Products and Resources Catalog

This mini e-book was developed to provide information and resources to prevention professionals, providers, and community members on child abuse, types of abuse, warning signs, the impact on Hispanic/Latino families and immigrants, and more. At the end of the document, you will find resources from trusted sources and action and prevention tips to better support our communities on the issue. We hope this resource is useful for you, and we hope you can share the information with your family, friends, and colleagues. Comprender y Prevenirel Abuso Infantil (Español) Este mini libro electrónico ha sido elaborado para proporcionar información y recursos a los(as) profesionistas de la prevención, alos(as) proveedores(as) y a los(as) miembros(as) de la comunidad sobre abuso infantil, tipos de abuso, señales de advertencia, el impacto en familias hispanas/latinas e inmigrantes, y más. Al final del documento, se incluyen los recursos obtenidos defuentes confiables, así como consejos para la acción y la prevención, con el fin de apoyar mejor a nuestras comunidades en este tema. Esperamos que este recurso le resulte útil y que pueda compartir la información con sus familiares, amigos y colegas.

This mini e-book was developed to provide information and resources to prevention professionals, providers, and community members about transitional-aged youth (TAY) and the intersectionality between TAY, mental health, substance use, and Hispanic/Latino communities. At the end of the document, you will find resources from trusted sources and action and prevention tips to better support our communities on the issue. We hope this resource is useful for you, and we hope you can share the information with your family, friends, and colleagues. Jóvenes en Edad de Transición (Español) Este mini libro electrónico ha sido elaborado para proporcionar información y recursos a los(as) profesionistas de la prevención, alos(as) proveedores(as) y a los(as) miembros(as) de la comunidad sobre jóvenes en edad de transición (TAY) y la interseccionalidad entre TAY, salud mental, uso de sustancias y comunidades hispanas/latinas. Al final del documento, se incluyen los recursos obtenidos defuentes confiables, así como consejos para la acción y la prevención, con el fin de apoyar mejor a nuestras comunidades en este tema.Esperamos que este recurso le resulte útil y que pueda compartir la información con sus familiares, amigos y colegas.

COURSE DESCRIPTION Part two of this series, discusses inclusive strategies that schools, parents, and preventionists can use when delivering substance misuse prevention services for students with disabilities.  Although many health and mental health disorders are potentially considered disabilities under education law, substance use disorder is not. Students with disabilities are at higher risk of substance misuse. Therefore, it is important that preventionists have the appropriate knowledge and skills to equitably include students with emotional or behavioral problems when delivering prevention services in schools. During this webinar a school psychologist, parent of a child with a disability, and well-seasoned preventionist discuss the unique challenge of delivering substance misuse prevention services to students with disabilities and promising approaches to improve delivery.   Select the View Resource button above to watch the recording and link to the PowerPoint below. PPT   PRESENTER Chuck Lester serves as Community Based Prevention Services Grants Manager for Oklahoma State University’s Community Wellness Programs. In this capacity, he works with local stakeholders to reduce the consequences of substance abuse across the region through the use of evidence-based, environmental strategies.  Previously Chuck served as the Region's Strategic Prevention Framework coordinator. Much of this work focused on reducing underage drinking in Payne County. As the Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Coordinator, he was responsible for recruiting, training and sustaining SWAT groups at local schools. These student groups sought to complete anti-tobacco advocacy campaigns such as getting their school to pass 24/7 tobacco-free policies. For the last 11 years, he has coordinated various grants that seek to solve local substance use and abuse problems through the use of the Strategic Prevention Framework model by empowering youth.    

The Great Lakes Current is the e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC.   The April-May 2023 issue honors National Mental Health Awareness Month, National Children's Mental Health Awareness Week, National Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month, and National Prevention Week by sharing events and resources on these topics. This issue also features an upcoming in-person conference and an exciting, new intensive technical assistance training series sponsored by the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC.    As always, you will find links to all the upcoming events and trainings for the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC in The Great Lakes Current.       

