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Dr. Monty Burks Deputy, Director of the Governor's Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives, where his role is engaging and connecting Tennessee’s faith communities to government and other non-profits with the goal of creating partnerships. In this episode we explore Building Blocks – Faith, Prevention, Recovery and the different intersection points between traditional and non-traditional behavioral health communities. Connect with our guest. Email: [email protected] Web site: www.tn.gov   (search faith based) 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. Since 1993, SAMHSA has actively engaged and supported faith-based and community organizations involved in mental health services and substance use prevention and treatment. Their Community Substance Abuse Prevention Partnership Program includes more than 800 faith-based community partners. To learn more about programs and practices available, including funding opportunities visit: https://www.samhsa.gov/faith-based-community-engagement Faith and community leaders are often the first point of contact when individuals and families face mental health problems or traumatic events. In fact, in times of crisis, many will turn to trusted leaders in their communities before they turn to mental health professionals. Religious and other community organizations can play an important role in supporting individuals living with mental illnesses and encouraging them to seek help. To learn more about the role of Faith and Community leaders in mental health visit:  https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/how-to-talk/community-and-faith-leaders

My guests in this episode are Isaac Wulff, Sarah Meyers, Mollie Mustoe, and Brisa Sanchez they represent The Statewide Rural Network, a collaborative group of volunteers and leaders across the State of Washington who are building resiliency and safeguarding youth. Collectively, they represent the voices of rural populations across their state. I met these rural preventionist and recorded this podcast during the 2023 NPN conference in Birmingham.

COURSE DESCRIPTION This webinar provides practitioners with tools to identify rural-specific risk factors and address substance use-related disparities in rural settings. Behavioral health disparities are differences in substance use or mental health outcomes linked to social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage. These disparities adversely affect a sub-population or group. It is the work of prevention professionals and their partners to identify, plan, and implement strategies that reduce the burden of substance use on rural communities.  MATERIALS Select the View Resource button above to watch the recording. PowerPoint Handout   PRESENTER John Gale is a Senior Research Associate and Director of Policy Engagement at the Maine Rural Health Research Center. John is past-President of the National Rural Health Association, completing his term in January 2022. He was awarded the Calico Leadership Award in 2020 by the National Rural Health Resource Center's Technical Assistance and Services Center (TASC), which annually presents the award to an outstanding rural health leader. John's work focuses on leveraging resources to improve the rural healthcare infrastructure and develop rural systems of care. He serves as the principal investigator for several rural health studies as well as for the Center's work on the National Flex Monitoring Team and the Frontier Community Health Integration Project Demonstration. He recently served as a lead consultant to develop a toolkit for policymakers in developing countries on rural substance use treatment, prevention, and recovery for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Mr. Gale received his Master of Science degree from the Muskie School of Public Service's graduate program in public health.      

In this Issue:   The Value of Collaboration Epi Corner: Addressing Rural Health Disparities Using the Gifts of History to Promote Wellness SAPST 2023 Updates, Curriculum Launch for Trainers, March 14 What's Happening Around the Region? Training Event: Promising Approaches for Reducing Substance Misuse-Related Health Disparities in Rural Contexts, February 23 Free Online Courses through HealtheKnowledge ACE Master Trainer Region 6 Directory New Prevention Specialist Candidate Guide

In this Issue:   Five Reasons to Get Credentialed in 2023! How the PTTC can help you get credentialed, Start here! News Release! IC&RC announces a new prevention specialist exam Epi Corner: Health Literacy and Prevention Practice What's Happening Around the Region? Webinar: Ditching the Discomfort with Data, Part 5, Communicating and Visualizing Data, Tomorrow, November 17 Video: Developing New Skills Webinar: Substance Misuse Prevention's Role: Addressing Disparities in Rural Communities, December 13 New SAMHSA Guide: Implementing Community Level Policies to Prevent Alcohol Misuse November National Awareness Resources

