on risk behaviors using a lifecourse perspective; Describe primary prevention strategies that can prevent ACEs; Describe how PCEs can buffer the impact of ACEs on behavioral health outcomes; Identify state-level data sources that can be used to monitor ACEs and PCEs.   Presenters Amanda Haboush-Deloye earned her Ph.D. in experimental psychology and her Master of Arts in clinical psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Amanda's research background is on mental health in adolescent, adult, and older adult populations. She also has a particular interest in improving research methods to be more culturally competent. As a researcher at NICRP, she has designed and implemented many research projects regarding children's physical health, mental health, and education, as well as children's advocacy initiatives such as Every Child Matters in Nevada and Prevent Child Abuse Nevada. Being a Las Vegas native, Amanda aims to remain in Nevada and work with NICRP to create a healthy community where families and children are a priority.   Kristin Clements-Nolle received her MPH in Behavioral Sciences and Ph.D in Epidemiology, both from the University of California, Berkeley. Kristen is a nationally recognized adolescent health researcher and has published extensively on the impact of ACE exposure on health outcomes across the lifespan. She also investigates social, community, and family factors that can prevent ACE exposure and/or mitigate the impact on behavioral health outcomes. Kristen is currently a Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Public Health and the principal investigator for a five year grant funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that will focus on preventing ACEs and promoting positive childhood experiences in Nevada.   Post Webinar Materials Preventing ACEs and Their Associated Harms Recording Preventing ACEs and Their Associated Harms Slide Deck   Questions Please email Reagan Hart at ([email protected]) for any questions.

  There is growing concern among prevention specialists and public health officials regarding older adults and substance use, misuse, and increasing substance use disorders. Substance use in older adults is complicated and is often overlooked, especially when individuals are experiencing other aging related health conditions. While the number of older adults experiencing substance use disorders dramatically increased in the last 20 years, prevention services have not been tailored to the needs of older adults. This webinar will highlight the growing problem, approaches to understanding the older adult population in your community, and available strategies. Additionally, we will hear directly from preventionists who are implementing programming with this population.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Describe how to assess the prevention needs of older adults in your community. Identify strategies to prevent substance misuse and promote the health and well-being of older adults. Understand approaches and barriers to engaging older adults in prevention efforts. Develop new partnerships that can work across sectors to engage older adults.   ACCESS OR DOWNLOAD SUPPORTING MATERIALS: Presentation Recording, April 25, 2024 Presentation Slides, April 25, 2024   PRESENTER: Chuck Klevgaard, CSPS  Chuck Klevgaard is a nationally recognized expert in substance misuse prevention, public health, and school-based health. Drawing on his experience in collective impact and prevention-focused partnerships, he builds the capacity of states, tribes, schools, communities, and cities to use evidence-based substance misuse prevention and intervention strategies. He specializes in behavioral health support; training and technical assistance; and evidence-based alcohol, opioid, and substance misuse programs and policies. Nationwide, he provides trainings to prevent opioid overdose, including working with first responders to administer naloxone. As a consultant to Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center, Klevgaard provides training and technical assistance to substance misuse prevention entities within the Great Lakes region, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio. Klevgaard, a Certified Senior Prevention Specialist through the Illinois Certification Board, Inc., holds a BSW from Minnesota State University Moorhead.   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.  

Access free, self-paced online courses through HealtheKnowledge to enhance your substance misuse prevention knowledge and skills.  Upon finishing these courses, participants receive certificates of completion. Don't have a HealtheKnowledge account? Sign up for free and start browsing substance misuse prevention courses.  

