Products and Resources Catalog

"What's Peers Got to Do With It?" Part 2 Demetrie Garner, CPRS, and Lisa Connors, LCPC, NCC, MAC, ABD December 15, 2022, 2:00pm-3:30pm EST COURSE DESCRIPTION In the effort to combat the substance use epidemic, partnerships are vital to changing the tide of the loss of life to active use. We will unpack the benefits of community’s ties and their utilization to benefit peers in their respective roles. As we dive into partnerships, we must ask certain questions. How do we partner together to help individuals with substance use disorders? What will that look like in the community? How do we step out of our silos and embrace the collectiveness of service to individuals with substance use disorders? This webinar explores collaborations between peers, supervisors, agencies, institutions, organizations, and communities, how to develop those collaborations and partnerships, and how to collaborate on serving an individual with a substance use disorder effectively. We will also review some case scenarios. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Explore partnerships with peers and how barriers can prevent communities from access. Describe how communication and relationships are vital components in recovery. Determine how to incorporate peers into agencies' and organizations' workflow. Identify barriers within partnerships that may delay treatment and prevention outcomes. PRESENTERS Demetrie Garner, CPRS, as a Peer Recovery Specialist, has been presented with the unique opportunity of working in the largest Emergency Department in the state of Maryland. This has given him the vantage point to encounter minority disparities. A lack of health communication targeted to African-Americans and other minorities help further this disparity. As a Peer Recovery Specialist, the visible cracks of systemic inadequacies in health care and its access garners attention and policy changes in patients with substance use disorders. Having the experience in active addiction abusing opiates, cocaine, and alcohol for 26 years with countless relapses fostered the experience needed to help others in active addiction. Finding recovery over the last 2 and 1/2 years while working in the recovery field has given Demetrie a unique perspective in recidivism and retention throughout the process of recovery. With the help of the God of his understanding (Jesus Christ), Narcotics Anonymous, and healthy relationships, the pathway of a daily reprieve from active addiction is now possible. Continuous work through pastoral licensed counseling has unlocked the acceptance of childhood molestation and recovery from trauma. After 21 years since Demetrie decided to drop out of high school in the 11th grade, education seemed to become more important to obtain. If he wants to help individuals who look like himself and suffer from trauma and active addiction, then higher education has to be pursued. While at the University of Maryland at Baltimore County, currently a sophomore, Demetrie’s interest in studies is in the social science of public health. Future involvement with research is being pursued with patients that have wait times in emergency rooms with substance use disorders. Previous research this past semester has examined minorities  hesitancy to receive Covid vaccinations. Demetrie is currently a Pre-McNair Scholar with ambitions to attend UMBC School of Public Policy M.P.P Program Spring of 2022. Lisa Connors, LCPC, NCC, MAC, ABD is an Associate Pastor at In His Image International Ministry, Inc. She is a Licensed Bachelor Social Worker, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, Board-Certified Coach, Master Addiction Counselor, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and Certified Grief Counseling Specialist. Ms. Connors is Certified in Thanatology [the study of death, dying, and bereavement]. She has been in the human services/social work/counseling fields for 30 years and has worked in a variety of settings providing services to the despondent and downtrodden. Ms. Connors works tirelessly to help others reach their fullest potential in life, supporting and empowering those who have been oppressed, stigmatized, marginalized, and victimized. Her greatest passion is working with, serving, and providing training related to individuals affected by HIV/AIDS, substance use and mental health disorders, violence/abuse/trauma, grief and loss, racial and social injustices. Ms. Connors is a mental health therapist providing services to individuals who have co-occurring issues. In addition to her pastoral and clinical work, Ms. Connors is a college professor. She has taught at the University of Maryland and is currently teaching at Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland. Like many women of color, Ms. Connors has experienced various forms of oppression. Ms. Connors earned her Bachelor of Social Work, Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Professional Counseling degrees, respectively, and is a Doctoral Candidate completing her Ph.D. in Psychology.  