Safer Homes, Safer Communities: Firearms, safety, and culture November 2, 2022   Webinar Description and Objectives Community prevention practitioners are cultural brokers who understand the values and norms of their community. Current research demonstrates that when communities effectively implement evidence-based interventions to prevent youth access to substances, communities also benefit from a reduction in firearm-related violence. This presentation will explore how five core values (Safety, Protection, Responsibility, Freedom, and Community) expressed by owners of firearms can act as a bridging tool to strengthen and expand substance misuse prevention efforts, prevent suicide by firearms, and promote safer communities.  This presentation will highlight existing coalition efforts that promote safety by reducing easy access to firearms and medications. The Safer Homes, Suicide Aware program educates the public on the potential deadliness of easy access to firearms and medications if available during a time of crisis. Led by Forefront Suicide Prevention and the Second Amendment Foundation, the Safer Homes Coalitions is comprised of firearms retailers, health care providers, and suicide prevention experts who came together around a single goal to save lives.   Presenters   Jeffrey Chen-Ning Sung, M.D., is a board-certified psychiatrist and a clinical assistant professor with the UW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. His work focuses on education and training in the areas of suicide prevention and suicide care.  Particular interests include supporting clinicians who have experienced the loss of a patient to suicide and building knowledge among healthcare professionals about cultural aspects of firearm ownership and use. Dr. Sung earned his M.D. at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. His clinical interests focus on psychotherapy. He has taught psychodynamic theory, suicide risk assessment, and managing response to patient suicide. Brett Bass is the Safer Homes, Suicide Aware Program Manager.  He joins Forefront after years of volunteering on the Firearms Subcommittee of the Safer Homes task force.  Brett enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in 2006, completing Military Police School in 2007 as the Honor Graduate of his class.  He reported to MWSS-473, Det. A in Fresno, CA shortly thereafter and was mobilized to active duty.  Upon moving to Washington, Brett transferred to H&S Co. 4th LSB out of Ft. Lewis.  He deployed to Latvia with his battalion in 2010, Kuwait (from 2011-2012) and Afghanistan (from 2012-2013) as an individual augment with MARCENT.   Webinar Recording and Slides   Safer Homes, Safer Communities: Firearms, safety, and culture Recording Safer Homes, Safer Communities: Firearms, safety, and culture Slides (PDF)     Additional Resource   PSA- Suicide Prevention Collaborative of El Paso County Safer Homes Suicide Aware Website     Questions? Contact Clarissa Lam Yuen ([email protected]) if you have additional questions about the content related to this webinar.

Supplemental Resources: Prevention Definitions and Strategies Working Cross Sector Social Entrepreneurship Assessment Tool   This training summarized ways to strengthen the consolidated work of prevention and recovery in communities. The training guided prevention professionals and coalition leaders through a model for making change and helping heal and protects the community from addiction. The process uses the Strategic Prevention Framework as the foundation to develop strategies for the community that prevents substance use and strengthen community recovery capital that directly affects young people. The approach uses an asset-based; evidence-informed process. Learning Objectives: Understand the opportunities and challenges associated with cross sector collaboration Gain understanding and tools to maximize collaboration with continuum partners (Prevention, Harm Reduction, Intervention, Treatment and Recovery – PHITR) Gain understanding and tools to measure collaboration success   About the Presenter: Carl Alves  President/CEO of Positive Action Against Chemical Addiction, Inc. (PAACA) in New Bedford, MA, where he directs a multi-service recovery support center, and citywide coalition whose mission is to improve the quality of life in New Bedford through substance abuse prevention and treatment strategies. He also provides technical assistance to a host of coalitions and faith-based communities statewide and nationally with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Technical Assistance Partnership for Prevention and SheRay’s & Associates, LLC. Carl is a veteran of substance use prevention, harm-reduction, treatment, and recovery. As director of a grassroots non-profit for 25+ years, he understands the challenges and importance of sustaining outcomes, relationships, and funding beyond the life of a grant. His workshops are engaging, interactive and informative with a focus on creating partnerships that strengthen mission. He is active on many boards and committees in the New Bedford area working in the substance abuse and human services fields. Carl joins SheRay’s & Associates, LLC being committed to strengthening access to substance abuse prevention services, expanding youth development opportunities and faith-based involvement throughout the country since 1992. 