Understanding Addiction: Moving Throughout the Spectrum of Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Interventions Robert Rogers, LADC, CCS, PS-A, LSW April 3, 2024, 1:00pm-2:30pm EST COURSE DESCRIPTION In this session, we will review the Spectrum of Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Interventions with an emphasis on the transition from prevention to treatment. We will examine the signs and symptoms of substance use disorders through a review of the diagnostic criteria. We’ll look at how the brain is impacted by substance use and impairment at different developmental stages. Finally, we will discuss evidence-based Risk and Protective factors related to substance use and shared Risk and Protective factors. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Identify when my work as a prevention provider ends and referral to treatment begins. Recognize the diagnostic criteria, signs, and symptoms for substance use disorders. Identify a minimum of 3 Risk Factors for developing a substance use disorder and 3 Protective Factors for reducing the risk of developing a substance use disorder. Describe how the brain is impacted by substance use and impairment. PRESENTERS Robert Rogers, LADC, CCS, LSW, PS-A, has worked with youth and families throughout Somerset and Kennebec Counties since 1994.  Robert works for Kennebec Behavioral Health as Director of Substance Use Prevention and Grant Services. He worked with Somerset Public Health as the Drug-Free Communities Program Coordinator, completing ten years of coalition work.  Robert is a certified Prime for Life instructor and the State of Maine certified Responsible Beverage Seller trainer for the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages & Lottery Operations. Robert also coordinates Respect ME, a Certified Domestic Violence Intervention Program for female survivors of domestic violence who used resistive violence with their intimate partners.  Robert was appointed to the state Substance Abuse Service Commission, served by appointment on the state's Maine Opiate Collaborative Prevention and Harm Reduction team, served as Chair for the Maine Prevention Specialists Certification Board, and serves as a Maine representative on the New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center’s Advisory Board.  Additionally, Robert is on the Board of Directors for AdCare of Maine and Sunset Home, a non-profit assisted living facility for older women in Waterville, Maine. Robert is an Adjunct Professor of Substance Use Prevention at the University of Maine at Farmington.  Most recently, Governor Mills appointed Robert to the State of Maine Board of Alcohol & Drug Counselors and serves as the board's Chair. In 2021, Robert was awarded the Neill E. Miner Memorial Prevention Award, and in 2014 was awarded Prevention Provider of the Year by the Maine Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse.  

  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.   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.   ACCESS OR DOWNLOAD SUPPORTING MATERIALS Presentation Recording, April 11, 2024 Presentation Slides, April 11, 2024   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.

My guest on this episode is Rikki Barton who has a passion for communicating essential messages to move individuals and communities onward in their goals. She is the Founder/Lead Consultant of Onward Consulting and holds the Missouri Advanced Prevention Specialist certification as well as international IC&RC certification. Rikki has over 14 years of prevention field experience and currently serves as a consultant to assist organizations, coalitions, and state/federal agencies in the areas of substance use prevention, suicide prevention, and mental health promotion. She has extensive experience working with community coalitions, providing training, grant writing, managing funding sources, and leading a team of preventionists. Rikki trains for CADCA in their youth and adult training programs as well as trains for National Council for Mental Wellbeing as an Adult, Youth, and Teen Mental Health First Aid Instructor. She holds a Bachelors degree from Pennsylvania State University and a Masters degree from Liberty University. In her free time, Rikki loves exploring the outdoors on hikes with her rescue dog, Oreo. Rikki recently returned from an epic adventure trip to Nepal, where she completed the Everest Base Camp trek (unfortunately, without Oreo). Email: [email protected] Web site: https://www.onwardconsulting.biz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rikki-onward Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onward_consulting/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onwardconsultingllc The funder of this project, along with all other products of the Mid-America PTTC is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Although funded by SAMHSA, the content of this recording does not necessarily reflect the views of SAMHSA. The  National Center of Excellence on social media and Youth Mental Health serves as a centralized, trusted source for evidence-based education and technical assistance to support the mental health of children and adolescents as they navigate social media. https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/media-and-children/center-of-excellence-on-social-media-and-youth-mental-health/ The internet has dramatically reshaped how we buy and sell everything – including each other. Social media has been used by traffickers to recruit victims, to proliferate their trafficking operations, and to control victims through restricting their social media access, impersonating the victim, or spreading lies and rumors online. A leader in helping us to understand this issue is the Polaris Project, they are a survivor-centered, justice- and equity-driven movement to end human trafficking.  https://polarisproject.org/human-trafficking-and-social-media/   