Learn about the six new research-based tools and resources created for the New England substance misuse prevention workforce to support their work in the Changing Landscape of Cannabis, with a focus on the IC & RC Prevention Domains. Resources include: A Practical guide to introduce and assist preventionists on how to leverage social media as an environmental change strategy for cannabis prevention and adoption of health-promoting norms in school and community settings   A thought piece that applies lessons learned from underage drinking and tobacco use prevention programs to the evolving landscape of cannabis use this paper takes a restorative approach and provide recommendations to communities based on the successes and shortcomings of these programs. A presentation/ToolKit municipalities can use to learn about the implications of allowing retail cannabis businesses to operate in their community the tool kit will cover a variety of data-driven considerations communities may want to review and discuss prior to making any decisions. A communication frame that will compassionately educate parents caregivers and youth on the potential harms of cannabis use on young brains while reducing stigma. A new and improved multipronged cannabis prevention education tool to be used in an alternative to suspension programs the tool could be a standalone product for other school districts and community coalitions to use as an alternative to suspension program. A tool kit that prevention professionals and communities working on cannabis-related policy improvement can use to help support prevention and public health at a community level.   Link to view the recorded webinar (recorded on November 9, 2022). No continuing education is available. 

   2022 RESEARCH & DESIGN (RAD) PRODUCTS: New research-based substance misuse prevention tools supporting the Changing Landscape of Cannabis with a Focus on the IC&RC Prevention Domains. Prevention Product Development for the New England Region. Link to view the recorded webinar (recorded on November 9, 2022).    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. READ MORE AND DOWNLOAD.     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! READ MORE AND DOWNLOAD.     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. READ MORE AND DOWNLOAD.     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. READ MORE AND DOWNLOAD.     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. READ MORE AND DOWNLOAD.       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. READ MORE AND DOWNLOAD.       View the 2021 products.

Coalition Affinity Group Booster 6-Part Video Series Using the Six Elements of Effective Coalitions framework, developed by the Community Coalitions and Collaborators PTTC working group, this video series outlines each of the six elements discussed in the Six Elements of Effective Coalitions Resource Toolkit. The six elements work together to support a coalition’s capacity to achieve desired outcomes in a community. Every other month, beginning in May and ending in December, you will be able to access a new video on strategies to develop the 6 elements of effective coalitions. This series serves as a follow-up to the Prevention Coalition Affinity Group Series. As the strategies to rejuvenate your coalition evolves, these videos may give you and your coalition concrete practices that will increase prevention outcomes. In this first 10-minute video, Strategies to Develop Diverse Stakeholders, we explore strategies to build coalitions with diverse stakeholders. In this second recording, Opportunities for Participation, we will discuss how to encourage active participation amongst coalition members. In the third video, What is Coalition Efficiency, we will outline strategies for developing coalition members skills and knowledge. In part four, Coalition Cohesion, Sarah Davis, SSW PTTC consultant will describe three components that foster cohesion in a coalition. In part five, Developing New Skills, Sarah Davis discusses 1)What information do coalition members need to know in order to help the coalition achieve its goals? 2)What do coalition members need to be able to do? 3)What skills do they need in order to be effective? In this last video Goal Directedness, Derrick Newby, SSW PTTC T/TA Specialist and Sarah Davis, SSW PTTC Associate dive into practical steps coalition leaders can take to set their coalitions up for success.  

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. 