Supplemental Resources: Presentation Slides   This webinar discussed the different strategies that can be implemented within neighborhood pharmacies, ways in which prevention providers can support their neighborhood pharmacies in implementing prevention efforts and ensuring that services are responsive to community members.  Learning Objectives: Describe strategies that can be implemented by neighborhood pharmacies to prevent opioid use harms. Build partnerships with community pharmacies.  Integrate opioid prevention strategies within neighborhood pharmacies through collaborative partnerships. Assess community members’ barriers and facilitators to accessing these services at their neighborhood pharmacies.    About the Presenters: Kathleen Egan, PhD, MS is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Education and Promotion at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. Dr. Egan completed a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Florida Substance Abuse Training Center in Public Health. She earned her PhD in Community Health Education from University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a MS in Clinical and Translational Population Science from Wake Forest School of Medicine. Dr. Egan's work involves the development and assessment of substance use prevention strategies that are implemented in community, medical, and academic settings. Her work is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and North Carolina Division of Health and Human Services. Tamera Hughes, PharmD, PhD is a postdoctoral research fellow at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.  Her work seeks to address healthcare disparities affecting systemically minoritized and marginalized communities in pharmacy practice. She is motivated by more than ten years of experience in various scholarly endeavors that began while serving as an undergraduate researcher in the Jackson Heart Study. This experience led Dr. Hughes to pursue a dual Pharm.D/Ph.D at Mercer University College of Pharmacy. As a postdoc at UNC, Dr. Hughes works on a CDC-funded grant that integrates pharmacists into a new collaborative care model to deprescribe opioids and benzodiazepines in older adults. Dr. Hughes is completing a 2-year fellowship in the Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity where she intends to establish her independence in pharmaceutical health services research by contributing new knowledge that improves health care access, delivery, utilization, and quality in the community pharmacy setting.

  Description: This interactive discussion explored how coalitions should be structured so that they are better poised for policy work. We asked participants to consider how the prevention work they are doing now is amenable to future policy efforts. The session explored the importance of policy identification based on community need and of coalition readiness to engage in a policy campaign. The discussion closed with an overview of our 10-step policy adoption model. In preparation for this session, participants were asked to register for, and complete, the brief online course, “An Introduction to the Power of Policy Change,” found at healtheknowledge.org. Learning Objectives: Identify coalition strengths and challenges related to policy development and adoption Understand the process to ensure the policy selection addresses a local condition Learn the ten steps of the Policy Adoption Model Access additional resources to support their policy work   About the Presenters Kristin Kidd is a technical assistance provider for the Southeast Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC)at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Kristin manages the Center’s training delivery and policy technical assistance. She has developed and delivered trainings focused on the policy process across the country. Kristin is also Principle Investigator for the North Carolina Behavioral Health Equity Initiative that collaborates with community agencies to reduce health disparities and promote equity. Prior to joining the Southeast PTTC, Kristin led the Tobacco Control Training and Technical Assistant Team at the Colorado School of Public Health. Her team provided statewide advocacy and policy guidance to local health agencies focused on eliminating tobacco disparities. Michael Sparks is an Alcohol Policy Specialist and the President of SparksInitiatives. His primary interest is working with communities to use policy to reduce alcohol-related problems. Michael currently serves as a consultant and trainer to communities across the country and is a trainer for Community Anti-drug Coalitions of America. He also works in a consulting role with Wake Forest University and Johns Hopkins University on alcohol policy issues. He has expertise in the alcohol policy field as well as in the areas of community building, using local control strategies to manage problematic alcohol and drug environments, the legislative process, and neighborhood revitalization.

  Presented by: Dr. Peter Gamache Description: June is Pride Month. The month recognizes the sweeping impact that LGBTQ+ individuals, advocates and their allies have had on history in the United States. The Southeast PTTC honors Pride Month with this important webinar focused on health disparities experienced by LGBTQQI2-S youth and adults. This session will focus on preventing and addressing behavioral health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, and two-spirit (LGBTQI2-S) youth and adult populations in southeast (HHS Region 4) communities (KY, TN, NC, SC, MS, AL, GA, FL). Learning Objectives: This session discussed the need and rationale to address Social Determinants of Health and changing demographic trends. This session discussed key advantages for implementing this approach. This session discussed practical examples of how organizations can develop inclusive policies and procedures.   About the Presenter Dr. Peter Gamache Dr. Gamache is an interdisciplinary program evaluator for initiatives that focus on underserved populations with behavioral health, primary care, and social support needs. He has also served on national workgroups for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, reviews federal funding applications, and provides technical assistance and capacity building on Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), federal policy modeling, fidelity to evidence-based service models, and disparities and outcomes reporting.

