Products and Resources Catalog

In this episode I have the pleasure of speaking with Jennifer White, she is the Founder and Executive Director of ICT SOS. Her organization has as its mission to end human trafficking through prevention and awareness education; advocacy for survivors; and acting as a bridge between direct service professionals and community members who desire to help.

In this episode I have the pleasure of speaking with Cindy Miles. She is an advocate for children and families, like hers, that have been affected by child abuse, neglect, and addiction. As an active member of both state and local alliances for drug endangered children, Cindy's message is one of hope for the many families whose lives have been impacted.

In this episode we talk to Dr. Susan Depue with the Missouri Institute of Mental Health about her work in helping to lead the state's prevention efforts since 2006. Dr. Depue discusses the timeline from when the state was an early pioneer of the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) to the current day. She also provides leadership for the Partnership for Success initiative and is developing a prevention model to reduce methamphetamine use in Missouri.

Steve Miller joined the Mid-America PTTC in November 2021 assuming the role from Dave Closson, who has ventured into consulting, training and of course podcasting for himself. We wish him all the success and hope to have in back on a future episode here.  Steve has a long history of supporting the efforts of the Drug Endangered Children initiative in Southwest Missouri, which compliments our focus area here at Mid-America. In this episode we'll learn more about his media experience, involvement in the arts and of course his path into the prevention work he has been doing for over a decade now.

Through the PreventionTechnology Transfer Center (PTTC) Network Coordinating Office (NCO) (FOA award SP-19-001), the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) serves SAMHSA, the 12 individual PTTCs, and the specialized prevention workforce that provides substance use disorder (SUD) services across America. The Network Coordinating Office is a program in residence of the Collaborative to Advance Health Services located at the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s School of Nursing and Health Studies.

The Drug-Free Communities Support Program is the nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent and reduce substance use among youth. The program was created in 1998 within the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and it now funds over 700 community-based coalitions across the country. These coalitions implement youth-related prevention strategies focused on a wide variety of substances including alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, and other drugs. Episode Links: Coalition locator: https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/drug-free-communities/coalitions.html Funding Announcements: https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/drug-free-communities/funding-announcements.html Statutory eligibility requirements webinar recording (register to review): https://tvworldwide.com/events/ondcp/2021/DFC/default.cfm MMWR on psychostimulant deaths    

A wonderful conversation with Priscila Giamassi from the National Hispanic and Latino Prevention Technology Transfer Center. This episode dives into a powerful leadership academy, special video project, family bonds, a speakers debut, and one very special event coming up.  National Hispanic and Latino Prevention Technology Transfer Center   National Latino Behavioral Health Virtual Conference: Envisioning Latino Behavioral Health Equity in the Next Decade, September 16-17, 2021 https://www.linkedin.com/company/nhlpttc https://twitter.com/NHLPTTC https://www.facebook.com/NHLPTTC     

Are you asking yourself "how do I lead in the situation when there is no one specifically in charge, multiple stakeholders are involved in the decision making process, and there is no way you can force people to do what needs to be done?"   Leadership is not about the job, the title, or the position … it's not about you at all!  It is about the purpose, the group of people who are charged with producing something related to that purpose in partnership and collaboration with others. Leadership today requires a paradigm shift in order to be more effective and deliver results.  Learning Objectives Explore different point of view on leadership Discover levels and dimensions of leadership in loosely coupled, multi-stakeholder system Understand what competencies are necessary to lead effectively in this new way   Download the slides here:               Irina Fursman, Ed.D.       Irina Fursman is the Co-Founder and CEO of HueLife, a training, facilitation and consulting company on a mission to educate, facilitate and inspire engagement in meaningful action for the greater good of communities and organizations. She designs and facilitates experiences including strategic thinking and planning retreats; learning programs for personal and professional development; and conflict resolution. She also manages business development activities, partnership and community engagement programs, conceptualizing new products and services, and developing learning experiences and programs. She does this all while challenging the conventions required for innovation.        Born in the USSR, Irina spent the first half of her life in Russia, Crimea, and Ukraine and moved to the USA in 2002. She has co-founded a number of organizations and is currently a member of Rotary, Minnesota Change Management Network, International Society of Organization Development and Change (ISODC), and Technology of Participation (ToP) Network.        Irina completed her doctoral research on “Leadership in loosely coupled, multi-stakeholder systems” at University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis. Her passion for social justice and love for learning is what drives her to create organizations that will continue to provide learning opportunities and experiences in the arena of systems change at all levels.                Irina is a survivor, entrepreneur, fighter for justice and freedom. Her personal mission is to inspire action for the greater good for two reasons: she cares about the impact she can personally make on the world, and it is fun!       