The Collaboration Continuum: Connecting Across Fields to Prevent Suicide and Substance Misuse September 15, 2022   Learning Session Overview and Objectives We all know that collaboration and partnerships are the key to success in prevention efforts, including connections between closely related fields such as suicide and substance misuse prevention. This session will provide an overview of a framework for collaboration, the SPRC Collaboration Continuum, which provides tools and resources for prevention programs to strengthen connections and amplify the impact of their collective efforts. After hearing the story of how a regional coalition has engaged community partners in prevention efforts spanning both suicide and substance misuse prevention fields, participants will have the opportunity to examine their own partnership efforts and identify ways they can strengthen collaboration on the ground. By the end of this learning session, participants will be able to: Describe the SPRC Collaboration Continuum and its four levels of collaboration, as well as how to access related tools to strengthen their own collaboration. List new strategies to overcome common barriers to collaboration in their own prevention efforts. Develop a plan for at least one way they can strengthen their own suicide prevention efforts.   Presenter: Ellyson Stout, MS, State and Community Suicide Prevention Lead at EDC, specializes in public health and suicide prevention with diverse populations. In her role directing EDC’s Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) contract, she leads a team working to build suicide prevention capacity and infrastructure nationwide at the state, community, health system, and national levels. Stout has over 20 years of experience in public health, cross-sector collaboration, and health communications, including 15 years working with youth suicide prevention efforts in school, clinical, state and community settings. She has served on numerous expert panels and committees, including most recently the advisory group for the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Implement the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. Elly presents regularly on suicide prevention around the country, and has co-authored articles published in Journal of Primary Prevention and Journal of Rural Mental Health. Elly holds an M.S. in Health Communications from the Tufts University School of Medicine, and a B.S. in International Relations, Law, and Organization from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.     Learning Session Materials Recording for Collaboration Continuum: Connecting Across Fields to Prevent Suicide and Substance Misuse Slide Deck for Collaboration Continuum: Connecting Across Fields to Prevent Suicide and Substance Misuse (PDF)   SPRC Collaboration Continuum SPRC Partnerships & Collaboration SPRC Virtual Learning Lab Community Toolbox section on Multisector Collaboration SAMHSA resource: In Brief: Substance Use and Suicide     Questions? Contact Britany Wiele ([email protected]) if you have additional questions about the content related to this webinar.

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.

Recording: Girls and Women: Substance Misuse Trends and Prevention Strategies   Data now show that girls and young women, ages 12 to 20, are drinking more alcohol than their male counterparts. There are some key considerations that prevention specialists should know as they design strategies to curb harmful drinking behaviors among girls, such as the association between underage drinking and mental health conditions including depression and anxiety. This webinar highlights strategies for coupling prevention approaches with mental health support.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Identify trends in misuse among women including related consequences Describe factors that place women at risk for harmful consequences List prevention strategies shown to be effective with this population   PRESENTERS:  Erin Ficker, MPAff, CSPS Erin serves as a prevention manager for the Great Lakes PTTC. For more than 14 years, Erin has worked in substance abuse prevention supporting communities to use evidence-based strategies and data-driven processes in substance abuse prevention planning and implementation.  She works with community level prevention practitioners and schools in the development, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of prevention interventions.   Stephanie Asteriadis Pyle, PhD, CPS  Stephanie Asteriadis Pyle, PhD, CPS, Emeritus is a former Project Manager for the Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies (CASAT).  Dr. Asteriadis Pyle established Nevada’s first substance use disorder library and clearinghouse at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) campus and during her tenure at UNR/CASAT served as the C0-I or PI for 36 grants and contracts for substance use prevention for students at UNR and Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) and problem gambling prevention for aging populations in Nevada. Dr. Asteriadis Pyle most recently managed and wrote for the CASAT OnDemand website and blog for five years, synthesizing research for professionals in SUD prevention, treatment, and recovery and related behavioral health fields. She continues to teach CAS 255, an introductory course in substance misuse prevention she has taught face to face or online since 2007

Webinar Description This interactive webinar explored key communications strategies for prevention coalition members to effectively communicate the importance of substance misuse prevention efforts as well as engage new partners and community members. During this session, participants reviewed the relationship between trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) with increased risk for future substance misuse. A good opportunity to retool your experience with familiar strategies to develop compelling messages that include practices incorporating equity and trauma-informed language and practices. The Presenters Ivy Jones-Turner – Is a training and technical assistance specialist with Education Development Center. For over 20 years, Ivy has provided organizational capacity assistance on health promotion and prevention in substance abuse, suicide, violence, injury, and mental health with nonprofit and community-based organizations, state and faith-based agencies, and school districts. Her capacity building skills include program evaluation, training and technical assistance in program design and implementation, organizational development, partnerships/collaborations, and sustainability. Ms. Jones-Turner is a Certified Prevention Specialist and holds an MPA from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Jessica Goldberg - Is a training and technical assistance specialist with Education Development Center. For over a decade, Jess has specialized in building capacity to improve behavioral health at the national, state, regional and local levels. Her areas of expertise include preventing youth substance use; promoting cross-sector collaborations; addressing health disparities; strategic planning, logic model development, and sustainability planning. Jess holds an MSW and MPH from Boston University, and is a Certified Prevention Specialist. Powerpoint