    Presented by: Nicole Augustine, Founder and CEO of RIZE Consultants, LLC Description: The prevention field is an often unrecognized and undervalued part of our approach to health and wellness. We are a reactionary society that focuses most of our efforts on responding to illness through the strategy of treatment. As a result of this focus, the field of prevention has lagged behind our colleagues in treatment, while also consistently receiving the smallest distribution of financial support. Learning Objectives: After participating in this training, participants will be able to: Articulate the value of the Prevention Specialist credential Name the six Prevention Specialist performance domains Understand the typical process for acquiring the credential   About the Presenter Nicole M. Augustine, Founder & CEO of RIZE Consultants, LLC Nicole M Augustine is the Founder & CEO RIZE Consultants, LLC, a strategic consulting firm founded in January 2015. Nicole is an entrepreneur, public health professional and social justice advocate. Her journey in public health began at Cornell University when after graduating she worked for three years as a BASICS counselor for Cornell's campus harm reduction initiative.  From there, Nicole transitioned into the George Washington University School of Public Health before experiencing a rapid career progression from providing prevention education to providing training and technical assistance to communities, professionals and state agencies.Nicole has served as the Project Coordinator for the Southeast PTTC, the Project Director of the NC Behavioral Health Equity Initiative, and the Prevention Director for the Addiction Professionals of NC. Nicole currently serves as an Advanced Implementation Specialist with the Opioid Response Network.This network is building trust across justice, corrections and medical systems to address the opioid and stimulants crisis.

  Supplemental Resources: Tackling America’s Opioid Epidemic from the Ground Up (Urban Trends Newsletter Vol. 25 No. 1) Effectively Engaging Men and Fathers to Support the Health and Wellness of Their Families (Urban Trends Newsletter Vol. 25 No. 2) Community Engagement 101 (Urban Trends Newsletter Vol. 26 No.1)   Presented by: Ivan Juzang, MBA, Founder and President of MEE Productions Inc. Description: This Community Engagement Training will provide a deeper understanding of the importance of community mobilization and how community engagement strategies create wins for both the community and your organization. That “win-win” is what leads to stronger, more vibrant and resilient communities. Learning Objectives: Many agencies and organizations are struggling to engage members of affected communities. Participants in this Community Engagement Training will: Understand how to adapt the Strategic Prevention Framework to engage communities (particularly with oral-based cultures) who have been mistreated by the systems and institutions that are supposed to serve and assist them. Learn why having authentic, on-the-ground community engagement in a public health or mental health professional’s “toolbox” counters a lack of trust in mainstream institutions, even though this approach is often ignored because it is perceived as “too hard” to pull off. Learn why using a network of community partners as a message-delivery channel can be both more culturally-relevant and cost-effective than mainstream, traditional media. Learn how to effectively engage and mobilize members of the community for community-wide dialogue by involving numerous access touchpoints. Understand why a combination of digital outreach (high-tech) and on-the-ground, community-based encounters (high-touch) community-based strategies increases both impact and effectiveness of community-engagement efforts for hard-to-reach audiences. Receive an overview of the “how” through culturally-relevant community outreach and mobilization strategies and tactics.   About the Presenter Ivan Juzang, MBA, Founder and President of MEE Productions Inc. Ivan Juzang, MBA, Founder and President of MEE Productions Inc., is a leading expert in health communications and social marketing. He has over 25 years of first-hand experience working on health disparities and public health issues affecting low income, underserved and devalued communities across America. Mr. Juzang’s work focuses on how service providers, community-based organizations and the public health community can present trauma-informed and culturally-relevant health information in such a way that lifestyle changes are sustainable in the context of an economically-challenged and stressed-out life. MEE specializes in community-centered approaches that acknowledge the social determinants of health, honor personal assets and resiliency, infuse protective factors and embrace trauma-informed strategies. MEE has been engaged in substance abuse prevention work since 1991 in low-income urban communities across the country. Its specific opioid misuse work has been conducted in urban, suburban and rural communities over the last five years, in places that include Philadelphia, Baltimore and New Orleans, with Prevention Coalitions across Ohio and statewide agencies in Louisiana. Mr. Juzang was a member of the Advisory Committee on Public Issues for The Ad Council and a current board member of Power to Decide (formerly the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy). From 2003-2009, Mr. Juzang was a member of The Office of National Drug Control and Policy's Behavior Change Expert Panel. Mr. Juzang received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University, and his MBA from The Wharton School of Business.

