Products and Resources Catalog

  Resource Summary: The Northeast & Caribbean PTTC developed this User Guide for substance misuse prevention professionals working in agencies and coalitions as a set of practical tools to support the implementation of three foundational environmental prevention strategies—policy, enforcement, and media. Working together, these strategies have been shown to be effective in reducing substance misuse by changing the conditions of a community—that it, by creating an environment that makes it easier for individuals to make healthy lifestyle choices. Because effective implementation begins with planning, this resource contains a collection of worksheets, brainstorming questions, and checklists practitioners can use to guide their planning efforts.   Click here to download resource

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.

This document provides a summary of Oregon’s rules and laws to regulate cannabis, and provides the prevention workforce in Oregon with information that supports: Prevention of youth cannabis use Prevention of adult cannabis misuse (heavy use and/or risky behaviors)   The information is organized into six sections. First, a description of the regulatory bodies that create and oversee the regulatory system; then regulatory components organized as “5 Ps for Prevention.” These elements of regulation are most relevant to preventing any cannabis use by youth and unsafe use by adults.   View the other resources available in this toolkit.

Cannabis remains a Schedule I controlled substance in Idaho, consistent with federal law. However, two bordering states have legalized cannabis for adult use. Prevention practitioners in Idaho may wish to become familiar with the context of these neighboring states' regulations in order to inform comprehensive prevention planning. This document provides Idaho's prevention workforce with information that supports: Prevention of youth cannabis use Prevention of adult cannabis misuse (heavy use and/or risky behaviors)   The information is organized into six sections. First, a description of the regulatory bodies that create and oversee the regulatory system; then regulatory components organized as “5 Ps for Prevention.” These elements of regulation are most relevant to preventing any cannabis use by youth and unsafe use by adults.   View the other resources available in this toolkit.

Building Capacity for a Public Health Approach to Prevention Josh Esrick, MPP, and Emily Patton, MSc, PgDip July 16, 2020, 1-2 PM EST COURSE DESCRIPTION Substance misuse and behavioral health overall, are an intrinsic part of public health. Many people with substance use disorders also live with mental health disorders, including serious mental illness, as well as preventable and treatable medical health issues. Often, the same root causes and care disparities are responsible for most or all of these issues. Therefore, substance use preventionists are often trying to reach and serve the same populations and individuals as mental and physical health care professionals. Bringing together these different fields into a comprehensive public health approach can significantly improve overall health and wellness. This webinar provides information on preparing for a public health approach from a substance use prevention perspective. This includes how preventionists can use the Strategic Prevention Framework to support the implementation of public health approach. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Define a framework for a public health model Explain what is a public health approach to prevention Describe the stakeholders and partners necessary for a public health approach Explore the steps to implementing a public health approach PRESENTERS Josh Esrick, MPP is a Senior Policy Analyst with Carnevale Associates. Josh has extensive experience in substance use prevention; researching, writing, and presenting on best practice and knowledge development publications, briefs, and reference guides; and developing and providing T/TA to numerous organizations. He developed numerous SAMHSA Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies’ (CAPT) products on strategies to prevent opioid misuse and overdose, risk and protective factors for substance use, youth substance use prevention strategies, youth substance use trends, emerging substance use trends, the potential regulations surrounding marijuana legalization, as well as numerous other topics. Emily Patton, MSc, PgDip holds a Masters of Science in Abnormal and Clinical Psychology from Swansea University and a Postgraduate Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Edinburgh. She offers significant professional experience in the fields of public policy development and analysis, criminal justice research, data collection and analysis, program development, and performance management.               