COURSE DESCRIPTION Part one of this two-part series, discusses the current landscape of special education in public schools as it relates to substance misuse prevention and promising approaches to provide prevention services to students with disabilities.  Although many health and mental health disorders are potentially considered disabilities under education law, substance use disorder is not. Students with disabilities are at higher risk of substance misuse. Therefore, it is important that preventionists have the appropriate knowledge and skills to equitably include students with emotional or behavioral problems when delivering prevention services in schools. During this webinar a school psychologist, parent of a child with a disability, and well-seasoned preventionist discuss the unique challenge of delivering substance misuse prevention services to students with disabilities and promising approaches to improve delivery.   Select the View Resource button above to watch the recording. Below are the handout and PowerPoint to download. Handout PPT   PRESENTER Chuck Lester serves as Community Based Prevention Services Grants Manager for Oklahoma State University’s Community Wellness Programs. In this capacity, he works with local stakeholders to reduce the consequences of substance abuse across the region through the use of evidence-based, environmental strategies.  Previously Chuck served as the Region's Strategic Prevention Framework coordinator. Much of this work focused on reducing underage drinking in Payne County. As the Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Coordinator, he was responsible for recruiting, training and sustaining SWAT groups at local schools. These student groups sought to complete anti-tobacco advocacy campaigns such as getting their school to pass 24/7 tobacco-free policies. For the last 11 years, he has coordinated various grants that seek to solve local substance use and abuse problems through the use of the Strategic Prevention Framework model by empowering youth.    

Preventing Underage Alcohol Use (April 2023 Series) Part 2: Strategies and Recommendations for Prevention Josh Esrick, MPP, and Emily Patton, MSc, PgDip April 27, 2023, 1:00pm-2:30pm EST COURSE DESCRIPTION This webinar will discuss evidence-based prevention strategies for addressing underage alcohol use. It will cover both environmental and behavioral interventions, as well as opportunities to implement or expand policies and address the social determinants of health. The webinar will review both general strategies and those specifically focused on early adolescents or college-age youth. Lastly, it will provide an overview of Federal underage alcohol prevention efforts. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Recognize the importance of providing evidence-based alcohol misuse prevention strategies Describe evidence-based environmental strategies for preventing underage alcohol use Describe evidence-based behavioral strategies for preventing underage alcohol use among younger adolescents and college-age youth Identify Federal prevention efforts to address underage alcohol use PRESENTERS Josh Esrick, MPPJosh 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, MSEmily 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.

Preventing Underage Alcohol Use (April 2023 Series) Part 1: Identifying and Understanding the Data Josh Esrick, MPP, and Emily Patton, MSc, PgDip April 25, 2023, 1:00pm-2:30pm EST COURSE DESCRIPTION This webinar will provide a broad overview of the current state of underage drinking and related prevention efforts. It will begin with a review of the most common data sources on underage alcohol consumption and discuss opportunities to improve and expand data collection. The webinar will then summarize the most recent data on alcohol use prevalence and patterns, as well as the consequences of use. It will also describe the research on risk and protective factors for use, including what is known about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lastly, it will provide information on how the social determinants of health play a role in underage alcohol use rates. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Describe underage alcohol data sources and available opportunities to expand data collection Explain the scope of underage alcohol use and consequences Identify risk and protective factors relevant to underage alcohol use Recognize the effect of the social determinants of health on underage alcohol use PRESENTERS Josh Esrick, MPPJosh 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, MSEmily 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.

In this Issue:   National Alcohol Awareness Month Resources for the Prevention Professional National Women's Health Week, May 14-20 How to Find Help Epi Corner: Substance Use Disorders in People with Disabilities What's Happening Around the Region? Webinar: Substance Misuse Among Students with Disabilities, A 2-part series, April 26 and May 18 Free Online Courses through HealtheKnowledge SAMHSA's National Prevention Week, May 7-13

