Life Steps and Prevention Training Services hosted a Spring Training Institute on March 21-23, 2019 in Georgetown, Texas. Sessions covered topics relevant to new staff members, those preparing for the certification exam, and the most seasoned prevention specialists.
Topics included Prevention 101, a Certified Prevention Specialist Exam Prep Course, Prevention Supervision and an updated Prevention Ethics including the prevention ethics newly adopted by Texas Certification Board.
A total of 18 prevention CEU’s were available, which are good for certification, re-certification and HHSC prevention training requirements.
Hosted by 
Agenda for all training days:
8:30- 9:00 Registration
9:00- 12:00 Training
12:00- 1:30 Lunch (On Your Own)
1:30- 4:30 Training
Training Course Descriptions
Certified Prevention Specialist Exam Prep Course (6 hrs)
Description: The Prevention Specialist Exam Preparation Course will assist in preparing participants to study for and subsequently take the prevention specialist exam. This course covers the requirements and application process to become a Certified Prevention Specialist. The workshop presenter will discuss the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC), authors of the exam, how the exam was developed, and how it is conducted. The workshop presenters will identify the domains and tasks covered in the new exam, study resources, the types of questions that are on the exam and tips for studying and taking the exam. There will be an opportunity to establish a study group. This course will NOT cover exam content.
Trainers: Julie Stevens, MPS, ACPS, ICPS and Dr. Robert Landry
Prevention 101 (3 hrs)
Description: This workshop will help participants understand the basics of prevention including the six prevention domains, an introduction to Behavioral Health, the continuum of care, the public health approach and current prevention theories. This workshop covers knowledge items in Prevention Specialist Domain 1: Planning and Evaluation; Task 5, 9 &10.
Trainer: Mitchell Moore, BAT, ACPS, ICPS, LCDC, ADCIII Trainer: Mitchell Moore, BAT, ACPS, ICPS, LCDC, ADCIII
Supervision of the Prevention Specialist (3 hrs)
Description: As an advancing field of professional service, substance abuse prevention is expanding through levels of certification and through concurrent initiatives with behavioral health. As the certification process advances in states, jurisdictions and tribes, there is little to no training specifically for supervising prevention staff. The basic goals of supervision of the prevention specialist are to assure the delivery of high-quality interventions, create a positive work environment, and develop staff professional and administrative skills. This session will discuss characteristics of effective supervisors, the prevention supervisor job description, and supervision tools. Description: This workshop covers knowledge items in Prevention Specialist Domain 6: Professional Growth and Responsibility
Trainer: Julie Stevens, MPS, ACPS, ICPS
Strategic Prevention Framework (3 hrs)
Description: This workshop will help participants understand SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework. The SPF is a planning process for preventing substance use and misuse. The five steps and two guiding principles of the SPF offer prevention professionals a comprehensive process for addressing the substance misuse and related behavioral health problems facing their communities. The effectiveness of the SPF begins with a clear understanding of community needs and involves community members in all stages of the planning process. This workshop covers knowledge items in Prevention Specialist Domain 1: Planning and Evaluation; Task 11, 17 &19.
Trainer: Mitchell Moore, BAT, ACPS, ICPS, LCDC, ADCIII
Opioids: The Making of a Crisis (3 hrs) ATOD Specific
Description: The opioid epidemic has caught the country off guard, draining resources which were designed to address the problem. Alarmed federal and state agencies are scrambling to address the problem. But it is the communities that have borne the brunt of the opioid crisis. Communities blame the pharmaceutical companies that have, since the 1980s, promoted opioids as a panacea for relieving pain. This workshop informs participants about the various forms of narcotics and opioids, their prevalence, effects on the physical and psychological well-being of users. This workshop examines the events that contributed to the crisis, and failed attempts to deal with it. This workshop covers knowledge items in Prevention Specialist Domain 6: Professional Growth and Responsibility; Task 9
Trainer: Julie Stevens, MPS, ACPS, ICPS
Prevention Ethics (part one- 3 hrs)
Description: “Ethics for the Prevention Professional” is designed specifically for the behavioral health promotion and substance abuse prevention professional and fulfills the Prevention Specialist credential ethics requirement. Part one will help participants develop a fundamental knowledge of Prevention Ethics and better understand the Six Principles of Prevention Ethics. This workshop covers knowledge items in Prevention Specialist Domain 6: Professional Growth and Responsibility Task 2
Trainer: Mitchell Moore, BAT, ACPS, ICPS, LCDC, ADCIII
Prevention Ethics (part two- 3 hrs)
Description: Part two will help participants improve their understanding of and the ability to apply a set of accepted standards/principles that guide the behaviors and actions of both individuals and organizations working in the prevention profession, understand the ethical decision making process and discover the newly adopted Texas prevention ethics (adopted by the Texas Certification Board January 1st, 2019). This workshop covers knowledge items in Prevention Specialist Domain 6: Professional Growth and Responsibility; Task 2
Trainer: Julie Stevens, MPS, ACPS, ICPS
Completing a Comprehensive Community Assessment for Your Program (3 hrs)
Description: This presentation will demonstrate and discuss various ways to conduct a community assessment. Who do you utilize for access to data? What do you do to collect data? How can the data be used to build capacity and partners in your program? A comprehensive assessment covers all aspects of the community. This workshop will demonstrate how to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to pinpoint areas of concern or high risk of criminal activity in a community, as well as areas of violence, drug activity, or bullying at school. It discusses how to find areas of safety at school as well. The presentation will display what a comprehensive assessment looks like and how to present it to the community to build capacity.
This workshop covers knowledge items in Prevention Specialist Domain 1: Planning and Evaluation;
Trainer: Dr. Robert Landry
Public Speaking/ Presentation Skills (3 hrs)
Description: This workshop will help participants implement presentations that contain accurate, relevant, and timely content and apply the principles of public speaking. Description: This workshop will help participants implement presentations that contain accurate, relevant, and timely content and apply the principles of public speaking. This workshop covers knowledge items in Prevention Specialist Domain 2: Prevention Education and Service Delivery; Task 2 & 3 and Domain 3: Communication; Task 5
Trainer: Mitchell Moore, BAT, ACPS, ICPS, LCDC, ADCIII