Download the presentation Co-Hosted By: Southeast Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Network   Presented by: Patti Clark, Ed.D, MBA, CPS Description: School safety is at the forefront of educators’ minds in light of recent high profile school shootings.  Academic achievement and social thriving are reduced when students don’t perceive they are safe.  Research shows that the perception of safety is a better predictor of student success than the presence of physical safety measures. Feeling safe in school is necessary for learning, and for physical, emotional and social development. Students who use substances are more likely to report their school is unsafe and to be fearful at school. However, schools don’t always include prevention strategies as a component of their school safety plans.  Prevention professionals play an important role in educating schools on the role of behavioral health issues in the perception of school safety, and supporting the inclusion of prevention education to students and their parents, and the implementation of policies and procedures that create a pathway for connecting students to appropriate resources. In this webinar, participants will learn about the findings from a recent Kentucky study that looked at the association between substance use, mental health issues, interpersonal violence, and problem behaviors and the perception of safety of students. We will review specific prevention strategies that schools should consider, and will provide talking points to create dialogue with educational systems around the inclusions of behavioral health prevention components in school safety plans. Learning Objectives: Participants will review research on the importance the perception of safety plays in academic success Participants will review the associations between substance use, mental health issues, interpersonal violence and problem behaviors and the perception of feeling safe at school Participants will identify prevention strategies schools can use to increase the perception of safety among students. Participants will identify talking points to build collaborations with schools to embed prevention in supporting student safety About Patti Clark, Ed.D, MBA, CPS Dr. Patti Clark is the Program Manager of the Prevention and Promotion Branch within the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities. She is the Project Director and Principal Investigator for Kentucky’s Partnership for Success 2015 grant, a five-year SAMHSA-funded grant focused on substance use prevention for youth ages 12-25. She also served as the Kentucky State Suicide Prevention Coordinator and Principal Investigator for the Kentucky Initiatives for Zero Suicides and was Project Director for the state’s Suicide Prevention Efforts for Adolescents in Kentucky, both Garrett Lee Smith funded suicide prevention projects. Dr. Clark provides training and technical assistance to prevention providers in Kentucky, with focused efforts on substance use and suicide prevention, integration/collaboration with other sectors through shared risk and protective factors (bullying, sexual assault, violence), needs assessment, capacity building and strategic planning for state-and community-level prevention implementation. She was co-team leader for Kentucky’s SMVF Suicide Implementation team and co-created Kentucky’s military immersion training, Operation Immersion. Previously she was the Associate Coordinator of the Southeast Resource Team of the Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies, a SAMHSA-funded training and technical assistance provider to state-level behavioral health grantees. She served 10 states and 2 jurisdictions in the Southeast Region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Virgin Islands, and Washington D.C.) focusing on Florida, Georgia and Kentucky. Dr. Clark began her prevention career a project coordinator for Kentucky’s Underage Drinking Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) project in Owen County, Kentucky where binge drinking among high school youth was reduced by 36% over a two-year period. She is a former newspaper publisher and brings a 20-year career of managing community newspapers to the prevention field. She has a doctorate in leadership and policy studies from Eastern Kentucky University, an MBA from Sullivan University, and a bachelor’s in journalism from Eastern Kentucky University.

Using Environmental Strategies to Reduce Substance Use Josh Esrick, MPP, and Emily Patton, MSc, PgDip February 25, 2020, 1-2 PM EST COURSE DESCRIPTION This webinar, developed by the Central East PTTC, will describe the importance of environmental strategies and how they differ from individual-focused prevention programs. Environmental strategies are prevention interventions that address factors related to the context within which individuals make decisions about initiating and continuing substance use. Researchers have identified numerous risk and protective factors for engaging in substance use, which are often categorized by a socio-ecological model. Environmental strategies primarily seek to address factors found at the community and society levels of the model. The webinar will discuss the different types of environmental strategies and provide examples of evidence-based strategies. It will also walk through examples of collaborative partners needed to implement environmental strategies and the pre-implementation work that preventionists will need to complete. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Define environmental strategies and how they differ from individual-focused prevention programs Explain the importance of environmental strategies Walk through examples of environmental strategies Discuss how preventionists can implement environmental strategies PRESENTERS Josh Esrick, MPP is a Senior Policy Analyst with Carnevale Associates. Josh has extensive experience in substance use prevention; researching, writing, and presenting on best practice and knowledge development publications, briefs, and reference guides; and developing and providing T/TA to numerous organizations. He developed numerous SAMHSA Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies’ (CAPT) products on strategies to prevent opioid misuse and overdose, risk and protective factors for substance use, youth substance use prevention strategies, youth substance use trends, emerging substance use trends, the potential regulations surrounding marijuana legalization, as well as numerous other topics. Emily Patton, MSc, PgDip holds a Masters of Science in Abnormal and Clinical Psychology from Swansea University and a Postgraduate Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Edinburgh. She offers significant professional experience in the fields of public policy development and analysis, criminal justice research, data collection and analysis, program development, and performance management.               

The February 2020 Dialogue contains articles on: Addiction: Black History Month | Mental Health: Resources to Prepare Educators | Prevention: Substance Use Prevention and Stopping the Spread of HIV/AIDS | ORN: One-year Extension.  Additional sections include upcoming training and webinar events, behavioral health observances, new resources, and Region 3 news. 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.  Sign up to receive the Dialogue in your mailbox.