How Primary Care Can Address Youth Substance Use Disorders Jim Winkle, MPH April 13, 2023, 1:00pm-3:00pm EST COURSE DESCRIPTION Medical and behavioral health professionals who work in primary care are in a unique position to help adolescents living with substance use disorders (SUDs), but often feel at a loss how to do so effectively, in a limited amount of time, and without conveying judgement. Adolescents living with SUDs, meanwhile, may face stigma from health professionals, and may not relate to a singular focus on treatment programs. This presentation will improve the ability of primary care professionals to screen for SUDs with adolescent patients and perform a four-step brief intervention model that enhances the motivation of patients to reduce their risk of harm. As a result, clinicians will be better able to help these patients forge their own pathway to recovery. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Demonstrate how to use a screening tool that quickly identifies possible substance use disorders with adolescent patients Demonstrate how to perform a four-step brief intervention that enhances the motivation of adolescents to change their substance use Explain how principles of harm reduction can help mitigate provider stigma and help adolescents reduce harm from substance use Describe best practices in referring adolescent patients to substance use treatment PRESENTER Jim Winkle, MPH, has trained hundreds of behavioral health professionals how to address substance use with clients and patients. As the creator behind the SBIRT Oregon website, Jim has designed screening forms, clinic tools and training videos used by professionals across the country.  

Media in Prevention: A three-part webinar series Webinar 1: Social Media Best Practices March 21, 2023   Series Description Effectively using social media platforms and being media literate is critically important in a digital age. Improving prevention practitioners’ media literacy and their use of social media platforms can enhance communication with key audiences and result in more effective prevention efforts. This three-part webinar series aims to do this by helping participants better understand core concepts such as media literacy, social media strategies, and the role of advertising in substance use, and develop skills to think critically about social media, its’ messages, and its role in prevention. Webinar Description The art of effective social media marketing requires that an organization be adept at creating targeted and tailored content that speaks to right person, in the right way at the right time. Social media campaigns are designed with a series of unique pillars in mind that are all vital when working in tandem with a broader communication strategy. In this session we will discuss six steps of social media strategy framework. The session will begin with an overview on social media strategy and continue through the steps. Interactive activities will be sprinkled throughout, as well as prompts for discussion and sharing. Objectives In this webinar, participants will explore: Understand six core principles of creating a social media strategy. Conceptualize what makes a social media campaign strategic with customer experience at the center.  Ability to apply learning to create a social media strategy framework for that includes a strategic approach to identifying audience, selecting platforms, designing content, amplifying distribution, campaign implementation, and metrics.   Webinar Recording and Slides Media in Prevention Webinar 1: Social Media Best Practices Recording Media in Prevention Webinar 1: Social Media Best Practices slide deck (PDF)   Additional Resources Alcohol Awareness Toolkit, Northwest Prevention Technology Transfer Center Not Your Mother's Scare Tactics, Prevention Solutions@EDC Recommended Reading & Resources from the Presenter Digital Campaign Planning Template Presenter Rebecca Cooney is a Scholarly Associate Professor of Strategic Communication at The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University. Other roles include Director of Murrow Online Programs and Co-Investigator for the Center of Excellence for Natural Product-Drug Interaction Research. Rebecca is an educator in integrated marketing communication strategy, training facilitator, and entrepreneur specializing in multi-modal curriculum development and learning experience design (LXD). She teaches courses in branding and consumer behavior, advertising, and digital marketing strategy. She is professionally certified in LXD and holds a BA and MA in communication. Questions Contact Kathy Gardner ([email protected]) if you have additional questions about the content related to this webinar.

  This webinar will cover the products typically utilized in vape devices, such as THC. We will also discuss the components and constituents and associated health risks. Finally, we will discuss available some resources for helping people quit smoking or vaping.   Learning Objectives: Participants will increase their understanding of vape function and product usage. Participants will be able to restate the risks of vaping after the event. Participants will map policy concerns about vaping for their state/region. Participants will be able to find and recommend resources for their clients.   About the Presenter: Dr. Mary Martinasek is an Associate Professor in Public Health at the University of Tampa. She is also a registered respiratory therapist, a certified asthma educator, a tobacco treatment and health education specialist. Mary’s research is focused on hookah smoking and vaping electronic nicotine delivery devices; however, she also conducted a systematic review on the respiratory effects of inhalational marijuana. Her recent manuscripts have focused on the relationship of Adverse Childhood Experiences as predictors of vaping and tobacco use, asthma and vaping, and social marketing campaigns for hookah reduction.  

This Slide Deck for You can be used as a stand-alone overview of the Social Development Strategy or incorporated into other presentations or materials. The Social Development Strategy (SDS) is a tool for enhancing five factors proven to build protection and organizes these protective factors into a strategy for action that anyone can use in their daily interactions with young people. The SDS is as simple as five fingers on one hand.  SlideDecks4U Spanish Version - The Social Development Strategy: 5 Proven Keys to Raising Healthy, Successful Youth

The Mountain Plains PTTC developed the following infographic to help prevention professionals, healthcare providers, educators, and parents understand the importance of sleep during adolescence. Sufficient sleep during adolescence is prevention.   