The Ripple Effect July 6, 2022   Webinar Overview and Objectives Identifying the impacts of complex community work is often challenging due to the time lag between the work and the ultimate effect on clients. But what if you could create a map? This webinar will introduce participants to the Ripple Effects Mapping process. It starts with appreciative inquiry interviews in small group settings, before leading a mapping process that involves storytelling in an online group setting. As participants share their experiences with the facilitator, their stories about accomplishments, partnerships, and contributions are virtually mapped on the screen. At the conclusion, participants will have a digital map that contains the learning, actions, and condition changes that happened as a result of a program, workshop series, or event. This webinar will: Introduce members to the benefits of using Ripple Effects Mapping to identify the intended and unintended outcomes. Demonstrate how it captures the impacts of complex or evolving work. Show how it is useful when outcomes are difficult to conceptualize and measure with other methods.    Presenters Debra Hansen, M.Ed., is a professor and county Extension Director with Washington State University, focusing on community and economic development in rural Stevens County. Debra was one of the original architects of Ripple Effects Mapping, developed in 2008 to discover poverty reduction outcomes in individual communities that participated in the Washington’s Horizons Program. She continues to map programs and train others to use this engaging tool. Hansen has a master’s degree in Adult Education from Penn State.             Rebecca Sero, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Methodologist at GAO, where she works with engagement teams to help select and implement methodologies that will effectively evaluate and analyze data in order to answer proposed research questions. Rebecca also helps conduct and train on “in-depth” Ripple Effects Mapping and is most often engaged with determining how to best analyze the rich data that is produced from REM evaluations. She received a Ph.D. in Human Development from Purdue University and a M.S. in Family Studies from Miami University.              Webinar Materials Webinar Recording Webinar Slide-deck   Questions? Contact Britany Wiele ([email protected]) if you have additional questions about the content related to this webinar.

Webinar Description  Many of us come to substance misuse prevention already possessing the soft, or “human” skills needed to successfully build relationships with key stakeholders in our communities, and we certainly have the opportunity to develop and strengthen those skills on our professional journeys in the field. But, if it is that easy, why doesn’t every prevention coalition have full representation from the various sectors and cultural group members in our communities? Part of a learning series that went beyond making the case for the importance of collaboration, this session introduced effective negotiation tactics from the business world & beyond that prevention practitioners can incorporate into their partner recruitment efforts to maximize the likelihood of positive responses, as well as how to bring reluctant partners into prevention efforts and provide meaningful opportunities for collaborators to do more than just participate in our work.  The Presenters Ivy Jones-Turner – Is a training and technical assistance specialist with Education Development Center. For over 20 years, Ivy has provided organizational capacity assistance on health promotion and prevention in substance abuse, suicide, violence, injury, and mental health with nonprofit and community-based organizations, state and faith-based agencies, and school districts. Her capacity building skills include program evaluation, training and technical assistance in program design and implementation, organizational development, partnerships/collaborations, and sustainability. Ms. Jones-Turner is a Certified Prevention Specialist and holds an MPA from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Jessica Goldberg - Is a training and technical assistance specialist with Education Development Center. For over a decade, Jess has specialized in building capacity to improve behavioral health at the national, state, regional and local levels. Her areas of expertise include preventing youth substance use; promoting cross-sector collaborations; addressing health disparities; strategic planning, logic model development, and sustainability planning. Jess holds an MSW and MPH from Boston University, and is a Certified Prevention Specialist. Powerpoint

Prevention Meets Harm Reduction: How Community Collaborations Work Across the Continuum Part Two from PTTC Network on Vimeo.   How can prevention coalitions work across the continuum of care to maximize impact and sustain systems-level changes that promote wellness for everyone? This virtual series will provide a framework for understanding harm reduction strategies by sharing the history and pillars of harm reduction as a social movement and examples of various types of harm reduction strategies. Participants will explore how the goals and values of prevention intersect with harm reduction and how we can work together through community collaborations to address overlapping goals. Finally, we will explore how the knowledge brought from those with lived experience can enhance our implementation strategies across the continuum of care.