How can we prevent substance misuse unless we understand what places kids at greater risk of misusing drugs? During this webinar, we will explore the risk factors that place youth at greater risk of substance misuse, as identified by the Social Development Research Group through systematic reviews of the research literature. Time will be spent exploring each risk factor to ensure that preventionists understand the meaning of each factor in order to address them effectively. This training will build on the information shared during the Building Protective Factors Using the Social Development Strategy (Dec. 2023) webinar.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to: Describe the importance of focusing on both increasing protective factors and decreasing risk factors List the criteria used to identify factors that place youth at greater risk of substance misuse Understand the nuances that exist for each risk factor Put the risk factor framework into action in their communities   PRESENTATION RESOURCES Printable presentation slides Printable version of the participant workbook  Flipbook version of the participant workbook                   PRESENTER Kris Gabrielsen, MPH, CPS  Kris Gabrielsen is the co-director of the Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center. She has worked in the substance misuse prevention field for over 30 years. Kris was the Associate Director of the Western Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT), co-authored the first Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Training curriculum, and co-authored the textbook, Substance Abuse Prevention: The Intersection of Science and Practice. As a consultant, she has worked with states and communities across the nation to bridge the gap between research and practice, assisting prevention professionals in maximizing their effectiveness.    

In this Issue:   Advocacy is Not a Spectator Sport Additional Resources: Preparing to Meet Your Legislator Epi Corner: Xylazine: An Emerging Threat What's Happening Around the Region Job Announcements What's New at SAMHSA Wrapping up 2023

  To prevent substance misuse among our youth, we must enhance protective factors and reduce risk factors. Join this webinar to learn how to build protective factors in the youth in a straight-forward, easy to implement way using the Social Development Strategy.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to: Name the elements of the Social Development Strategy Describe how the elements of the Social Development Strategy interact to create protective factors List a minimum of three ways that the Social Development Strategy can be incorporated into daily interactions and prevention strategies with youth   PRESENTATION RESOURCES Printable presentation slides SDS Assessment Tool Printable version of the participant workbook Flipbook version of the participant workbook    

Welcome to Prevention Science Foundation: Shared Risk and Protective Factors. This course is a 7 hour, self-paced course for working in the field of prevention and healthy youth development. Learners will watch videos, read information from the surgeon general, and reflect on their learning using journaling techniques. Participants will apply and test their knowledge through quizzes following each module. The goal of this course is to help participants understand prevention science. Join Kevin Haggerty, the Director of the Northwest Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC), and John Briney, Research Scientist and Data Manager, for a deeper dive into risk and protective factors for healthy youth development – what they are, why they’re important, and how to measure them at the community level. Certificate of Completion Available

In this Issue:   September is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Month Additional FASD Resources Epi Corner: Reducing the Incidence of FASD: What Have We Learned? What's Happening Around the Region? What Else?

Addressing and preventing the spread of substance use disorders (SUDs) and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are both vital areas of public health. Many risk factors are shared across SUD and HIV, though each present unique challenges. This product summarizes the scope of HIV in the United States and SAMHAS Region 3. It also discusses how having HIV can increase risk of substance use and how engaging in substance use can increase risk of HIV. It also shares examples of evidence-based prevention programs.

As we plan and work toward improving the overall wellness of the communities we serve, it is important that we understand the social determinants of health (SDOH). The SDOH are the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. Understanding SDOH and how prevention work intersects with them is essential to providing a comprehensive approach in your community. In this course you will have the opportunity to examine the SDOH and how prevention professionals can use this framework in developing innovative prevention strategies and build partnerships across multiple disciplines in your community. The course consists of an interactive content module and a completion quiz. It is estimated that the course may take up to 1 hour to complete. Certificate of Completion Available

In this Issue:   Data Gap Spurs Development of Collegiate Survey in Arkansas Additional College Intervention Resources Epi Corner: Substance Use, ACEs, and Mental Health Disorders as Contributors to Maternal Mortality What's Happening Around the Region? SAMHSA Releases New Data on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Behavioral Health