I Didn’t Know That! The Scoop on Youth Gaming and Gambling Heather Eshleman, MPH, John Schmidt, BS, CPRS, and Maricel Bernardo, MSM-HCA March 2, 2023, 1:00pm-2:30pm EST COURSE DESCRIPTION With games such as League of Legends, Fortnite, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, youth, and young adults are often competitors or viewers of these popular games through E-Sports tournaments. In addition, within the last few years, sports betting has become legal in 32 states, including all the Central East PTTC states. These activities are heavily advertised through billboards, television, pop-up computers, and cell phone ads. With the growth of video gaming and gambling activities in communities across America and online, how does it affect youth and young adults? Middle school, high school, and college students can be at risk of being negatively affected by gaming, gambling, and activities that include a mix of both in their daily lives. This webinar will discuss the prevalence and trends in youth gaming and gambling and the warning signs of problems with these activities. An overview of strategies to prevent youth problem gaming and gambling behavior and resources for help in Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia will be presented. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Recognize youth gaming and signs of gaming problems in youth/ young adults. Describe youth gambling and signs of gambling problems in youth/ young adults. Distinguish how youth/young adult gaming and gambling behaviors connect. Identify problem gaming and gambling prevention strategies implemented in West Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland. Identify resources for help with a gaming and/or gambling problem. PRESENTERS Heather Eshleman, MPH., is the Prevention Manager at the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling.  She works collaboratively with community organizations, schools, and government agencies to prevent underage and problem gambling as well as oversee special population and youth grants.  She currently leads the Center’s efforts in compiling an underage and problem gambling prevention needs assessment to provide baseline data to guide future prevention strategies.  She served as the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Supervisor at the Anne Arundel County Department of Health from 2006-2019, overseeing the Substance Abuse Prevention coalitions, the Opioid Misuse Prevention Program, the Strengthening Families Program, the Fatal Overdose Review Team, and Coordination of the Students Against Destructive Decisions Chapters.  Before becoming Supervisor, from 2002-2006, Heather was a Grants Administrator at Anne Arundel County Department of Health.  Heather received her Masters in Public Health from the University at Albany School of Public Health and her Bachelor’s degree in School and Community Health Education from Towson University.  Heather served in the United States Peace Corps in Morocco, North Africa, as a Maternal and Child Health volunteer, working on hygiene promotion and pre-natal care for two years.   John Schmidt, BS, CPRS,  is currently the Prevention Services Coordinator for Youth for the Delaware Council on Gambling Problems, conducting presentations at middle and high schools throughout Delaware to inform students of disordered gambling and its connection to the gambling mechanics within video games and cell phones. John is clinically trained in the area of disordered gaming and also earned his certification in Studies in Gambling Addiction through the University of Minnesota Duluth. He also conducts research in partnership with the University of Delaware in the area of gambling and video gaming with Delaware middle and high school students via in-depth surveys.   Maricel Bernardo, MS, is the Program Coordinator for the  Problem Gambling Help Network of West Virginia (PGHNWV) at First Choice Services. She has worked in problem gambling since 2018 and has assisted many problem gamblers and their loved ones. She oversees PGHNWV’s prevention and outreach activities. Maricel works closely with the PGHNWV Prevention Grantees, Collegiate Recovery Network PRSS and other prevention groups to promote problem gambling education and awareness to the youth and community. She is a member of NCPG and serves on the  Prevention and Communication Committees as well as the NAADGS Prevention Workgroup.  Maricel has a Master of Science in Management-Healthcare Administration from Marshall University and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from West Virginia University.  