Webinar Description Many of us come to substance misuse prevention already possessing the soft, or “human” skills needed to successfully build relationships with key stakeholders in our communities, and we certainly have the opportunity to develop and strengthen those skills on our professional journeys in the field. But, if it is that easy, why doesn’t every prevention coalition have full representation from the various sectors and cultural group members in our communities?  Doing the Work Together: Authentic Partner Engagement in Prevention is one of 2 related sessions that addressed going beyond making the case for the importance of collaboration in prevention to unpacking most common challenges.  In this session, we explored what it takes to create meaningful opportunities for shared leadership and decision-making with partners, foster trusting relationships with members of diverse cultural and identity groups in our communities and work collaboratively with key stakeholders to identify and implement community-led solutions to substance misuse-related problems.  – how to bring reluctant partners into prevention efforts and how to provide meaningful opportunities for collaborators to do more than just participate in our work. The Presenters Ivy Jones-Turner – Is a training and technical assistance specialist with Education Development Center. For over 20 years, Ivy has provided organizational capacity assistance on health promotion and prevention in substance abuse, suicide, violence, injury, and mental health with nonprofit and community-based organizations, state and faith-based agencies, and school districts. Her capacity building skills include program evaluation, training and technical assistance in program design and implementation, organizational development, partnerships/collaborations, and sustainability. Ms. Jones-Turner is a Certified Prevention Specialist and holds an MPA from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Jessica Goldberg - Is a training and technical assistance specialist with Education Development Center. For over a decade, Jess has specialized in building capacity to improve behavioral health at the national, state, regional and local levels. Her areas of expertise include preventing youth substance use; promoting cross-sector collaborations; addressing health disparities; strategic planning, logic model development, and sustainability planning. Jess holds an MSW and MPH from Boston University, and is a Certified Prevention Specialist. PowerPoint   

  Prevention Meets Harm Reduction: How Community Collaborations Work Across the Continuum- Part One from PTTC Network on Vimeo. How can prevention coalitions work across the continuum of care to maximize impact and sustain systems-level changes that promote wellness for everyone? This virtual series will provide a framework for understanding harm reduction strategies by sharing the history and pillars of harm reduction as a social movement and examples of various types of harm reduction strategies. Participants will explore how the goals and values of prevention intersect with harm reduction and how we can work together through community collaborations to address overlapping goals. Finally, we will explore how the knowledge brought from those with lived experience can enhance our implementation strategies across the continuum of care.  

  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.

The Great Lakes PTTC created this brief to address a need identified for evidence-based information on how to successfully use naloxone vending machines (NVMs). NVMs are intended to complement, rather than duplicate, existing points of access such as syringe service programs, pharmacies, and mobile outreach units. Important considerations for implementing a NVM include readiness, stakeholder engagement, strategic placement, data collection, promotion, monitoring, and sustainability.   Click the attachment box to the right for Naloxone Vending Machines: Considerations for Implementation brief. 