The funder of this project, along with all other products of the Mid-America PTTC is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Although funded by SAMHSA, the content of this recording does not necessarily reflect the views of SAMHSA. During this episode we’re discussing The Eight Professional Competencies for Higher Education Substance Misuse Prevention. To download a copy of the guide visit www.preventioncompetencies.org    David Anderson, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus of Education and Human Development at George Mason University, where he worked for 28 years; he served as Professor and Director of the Center for the Advancement of Public Health.  Prior to that, he served as a college administrator at The Ohio State University, Radford University and Ohio University. He has managed hundreds of national state and local projects while teaching graduate and undergraduate classes.  An active researcher and writer, he has decades-long research on college drug and alcohol issues, high school youth and community efforts. The focus of his work is upon practical applications for youth, young adults, and leaders at the campus, community, state and national level, and he continues with training, speaking and research.  His two most recent books are Leading Campus Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention: Grounded Approaches for Student Impact (co-authored with Thomas Hall; NASPA, 2021) and Leadership in Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention: Insights from Long-Term Advocates (Routledge, 2020).  Other recent books include Health and Safety Communication: A Practical Guide Forward (2017), Wellness Issues for Higher Education (2015) and Further Wellness Issues for Higher Education (2016). He orchestrates the College Alcohol Survey, a triennial survey on campus strategies addressing drug and alcohol misuse, done since 1979 through 2021.  He serves on the U.S. Center for Substance Abuse Prevention’s National Advisory Council and the American College Health Association’s COVID-19 Task Force.  He is active as a community leader in Celebration, Florida, where he serves as a Director with the Celebration Residential Owners Association. ​​​​​​ To gain a deeper understanding of the subject we’re discussing with Dr. David Anderson, listen to the 8-part series about the Professional Competencies for Higher Education Substance Misuse Prevention. A link to the series is available at www.preventioncompetencies.org

  What is Prevention? January 26, 2023   This recorded presentation, developed with the brand-new prevention professional in mind, will help orient viewers within the field of primary substance misuse prevention. Viewers will gain basic insight into primary prevention concepts such as risk and protective factors, evidence-based interventions, the Strategic Prevention Framework, and the coalition model. By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to: Define primary prevention Explain the importance of using a data-informed planning process Identify who does prevention work within a community   Presentation Materials Recording for What is Prevention Slide Deck for What is Prevention (PDF)   Audience: Community, tribal, jurisdiction, and state-level substance misuse prevention practitioners and allied health partners located in the Pacific Southwest region, including American Samoa, Arizona, California, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, Republic of Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau.   Presenter:   Britany Wiele, CPS, is a Project Coordinator, Workforce Development at the Center for the Application of Substance Abuse technologies (CASAT) at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). In her role at CASAT, Britany serves as a Training and Technical Assistant Specialist for SAMHSA’s Pacific Southwest Prevention Technology Transfer Center which aims to expand the capacity of the substance misuse prevention workforce. She is a Certified Prevention Specialist with experience working with community coalitions in all areas of the Strategic Prevention Framework. Prior to joining CASAT, she worked for Join Together Northern Nevada providing leadership in developing effective community-wide youth and adult programming, implementing evidence-based programs, and building community partnerships. Britany has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from the University of California, Riverside.   Questions? Contact Britany Wiele ([email protected]) if you have additional questions about the content related to this webinar.    