Are you asking yourself "how do I lead in the situation when there is no one specifically in charge, multiple stakeholders are involved in the decision making process, and there is no way you can force people to do what needs to be done?"  Leadership is not about the job, the title, or the position … it's not about you at all! It is about the purpose, the group of people who are charged with producing something related to that purpose in partnership and collaboration with others. Leadership today requires paradigm shift in order to be more effective and deliver results.    This episode will shift your mindset and approach to coalition leadership!  Register for the July 14th webinar here. REGISTER

Although we have a number of buzzwords focused on diversity and cultural inclusion, this topic should have always been at the forefront of our minds. In fact, when you truly examine our code of ethics and the Strategic Prevention Framework, is it obvious that diversity, equity, and inclusion are embedded in our professional standards? This episode places a spotlight on the WHY and HOW we can be intentional about improving health equity in our prevention practice.

On today’s episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Kim Nelson, our SAMHSA Regional Administrator. Kim shares something that’s worth celebrating all year long! What is it you ask… we’ll you've got to listen to find out! She also highlights some of the regional data trends and gives us an insight into ground breaking prevention work going on in our region! Kim is a true prevention leader and all-around champion for the behavioral health field. Settle in for a great episode and get to know Kim Nelson.

On today’s episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Mike Parsons, a Prevention Program Coordinator at Kansas’s very own DCCCA. Mike shares the great work they are doing across the state with their Drug Endangered Children Alliances and the amazing lineup of speakers for DEC Awareness Day (and month). Kansas DEC Awareness Day events registration Kansas Alliance for Drug Endangered Children DCCCA Facebook

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Shayla Sullivant and Alex Hartwig from Children’s Mercy in Kansas City. They share some of the work they are doing to empower parents to address the hard topics that can be very uncomfortable and talk about changes each one of us can make within our own homes to make them safer. Here are just a few of those topics: Eating disorder prevention Home safety (including storage of firearms, medications, etc.) Screen time Self-care Substance use (including vaping) Suicide prevention Their signature program: Prepped and Ready is a presentation to help equip parents for the transition into parenting teenagers. They understand this transition is a time of tremendous change for teens and it can be overwhelming as a parent to know how to help. Prepped and Ready aims to help parents learn what steps they can take before a crisis develops with their teenager. https://www.childrensmercy.org/departments-and-clinics/developmental-and-behavioral-health/prepped-and-ready/ For more information or to contact Prepped and Ready, please email [email protected].

In today’s episode, Alicia and Chris Dzurick discuss how a youth-led campaign is often more impactful when the intended audience is in fact youth. Chris shares the Missouri Youth Ambassador's latest campaign, "Don't Take the Vape Bait!" Read the comic here: actmissouri.org/vaping-information Follow ACT Missouri on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/actmissouri 

This Holiday Resource Guide provides a one-stop-shop for approaching the holiday season in the midst of a pandemic. Learn to address grief and loss, social isolation, and other mental health concerns unique to the pandemic era, as well as celebrate with friends and family virtually or in small gatherings in accordance with CDC guidelines, utilize technology to host a virtual celebration, and devise creative strategies for celebrating with family virtually. This product was developed in collaboration with the Mid-America Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) and Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Author(s): Johnson, K./Mid-America MHTTC; Klepper, C./Mid-America MHTTC; Robinson, L./Mid-America MHTTC; West, H./Mid-America MHTTC; Sherry, B./Mid-America ATTC; Stilen, P./Mid-America ATTC; Closson, D./Mid-America PTTC

Today we are talking with Dr. Joy Sweeney the Deputy Director ~ Training, Coalition Development, TA, and Community Outreach at CADCA. As some of you may know, CADCA is Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America. They are some true prevention leaders! https://www.cadca.org/resources/cadcas-webinar-wednesdays  https://cadca.org/ https://www.facebook.com/CADCA  https://twitter.com/cadca https://www.youtube.com/c/CadcaOrg

In today’s episode, Alicia chats with Rikki Barton, the Director of Prevention for the Community Partnership of the Ozarks. They serve 25 coalitions that span across 21 counties. This episode is packed with great info from how covid-19 has impacted their coalition work, Mental Health Moments on Facebook and YouTube, and how their coalitions are engaging diverse community stakeholders during the pandemic. ACT Missouri Facebook

The Science of the Positive framework is based upon the realization that ‘The Positive’ exists in ourselves, our communities and our cultures, and can be increased to improve health and safety. Both the Positive Community Norms approach to prevention and the new science of HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) are organized around the Science of the Positive  Cycle of Transformation which includes domains of Spirit, Science, Action, and Return. This interactive session will introduce these three key approaches to transforming community health. Learning Objectives: Describe the Science of the Positive framework Understand how the Positive Community Norms approach corrects misperceptions to impact behavior and increase health Learn how positive childhood experiences can mitigate the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on health outcomes and promote resilience Presenter: Jeffrey Linkenbach, EdD, MA is the Founding Director & Research Scientist at The Montana Institute, who has developed national award-winning science-based programs to change norms. He is one of the co-developers of HOPE – Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences, and serves as a Co-Investigator at the HOPE Center in the Tufts University Medical School. He is recognized for his pioneering development of the Science of the Positive Framework and the Positive Community Norms Approach which are being utilized by tribal, federal, state and local organizations to achieve positive change and transformation around challenging issues such as child maltreatment, substance abuse, suicide, traffic safety and community-engaged leadership. Additional Resources:      

This is episode 34 and today we will be talking with Heather and Janelle from WSU-CEI. As some of you may know, they are the hosts of the Kansas PreventionTalKS podcast and members of the KPC Connections team. Through their work, they are creating connections, positive change, and building their community across the entire state of Kansas. In today’s episode, we’ll unpack the inspiration behind the podcast, the impacts, and how they have adapted KPC Connections for this virtual world. Heather and Janelle also share some wisdom on how we can all build connections, community, and have fun through virtual platforms.