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

Our guest on this episode is Samantha Sherman, the Prevention Resource Center Director at Community Partnership of the Ozarks. She leads a team that provides substance use prevention TA, and works tirelessly to reduce stigma, suicide, and improve mental health awareness. 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. Did you know nearly 700 publications and digital products are available on the SAMHSA store front. Visit https://store.samhsa.gov Learn more mental health first aid from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Visit https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/

While building protection for all our young people is a common and aspirational goal for many from diverse walks of life, schools present a unique opportunity and challenge for doing so. This report describes a set of simple yet powerful practices that, when used consistently by teachers, can enhance middle school student agency and build student success skills. This report summarizes these activities and aligns the evidence-based practices to the components of the Social Development Strategy, a strategy for enhancing daily interactions with young people that have been proven to have far-reaching positive effects on their development.

Sheryl “Ms. Sherry” Branch-Maxwell, has been a driving force in Missouri for more than four decades. During that time, she has overseen the provision of capacity-building assistance to promote evidence-informed practices with state and local partners. For over 35 years, Ms. Sherry has embraced positive youth development, policy change and truly believes in the strength and ability of youth in the Missouri Bootheel. Currently, Ms. Sherry serves as Assistant Area Coordinator for Lincoln University Cooperative Extension in Charleston, MO and is innovative in leading partnerships, integrating youth programming, food and nutrition programs, while working closely with state officials to expand assistance to those in need. Ms. Sherry’s most notable project, is Kids’ Beat. At one time the organization had an enrollment of over 1,500 members across more than 30 clubs in all 6 Bootheel counties, including Butler and Cape Girardeau. She has served on several gubernatorial boards, including but not limited to, The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. State Celebration Commission, The Children’s Trust Fund, African American Task Force and the Missouri Commission for Volunteerism. Most recently, Ms. Sherry was the 2021 DeVerne Lee Calloway Woman of the Year Award recipient. *** Visit the SAMHSA store front where you’ll find hundreds of publications, including One Voice, One Community offers strategies for communities on collaborating with faith-based organizations to address the service needs of people living with mental illness, substance use disorders, or both. Here's a link to this resource...https://store.samhsa.gov/product/One-Voice-One-Community-Building-Strong-Effective-Partnerships-Among-Community-Faith/SMA13-473   The African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence was developed by SAMHSA to address the urgent need for greater equity and effectiveness in behavioral health services for African Americans. They are determined to help our field transform behavioral health services for African Americans.       Visit their website...https://africanamericanbehavioralhealth.org

Supplemental Resources: Engaging Youth to Improve Substance Misuse Prevention: Information Guide Series   Youth Engagement (YE) is an approach to prevention in which prevention organizations effectively engage youth as leaders or partners in planning, tailoring, implementing, or evaluating prevention programming. In this webinar, Dr. Ballard will describe different models of YE for prevention, share tips for YE, and provide tools to guide members of the substance misuse prevention workforce through decisions about whether, and how, to incorporate YE into their prevention work.   Learning Objectives: Identify the benefits and challenges of engaging youth voices to improve your substance misuse prevention efforts Understand different models of youth engagement Identify key questions to consider as you prepare to engage with youth to improve your substance misuse prevention efforts Become familiar with tools and resources to help you incorporate youth engagement into your substance misuse prevention efforts   About the Presenter:   Dr. Ballard is an Assistant Professor of Family & Community Medicine in the Wake Forest School of Medicine. Her research focuses on understanding how young people engage with their communities, increasing equitable and meaningful opportunities for youth voice in communities, and understanding how youth engagement can improve community efforts and promote healthy youth development. In one current project, funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, she applies ideas from developmental psychology to increase opportunities for youth voice in substance misuse prevention efforts. In another current project, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, she is co-leading a randomized-controlled trial study to understand the effects of a school-based action civics intervention. Outside of work, Parissa spends time exploring mountains, creeks, and playgrounds around North Carolina, with her husband and four young kids.