Prioritizing Equity in Prevention Series Two Years In: Reflections on Best Practices to Promote Mental Health and Prevent Substance Misuse Among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Communities Since COVID-19   May 23, 2022   Learning Session Overview and Objectives Asian Americans (AA) and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) are the least likely ethnic groups in the US to seek behavioral health services. While AA and NHPI communities represent a large number of diverse ethnic groups, they share some cultural factors that can impact how they seek behavioral health services and how they respond to strategies in promoting mental health and preventing substance misuse. This Learning Session will explore best practices and cultural responsiveness in addressing mental health and substance misuse among AA and NHPI communities.    This Learning Session was created in partnership with the Asian & Pacific Islander Caucus for Public Health* (APIC). APIC represents the unique health issues and needs of the multi-lingual, multi-ethnic Asian and Pacific Islander populations. The Caucus has been instrumental in addressing various health equity and social justice issues affecting Asian and Pacific Islander communities, such as improving access to health care, recognizing Asian Americans as under-represented minorities in health research, advocating for immigration reforms and increasing recognition of complementary and alternative medicine among North American physicians, among several other efforts. *APIC operates under cooperative agreement CDC-RFA-IP21-2106 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this program are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC/HHS   Objectives By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to: Identify cultural factors that can act as barriers to seeking behavioral health services Compare strategies that promote mental health and reduce substance misuse among AAs and NHPIs Analyze trends in mental health and substance use among AA and NHPI communities since the onset of COVID-19   Presenter Dr. Marielle A. Reataza, MD, MS serves as the Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse (NAPAFASA), based in Alhambra, California. Dr. Reataza has a broad professional experience as a high school teacher, physician, community advocate, and in health policy and law. Paired with her lived experience as a Filipino-Chinese immigrant, Dr. Reataza strives to amplify the experiences of AA and NHPI communities in advocacy for robust culturally responsive resources, diminished barriers to care, and substance use disorder prevention across AA and NHPI communities       NAPAFASA is a private, non-profit, 501(c)(3) membership organization dedicated to mental health advocacy through research, efforts at public health and policy reform, and community empowerment.         Learning Session Materials Learning Session Recording Learning Session Slide deck   Questions? Contact Britany Wiele ([email protected]) if you have additional questions about the content related to this learning session.

  Webinar Description As anyone who has ever hosted an event for parents and caregivers with low attendance can attest, engaging caregivers in prevention efforts is no easy task. Yet, as prevention practitioners, we know that getting caregivers to the table has a direct impact on the success of our efforts. This two-part virtual learning series will explore the parent/caregiver role in preventing youth substance misuse. Session One (webinar) will delve into the power of parents’ own beliefs in determining whether substance misuse is seen as preventable or inevitable. It will also highlight the many risk and protective factors that parents have the ability to influence in their own homes and in the broader community, and will highlight both evidence-based and promising practices for engaging parents/caregivers in prevention efforts. Session two (peer-sharing call) will lift up voices and examples from our region to share lessons learned from both successful and challenging experiences from bringing parents/caregivers to the prevention table. The Presenters Ivy Jones-Turner – Is a training and technical assistance specialist with Education Development Center. For over 20 years, Ivy has provided organizational capacity assistance on health promotion and prevention in substance abuse, suicide, violence, injury, and mental health with nonprofit and community-based organizations, state and faith-based agencies, and school districts. Her capacity building skills include program evaluation, training and technical assistance in program design and implementation, organizational development, partnerships/collaborations, and sustainability. Ms. Jones-Turner is a Certified Prevention Specialist and holds an MPA from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Jessica Goldberg - Is a training and technical assistance specialist with Education Development Center. For over a decade, Jess has specialized in building capacity to improve behavioral health at the national, state, regional and local levels. Her areas of expertise include preventing youth substance use; promoting cross-sector collaborations; addressing health disparities; strategic planning, logic model development, and sustainability planning. Jess holds an MSW and MPH from Boston University, and is a Certified Prevention Specialist. Powerpoint Transcript  

  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   This event was hosted by the Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center on May 24, 2022.

In this Issue New Video Series for Coalitions: The Six Elements of Effective Coalitions: Strategies to Develop Diverse Stakeholders   Epi Corner: Emerging Trends in Underage Drinking   What's Happening Around the Region?   New Resources Released by CDC Division of Overdose Prevention (DOP)   Awareness Days in May

The implementation process focuses on the development of evidence-based programs that are tailored to communities. We will  begin with a review of each step of the Ethics and Equity Prevention Planning Framework. In the final stage of the recurring Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) cycle, our prevention plans are put into action and decisions become practices.  

    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.