How Does the SPF Contribute to Sustainability?   Assessment Communities begin making decisions based on a clear understanding of local prevention needs. They also begin building relationships with data keepers and stakeholders who can play important roles in supporting and sustaining local prevention efforts over time. Capacity By increasing the ability to respond to changing issues with innovative solutions, by promoting public awareness and support for evidence-based prevention, and by engaging partners and cultivating champions, communities ensure that successful programs are sustained within a larger community context, and therefore less vulnerable to local budgetary and political fluctuations. Planning When developing a comprehensive approach to preventing substance misuse, communities consider the degree to which prevention interventions fit with local needs, capacity, and culture: the better the fit, the more likely interventions are to be both successful and sustainable. Implementation By working closely with partners to deliver evidence-based programs and practices as intended, closely monitoring and improving their delivery, and celebrating “small wins” along the way, communities help to ensure intervention effectiveness and begin to weave prevention into the fabric of the community. Evaluation Through process and outcome evaluation, communities can make important mid-course corrections to prevention efforts, identify which practices are worth expanding and/or sustaining, and examine ongoing plans for—and progress toward—sustaining those practices that work. By sharing evaluation findings, planners can also help build the support needed to expand and sustain effective interventions.1 Cultural Competence To ensure that prevention practices produce positive outcomes for members of diverse population groups, communities must engage in an inclusive and culturally appropriate approach to identifying and addressing their substance misuse problems. Prevention infused with health equity is the only type of prevention worth doing—and sustaining.

Today we will be talking with Scott Henderson. Scott is the Executive Director of the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children. He has a rich history within our Mid-America region and has spent many years working with at-risk youth. On today’s episode, Scott shares some background on the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children, and gives us some exciting news about their work! They’ve got a lot going on – everything from free online training, to developing a smartphone app that will help communities support drug endangered children. Learn more: https://www.nationaldec.org/

Evaluation: Adding Razzle Dazzle to Your Prevention Programming Efforts This number hasn’t been confirmed, but in my experience, about 110% of preventionists are passionate about prevention and the work they’re doing. Their elevator speeches advocating for prevention are in their back pockets and ready to be shared at the first glimpse of eye contact from that unsuspecting county commissioner, they work into the wee hours of the morning to make sure everything is in place for that special community event, they meet nervously but energetically with the hesitant community leader that took them hours to contact. Surely, preventionists would give the energizer bunny a run for his money! Regardless of how much passion a preventionist has though, prevention outcomes cannot be achieved with a handful of motivated individuals. We already know that in order for prevention efforts to be sustained over time, the community needs to be involved and sometimes others need to see the value of the prevention efforts and the changes that can, and have, occurred in the community before they invest. Regardless of the type of investment; time, space, energy, resources, they need to know the cause is worth their effort. This is where evaluation comes in. Telling your story, sharing your data with the community and those who are making an investment, or that you would like to make an investment, will greatly increase your opportunities for collaboration. Not only does evaluation help you improve your impact on the community from year to year, but it helps you share that information in concise, measurable ways that will convince even the most reluctant of community leaders.  

Today we will be talking with Crystal Fuller. Crystal provides Training, TA, funding administration, and helping prevention spread throughout her region in Nebraska. She has over 13 years working in prevention and shared insights on getting out into the community in this virtual world. We also get into the importance of self-care in days filled with Zoom after Zoom meeting.

June Newsletter: The Strategic Prevention Framework Step 4: Implementation The key to positive outcomes in substance misuse prevention is using evidence-based programs and practices that produce the intended results. This is accomplished when prevention practitioners select, plan for, and carefully implement those interventions. Sometimes a practice or program will need to be adapted. This adaptation may be identified early in the planning process or may be discovered later. Monitoring the implementation process is necessary to identify areas of concern. The sooner the need for adaptation is identified, the better your prevention outcomes will be. SAMHSA has identified 5 guidelines to consider when balancing fidelity and adaptation. Retain core components. Evidence-based programs are more likely to be effective when their core components are maintained. Build capacity before changing the program. Rather than change a program to fit local conditions, consider ways to develop resources or to build local readiness so that it can be delivered as it was originally designed. Add rather than subtract. Doing so decreases the likelihood of important program elements (i. e.., those that are critical to program effectiveness) getting lost. Adapt with care. Even when programs and practices are selected with great care, there may be ways to improve their appropriateness for a unique focus population. If adapting, get help. Knowledge experts, such as program developers, can provide information on how a program has been adapted in the past, how well these adaptations have worked, and what core components should be retained to maintain effectiveness.1