Ver esta página en Portugués View this page in English   El Aire es una medicina gráfica En creada para fomentar las conversaciones con y entre los jóvenes sobre el vapeo, las opciones sobre el uso de sustancias y los factores sociales. Esta historia al estilo de una novela gráfica de cinco adolescentes que van a la escuela secundaria incorpora la ciencia del comportamiento de la prevención del abuso de sustancias con las historias, el interés y las ideas de los miembros de los Embajadores Juveniles de Rhode Island sin tabaco. La novela tiene preguntas para ayudar a guiar la discusión, una base de investigación sólida y raíces en factores de riesgo y protección.   Obtenga una vista previa de las primeras 15 páginas Vista previa (en inglés) Vista previa (en portugués) Vista previa (en español)   En el formulario de solicitud de versión completa de En El Aire Graphic Medicine.* El PTTC de Nueva Inglaterra solo puede enviar copias en papel a quienes trabajan o viven en la Región 1 del HHS (ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, RI). Si solicita una copia desde fuera de la Región 1 del HHS, nos complace enviarle una copia electrónica (formato PDF) para descargar. Complete el formulario de solicitud de medicina gráfica en el aire.   Para Facilitadores En el aire, Guía de implementación de medicina gráfica: un facilitador que implemente En el aire como plan de estudios debe tener capacitación para fomentar la conversación sobre el contenido de la historia. La historia está diseñada para ofrecer muchas incursiones de conversación, algunas más sutiles que otras, sobre una variedad de temas, incluido el abuso de sustancias, el noviazgo y la violencia en el noviazgo, el cambio, el duelo, la pubertad, la toma de decisiones, las presiones sociales, la elección y las consecuencias, los valores familiares. , y más.   Descargue la Guía de implementación para facilitadores. Descarga la Guía (a todo color) Descargar la Guía (escala de grises)   ¿Preguntas? Comuníquese con Sarah Johnson, Coordinadora del Proyecto de Capacitación, PTTC de Nueva Inglaterra: [email protected]   Acerca de este recurso: Este recurso se desarrolló para abordar una necesidad identificada en la Región 1 del HHS (ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, RI) para proporcionar una herramienta para la prevención del abuso de sustancias, específicamente para la prevención del vapeo que los jóvenes (medios y altos escuela), especialistas en prevención que trabajan con jóvenes, maestros de salud / bienestar en la escuela media y secundaria, líderes de grupos de jóvenes y más podrían usar para hablar sobre la prevención del vapeo.

Ver esta página en Español View this page in English   No ar é uma romance de medicina gráfica para encorajar conversas entre jovens sobre o uso do vape, escolhas sobre o uso de substâncias e fatores sociais. Esta história em estilo de romance gráfico de cinco adolescentes indo para o ensino médio incorpora a ciência comportamental da prevenção do uso indevido de substâncias com as histórias, interesses e ideias dos membros dos Jovens Embaixadores do Tabaco Livre de Rhode Island. O romance tem perguntas para ajudar a orientar a discussão, uma forte base de pesquisa e raízes em fatores de risco e proteção.   Visualize as primeiras 15 páginas. Antevisão (em Inglês) Antevisão (em português) Antevisão (em espanhol)   Formulário de solicitação de versão completa do No ar romance de medicina gráfica. * cópia em papel ou cópia eletrônica (formato PDF) para download * O New England PTTC só pode enviar cópias impressas para aqueles que trabalham / moram na Região 1 do HHS (ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, RI). Se você estiver solicitando uma cópia de fora da Região 1 do HHS, teremos o prazer de enviar uma cópia eletrônica (formato PDF) para download. Por favor, preencha o No ar, romance de medicina gráficaformulário de solicitação.   Guia de implementação do facilitador em breve!   Perguntas? Entre em contato com Sarah Johnson, Coordenadora do Projeto de Treinamento, New England PTTC: [email protected]   Sobre este recurso: Este recurso foi desenvolvido para atender a uma necessidade identificada no HHS Região 1 (ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, RI) de fornecer uma ferramenta para a prevenção do uso indevido de substâncias, especificamente para a prevenção de vapores que jovens (médio e alto) escola), especialistas em prevenção que trabalham com jovens, professores de saúde / bem-estar no ensino fundamental e médio, líderes de grupos de jovens e outros podem usar para falar sobre prevenção de vaporização.