Webinar: Working to Promote Protection by Supporting LGBTQ+ Teens in Foster Care December 8, 2022   Webinar Description Youth in foster care face unique risk and protective factors related to substance misuse. LGTBQ+ youth in foster care need explicit support and acceptance; however, few caseworkers and caregivers receive specialized training. To address this, the Connecting: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE) eLearning was developed. During this webinar, participants will learn about the importance of gender-affirming care for adolescence. They will also learn about the free online resource for caregivers and social workers offered by the State of Washington Alliance for Child Welfare Excellence.   Webinar Recording and Slides Working to Promote Protection by Supporting LGBTQ+ Teens in Foster Care Recording Working to Promote Protection by Supporting LGBTQ+ Teens in Foster Care Slides (PDF)   Additional Resources Connecting: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity & Expression (SOGIE): A Guide for Foster Families Connecting: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression Training for Caregivers and Kinship Providers (eLearning) by The Alliance for Professional Development Training, and Caregiver Excellence:   Presenters Susan Barkan, PhD, Director of Research, Partners for our Children. Dr. Barkan is a Principal Research Scientist and Director of Research at Partners for Our Children. Her work involves developing and evaluating programs and policies to improve the lives of children and families in the child welfare system. Susan is the principal investigator of Strive, a curriculum-based program designed to facilitate quality visits between parents and their children in foster care. She is a co-investigator of Connecting, a program for teens and their foster or relative caregivers aimed at preventing teens’ initiation of risky behaviors. Connecting has also developed a new module addressing the unique needs of LGBTQ2S teens in foster care. The module is available in the Alliance for Child Welfare Excellence training catalogue for caregivers. Throughout Susan’s career, she has focused on the social determinants of health and the elimination of inequities in health and wellness. She served on the Washington State Racial Disproportionality Advisory Committee until the committee ended in 2018. Susan earned a Ph.D. in epidemiology from Yale University and a B.A. in psychology and biology from Antioch College. She completed a National Institute of Mental Health-funded postdoctoral fellowship in Family Violence at The Children's Hospital in Boston, MA, where she also held a faculty appointment in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. She holds affiliate faculty appointments within the University of Washington Schools of Public Health and Social Work. Kym Ahrens MD, MPH, University of Washington Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Ahrens is an Associate Professor of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at Seattle Children's Hospital and the University of Washington School of Medicine. She also serves as Medical Director for the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families Juvenile Rehabilitation System (DCYF JR. She conducts research to identify needs and improve outcomes for youth exposed to early adversity including systems-involved and gender-diverse youth.  Kevin P. Haggerty, M.S.W., Ph.D Dr. Haggerty is a professor emeritus at the University of Washington School of Social Work. He is the former director of the Social Development Research Group where he specialized in the delivery of prevention programs at the community, school and family level. For over three decades, he has focused on developing innovative ways to organize the scientific knowledge base for prevention so that parents, communities and schools can better identify, assess, and prioritize customized approaches that meet their needs. He has served as principal investigator on a variety of intervention-focused federally funded grants. An expert on substance abuse and delinquency prevention, Dr. Haggerty speaks, conducts trainings, and writes extensively on this field. He is a former board member and Fellow of the Society for Prevention Research and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare and is a prevention science reviewer for periodicals such as Prevention Science.   Questions? Contact Clarissa Lam Yuen ([email protected]) if you have additional questions about the content related to this webinar.

The aspects of life that influence a person’s health, including their likelihood of engaging in risky behavior such as substance use, are numerous and varied. They range from very immediate, personal characteristics to overarching societal trends and conditions. The social determinants of health are these larger social or environmental aspects that influence us, such as the economic status of the neighborhoods in which we live, our access to quality health care services, and the amount of discrimination we face. This three-part, 3 hour, self-paced course will provide a comprehensive overview of the social determinants of health and examine the influence they have on substance use. It will also discuss the impacts a public health approach can have on them, review how to turn prevention knowledge into actionable processes, and provide recommendations on how to address them through the principles of prevention science and using environmental and other strategies. Certificate of Completion Available

  This virtual learning series explored the connections between the social determinants of health and substance misuse and its consequences, while looking at how awareness and understanding of the social determinants can strengthen your prevention planning efforts. This session also looked at strategies to integrate the social determinants of health into work with community members and partners.   Debra Morris is a results-driven, people-centered professional who brings over 40 years of public health experience to improve population health. She leverages expertise in system strengthening, trauma-informed practices, training, technical assistance, and coalition building to develop culturally responsive interventions. Debra guides agencies with evidence-based and culturally competent prevention strategies to optimize and enhance service delivery models.  She is praised for her ability to mobilize diverse stakeholders in the development of community-centered solutions and utilizing effective methods to address health disparities. She received her MPH from Emory University School of Public Health and is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist. Ben Spooner is a skilled training and technical assistance provider with more than a decade of experience in substance misuse prevention. He has expertise in communications planning, sustainability planning, strategic planning, product development, project management, event organizing, and developing and facilitating distance-learning events. Ben has served as a TA provider for the Center for Strategic Prevention Support since its inception in 2012. He has a passion for incorporating cultural and linguistic responsiveness into his work and helping the communities he works with do the same. He is a certified prevention specialist and has Project Management for Development Professionals (PMD Pro) certification from APMG International.