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

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

Recording: Supporting Grandfamilies as Caregivers in the Opioid Crisis   DESCRIPTION: It is estimated that 2.6 million children are raised by grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, other extended family, and close family friends who step forward to care for them when parents are unable. With the rise in heroin and other opioid use, more relatives are raising children because the parents have died, are incarcerated, are using drugs, are in treatment or are otherwise unable to take care of their children. We understand that these children experience physical and cognitive health challenges as their caregiver’s face hurdles with housing, school enrollment, health, and legal issues as they struggle with their own grief.  This webinar will present evidence-based interventions designed to strengthen the resilience of these children along with tested approaches for supporting grandparents in this role.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Participants in this webinar will be able to: Identify the trends around children being raised by grandparents because of the opioid crisis Explain how children and grandfamilies are impacted by the opioid epidemic, including as they navigate these relationships Identify strategies for building skills and support systems for grandparents that are assuming the responsibility of caring for vulnerable grandchildren   PRESENTER: Chuck Klevgaard, BSW, CSPS Chuck Klevgaard is a nationally recognized expert in substance misuse prevention, public health, and school-based health. Drawing on his experience in collective impact and prevention-focused partnerships, he builds the capacity of states, tribes, schools, communities, and cities to use evidence-based substance misuse prevention and intervention strategies. He specializes in behavioral health support; training and technical assistance; and evidence-based alcohol, opioid, and substance misuse programs and policies. Nationwide, he provides trainings to prevent opioid overdose, including working with first responders to administer naloxone. As a consultant to Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center, Klevgaard provides training and technical assistance to substance misuse prevention entities within the Great Lakes region, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio. Klevgaard, a Certified Senior Prevention Specialist through the Illinois Certification Board, Inc., holds a BSW from Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Supplemental Resources: Field Trial of Alcohol-Server Training for Prevention of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - Dresser, J., Starling, R., Woodall, W. G., Stanghetta, P., & May, P. A. (2011). Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 72(3), 490–496. - Download Here   Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in a Southeastern County of the United States: Child Characteristics and Maternal Risk Traits - May, P. A., Hasken, J. M., Stegall, J. M., Mastro, H. A., Kalberg, W. O., Buckley, D., Brooks, M., Hedrick, D. M., Ortega, M. A., Elliott, A. J., Tabachnick, B. G., Abdul-Rahman, O., Adam, M. P., Robinson, L.K., Manning, M. A., Jewett, T., & Hoyme, H. E. (2020). Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 44(4), 939–959. - Download Here   Visit FASDUnited.org below to learn more about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders:     We highlighted National Birth Defects Prevention Month in January. Dr. May has been, and is currently, the principal investigator of clinical and epidemiologic studies funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to research the characteristics of the continuum of FASD in the general populations of South Africa, United States, and Italy. He and his colleagues have focused on refining the diagnostic criteria for the FASD continuum, defining maternal risk and protective factors for FASD, and uncovering and quantifying the wide variation of outcomes and phenotypic traits of children who have been exposed to alcohol in the prenatal period. He presented data on studies of first grade children in the United States overall, South Africa, and focus on findings on FASD among children and their mothers in a county in the Southeastern region of the USA. FASD are prevalent today in the United States and are pernicious health disparities that no individual should have to endure.   Learning Objectives: Describe the common characteristics and traits of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).  Identify the maternal risk factors associated with FASD in the Southeastern USA and other regions and countries.  Describe the prevalence of FASD in four regions of the United States including the Southeast.  Understand the range of opportunities for prevention of, intervention upon, and mitigation of the most severe impacts of prenatal alcohol exposure on children.   About the Presenters:   Dr. Philip A. May is a Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Gillings School of Global Public Health where he works from the UNC Nutrition Institute as an epidemiologist. His research over the past 25 years has been primarily on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD): prevalence, child characteristics, maternal risk factors, prevention and intervention. He served as a member of the groundbreaking Institute of Medicine Study Committee on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (1994-1996). In 2018 he received one of the two highest awards from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) when he delivered the Mark Keller Honorary Lecture at NIH. Also, he has been honored with the Henry Rosett Research Award from the FASD Study Group of the Research Society on Alcoholism, an Excellence Award from the National Organization Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and he has twice delivered the Geoffrey Robinson Memorial Keynote Presentation at the International Conference on FASD.   Dr. Julia Hasken is a postdoctoral research associate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has worked for the past 10 years to carry out epidemiological studies on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). She has co-authored over 25 publications focusing on the prevalence, child characteristics, and maternal risk factors of FASD in the United States and South Africa.      

This 3-minute video describes the effects of the most commonly used substances (E-Cigarettes, Cannabis, & Alcohol) on the developing teen body.   Share this video on your Social Media or embed it in your presentations as a supplemental resource.    Click "View Resource" to go to the video.    For more information, contact us: [email protected]