Stigma disproportionately influences health outcomes and mental well-being for individuals with substance use disorder. Fear of being judged and/or discriminated against can prevent people from getting the help they need. According to results from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 20.5% of people with substance use disorder do not seek treatment because of negative consequences associated with their work; 17% do not seek treatment for fear of negative judgements by friends or community. It can also prevent caregivers and others from providing needed services, including medical care. To decrease the impact of stigma, the Region 5 Great Lakes PTTC offered a Community of Practice to provide rural communities in Region 5 an opportunity to learn from one another and to foster the implementation of anti-stigma initiatives. The goal was to promote the use of evidence-based strategies for the prevention and reduction of stigma and provide an opportunity for group problem solving.   This report shares the lesson learned in the Community of Practice. 

Ver esta página en Portugués Ver esta página en Español   In the Air is a graphic medicine built to foster conversations with and among young people around vaping, choices about substance use, and social factors. This graphic novel-styled story of five teens going through high school incorporates behavioral science of substance misuse prevention with the stories, interests, and ideas of members of the Tobacco Free Rhode Island Youth Ambassadors. The novel has questions to help guide the discussion, a strong research base, and roots in risk and protective factors.    Preview and download (PDF) of the first 15 pages.  Preview (in English) Preview (in Portuguese) Preview (in Spanish)   In the Air Graphic Medicine request form, click here to request the full version; *printed copy or electronic copy (PDF format) to download.*The New England PTTC is only able to mail printed copies to those working/living in HHS Region 1 (ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, RI). If you’re requesting a copy from outside of HHS Region 1, we're happy to send you an electronic copy (PDF format) to download. Please complete the In the Air, Graphic Medicine Request Form.   For Facilitators In the Air, Graphic Medicine Implementation Guide - A facilitator who implements In the Air as a curriculum should have training on fostering conversation around the content of the story. The story is designed to offer many inroads of conversation, some more subtle than others, over a variety of topics, including substance misuse, dating and dating violence, change, grief, puberty, decision making, social pressures, choice and consequences, family values, and more.   Download the Facilitators Implementation Guide. Download the Guide (full color) Download the Guide (grayscale)   Facilitator Training If you're planning to facilitate conversations using the New England PTTC Vaping Prevention Graphic Medicine In the Air, join us to learn how to use the new materials and the tool together to get the most out of your session. View the recorded webinar.   Questions? Contact Sarah Johnson, Training Project Coordinator, New England PTTC: [email protected]     About this resource: This resource was developed to address a need identified in HHS Region 1 (ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, RI) to provide a tool for substance misuse prevention, specifically for vaping prevention that young people (middle and high school), prevention specialists who work with young people, health/wellness teachers in middle and high school, youth group leaders, and more could use to talk about vaping prevention.

A downloadable one-page (PDF document) that highlights tips to help you adapt your prevention practices during the pandemic.   This handout was created using responses collected during the New England PTTC Prevention in Action Webinar, "Adapting Prevention Programs to COVID-19". The webinar is available on-demand on our YouTube Channel.

Click "download" above to access: Slide Decks & Transcript     This 60-minute webinar will highlight overdose disparities in rural and urban populations, with an emphasis on the unique challenges associated with engaging diverse populations in these settings.  Presenters from Illinois and Michigan will share data on disparities in their respective states, along with examples of strategies being implemented to engage disparate populations in overdose prevention. This webinar is the second in a series that highlights overdose prevention efforts in HHS Region 5.     Learning Objectives Highlight urban–rural differences in drug overdose death rates by sex, age group, and the type of drugs involved. Review challenges associated with engaging urban-rural at-risk populations Present current strategies being employed in Illinois and Michigan to address overdose disparities through harm reduction   Speakers Chuck Klevgaard, BSW Prevention Specialist  Great Lakes PTTC Chuck Klevgaard delivers training and technical assistance to support substance misuse prevention throughout the Midwest. He has supported communities and health agencies as they adopt evidence-based alcohol, opioid, and other substance misuse programs or policies. Chuck also serves as a prevention manager to the Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center. Chuck delivers training and technical assistance to support substance misuse prevention throughout the Midwest. He has supported communities and health agencies as they adopt evidence-based alcohol, opioid, and other substance misuse programs or policies. He also serves as a prevention manager to the Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center. Chuck earned his BSW from Minnesota State University Moorhead. He is a Certified Senior Prevention Specialist through the Illinois Certification Board, Inc.   Brandon Hool, BS Harm Reduction Analyst  Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Viral Hepatitis Unit   Brandon Hool is a Harm Reduction Analyst with MDHHS, where he works with communities across the state of Michigan to increase the availability of, and access to, syringe service programs (SSPs). Expanding these programs is one of the 6 pillars of Michigan’s Opioid Response Strategy. SSPs are also heavily entwined with the state’s overdose prevention efforts. From October, 2019 – September, 2020, these programs distributed over 29,000 Naloxone kits resulting in over 1,600 reported overdose reversals.  Prior to working with MDHHS, Brandon was with The Grand Rapids Red Project as manager of their recovery programs. These programs were focused on improving health among people who used drugs and included syringe access, overdose prevention and response, hepatitis C screening and recovery coaching.  Brandon earned a bachelor’s degree in community development from Central Michigan University in 2018.  He also has a robust history of personal drug use experience and has been able to draw on this resource to guide him professionally.   James Kowalsky Bureau of Prevention Services Illinois Department of Health Services/SUPR/Bureau of Prevention Services James Kowalsky is the Project Director for a SAMHSA-funded grant to prevent prescription drug and opioid overdose deaths at the Illinois Department of Human Services, in the Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery. He serves as the Drug Overdose Prevention Program Coordinator and provides support to Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND) providers throughout the state of Illinois.      

The purpose of this document is to provide the prevention workforce in Federal Region 10 states (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington) with information that supports the following: Prevention of youth cannabis use Prevention of adult cannabis misuse (heavy use and/or risky behaviors)   The information in this tool is intended to support capacity development specifically within the prevention workforce by increasing understanding of cannabis regulatory frameworks and policies that can affect prevention of youth cannabis use and harms. This includes by answering questions that Region 10’s prevention workforce may have:   What is cannabis regulation? This report provides information so stakeholders understand who makes policies and what kinds of policies are included in each of the four Region 10 states.   Why are specific policies important for prevention? Key components of cannabis regulatory frameworks, and how each is relevant to prevention, are discussed. Because cannabis regulation is so new, some of what we think is important for prevention is related to research about regulations for tobacco and alcohol.   What is in place in my community right now, and is it good enough? This section describes the current status of each state’s prevention-related cannabis regulations as of June 30, 2020.  Important considerations in assessing regulatory content and advocating for prevention-supportive approaches include how regulations affect vulnerable populations and the potential for unintended consequences. Notably, some local areas (cities, counties, boroughs, or villages) have already passed additional regulations; these are not included in the scope of the report, however, understanding specific state regulations, including what additional regulation is allowed locally, is a starting point for assessing the status in any specific community.   What other options exist? The existing regulations in other states may offer ideas about what is possible to strengthen cannabis regulations. This report also discusses potential policies from research on tobacco and alcohol.   What comes next? Within the discussion about regulatory areas, emerging regulatory issues are also identified. These are topics that community advocates may want to anticipate and become prepared to address, whether they are intended to strengthen or weaken regulations.   View the other resources available in this toolkit.

Toolkit for Parks and Recreation Departments: Preventing Youth Substance Use and Addressing Substance Misuse   Substance use disorders are a community problem that require a community response. While it will take many sectors of the community to solve this problem, Parks and Recreation Departments (referred to as P&R Depts in this document) have a unique role to play in preventing substance use disorders and in addressing substance misuse in New England communities. Many P&R Depts offer before and afterschool childcare, summer, and sports programming for young people, and play a large role in building healthy communities through the oversite of parks and playgrounds and holding public events. This toolkit offers P&R Depts some guidance and resources for implementing research-based strategies to help prevent youth substance use and address substance misuse. 

  Supplemental webinar resources: Webinar presentation MEE Productions Newsletter: Engaging and Mobilizing the Grassroots Community - How to Work with CBOs MEE Productions Newsletter: Tackling America’s Opioid Epidemic from the Ground Up MEE Productions Newsletter: Effectively Engaging Men and Fathers to Support the Health and Wellness of Their Families MEE Productions Newsletter: Community Engagement 101 Infographic: The Win-Win of Community Engagement Infographic: Framing of Opioid Misuse   Presented by: Ivan J. Juzang, MBA, Founder and President of MEE Productions Inc. Description: Many agencies and organizations are struggling to engage members of affected communities with opioid prevention, recovery and treatment messaging, due to stigma related to addiction, ineffective outreach and engagement strategies, low levels of trust in government institutions and other challenges. During this webinar, MEE will share how Coalitions or Collaborations in any size community can enhance their outreach, engagement and prevention efforts, with a focus on hard-to-reach audiences. These strategies and tactics will help them grow their presence in both digital (online) and grassroots (off-line) spheres to educate communities and to mobilize partners and stakeholders, increasing both impact and effectiveness of their opioid prevention and reduction efforts. Learning Objectives: 1. Participants will understand MEE's Adaptation of the SPF Model (By-and-For Processes) to engage communities from oral-based cultures 2. Participants will understand why a mix of strategies results in the Most Effective Community Engagement Efforts 3. Participants will learn How to Use Community-Engagement Tactics in their Substance Misuse Prevention Work to Counter a Lack of Trust About Ivan J. Juzang, MBA Ivan Juzang, MBA, Founder and President of MEE Productions Inc., is a leading expert in health communications and social marketing. He has over 25 years of first-hand experience working on health disparities and public health issues affecting low income, underserved and devalued communities across America. Mr. Juzang’s work focuses on how service providers, community-based organizations and the public health community can present trauma-informed and culturally-relevant health information in such a way that lifestyle changes are sustainable in the context of an economically-challenged and stressed-out life. MEE specializes in community-centered approaches that acknowledge the social determinants of health, honor personal assets and resiliency, infuse protective factors and embrace trauma-informed strategies. MEE has been engaged in substance abuse prevention work since 1991 in low-income urban communities across the country. Its specific opioid misuse work has been conducted in urban, suburban and rural communities over the last five years, in places that include Philadelphia, Baltimore and New Orleans, with Prevention Coalitions across Ohio and statewide agencies in Louisiana. Mr. Juzang was a member of the Advisory Committee on Public Issues for The Ad Council and a current board member of Power to Decide (formerly the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy). From 2003-2009, Mr. Juzang was a member of The Office of National Drug Control and Policy's Behavior Change Expert Panel. Mr. Juzang received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University, and his MBA from The Wharton School of Business.  

Today we will be talking with Lisse Regehr. Lisse is the President and CEO of Thrive Allen County. She oversees Thrive’s efforts to build a statewide rural health advocacy network in Kansas and coordinates engagement with state and local policymakers. And just a little bit about Thrive Allen County. They are the largest and most prominent rural health advocacy organization in Kansas. They work relentlessly to make Allen County the healthiest rural community in the state. In 2017, Thrive’s vision was recognized nationally, as Allen County won the prestigious Culture of Health Prize from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, for pursuing innovative ideas and bringing partners together to rally around a shared vision of health. The things that Thrive has put into motion have laid the foundation for a sustainable Culture of Health in Allen County.   Visit: http://thriveallencounty.org/ for more info.

The November 2019 Dialogue, features articles on: Addiction: National Rural Health Day | Mental Health: School Mental Health | Prevention: Engaging Primary Care Providers | ORN: Adolescent Prevention | FindTreatment.gov.  Additional sections include upcoming training and webinar events, behavioral health observances, new resources, Region 3 news, and New Resources. The Dialogue is designed to inform behavioral and mental health professionals of news and upcoming events in the Central East states. This electronic newsletter is disseminated on the first Tuesday of each month. You are encouraged to provide us with any feedback or submit articles and topics for discussion in future issues of the newsletter. If you would like to be added to our mailing list to receive the Dialogue, news, and training announcements, sign up here.