Fall 2023 Prevention Specialist Conference - Prevention Training Services

Title: Fall Prevention Specialist Conference
Format: Virtual via Zoom
Date: October 3-6, 2023
Time: 9 am- 4:30 pm CST
Continuing Education Hours: 22.5 in Multiple IC&RC Domains
Price: $450
Registration Link: Register for the Prevention Specialist Conference Download Brochure

Schedule

October 3rd
1) 9:00-10:30- The Role of Facilitative Leadership in Building Effective Coalitions- Dave Closson, MS
2) 10:30-12:00- Building Capacity to Serve Military-Connected Youth- Sarah Jemison, BA, CPS
3) 1:30-3:00- Facilitation in Today’s High School Classroom- Trevon Norman, CPS
4) 3:00-4:30- O.K. Boomer! Risk and Protective Factors for Older Adults- Julie Stevens, MPS, ICPS

October 4th-
5) 9:00-10:30- The Intersection of Substance Use Disorder and Human Trafficking- Meagan Cothron, AS-Human Services, CYC
6) 10:30-12:00- Prevention- What Works and What Doesn’t- George Comiskey, Psy.D., LCDC, ICPS
7) 1:30-3:00- Fake Pills, Illicit Fentanyl, and Other Emerging Drug Threats- Rich Lucey, DEA
8) 3:00-4:30- Under the Influence- Identifying Persons Using and Misusing Drugs- Brian Brauer, RN, BSN, Ed.D and Ryan Snow, MA

October 5th-
9) 9:00-10:30- Say What?! – A Workshop on Effective Communication- Abbey Linn, BA
10) 10:30-12:00- The Prevention Professional: Increasing Our Competencies- Sandra Del Sesto, M.Ed, ACPS
11) 1:30-3:00- Emotional Health & Resiliency- Marissa Carlson, MS, CPS
12) 3:00-4:30- And the Beat Goes On; Letting the Muse Guide Us- Steve Miller, MAPS, CRPS

October 6th-
13) 9:00-10:30- Prevention and Systemic Inequality : A History- Sandra Del Sesto, M.Ed, ACPS
14) 10:30-12:00- Alcohol – YES… it is a Drug!- Mitchell Moore, ACPS, ADC, LCDC, BAT
15) 1:30-3:00- The Art of the Ask- Mitchell Moore, ACPS, ADC, LCDC, BAT

All virtual workshops are subject to change. They are scheduled in Central Time, CST, Use the time zone converter , then enter Texas, Houston

Course Descriptions

1) The Role of Facilitative Leadership in Building Effective Coalitions

Coalitions are an essential component of successful community prevention efforts. However, building and maintaining coalitions can be challenging, as they involve bringing together diverse stakeholders with different goals and interests. Facilitative leadership is a critical skill for prevention professionals working to build effective coalitions. This session will explore the role of facilitative leadership in building and sustaining coalitions that can effectively collaborate and coordinate prevention efforts. Participants will learn strategies and best practices for facilitating coalition development, building trust, engaging stakeholders, and managing conflict.

Presenter: Dave Closson 1.5 hrs. in Domain Four: Community Organization
Objectives- Participants will be able to articulate the role of facilitative leadership in building and sustaining effective coalitions and list strategies for facilitating coalition development, including goal-setting, stakeholder engagement, and trust-building.

2) Building Capacity to Serve Military-Connected Youth

Military-connected youth experience unique challenges that impact their educational and socio-emotional learning putting them at greater risk for substance use and behavioral health challenges. Building capacity to increase resiliency of military families helps mitigate these challenges by cultivating a culturally competent, supportive environment in schools and communities. Statewide data shows military-connected youth have higher rates of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use as well as serious psychological distress and suicide attempts compared to non-military youth. The presentation provides participants creative “out of the box” approaches to building resiliency within military families. This session increases participants’ knowledge on the risk factors military-connected youth face and factors that increase resiliency. Participants learn how Kentucky applied the Strategic Prevention Framework to effective change, creating a more supportive environment within the school and broader community for military-connected youth. Lastly, participants walk away with sustainable strategies they can implement in their states and communities.

Presenter: Sarah Jemison 1.5 hrs. in Domain Two: Prevention Education and Service Delivery

Objectives- Participants will be able to identify the risk factors military-connected youth face and protective factors that increase resiliency.

3) Facilitation in Today’s High School Classroom

This workshop will provide prevention specialists more tools to use for facilitating and transitioning within the high school classroom. It will also give tips on how to make smoother transitions and navigate difficult topics/questions within the class.

Presenter: Trevon Norman 1.5 hrs. in Domain Two: Prevention Education and Service Delivery
Objectives- Participants will be able to articulate facilitation and time management skills.

4) OK Boomer! Risk and Protective Factors for Older Adults

The first wave of Baby Boomers is now entering retirement age and for the next twenty years, the United States will have a major shift in population demographics. This workshop defines ageism and discusses the stereotyping and history of the treatment of older adults and related risk and protective factors. It also discusses the growing demographic of older adults in America, elder abuse issues, protective legislation, and the future financial situation of retirees.

Presenter: Julie Stevens, MPS, ICPS 1.5 hrs. in Domain Two: Prevention Education and Service Delivery

Objectives- Participants will:

observe statistics regarding senior population growth.
examine alcohol, prescription drugs, and other drug problems among older adults.
recognize how aging related changes affect the body in relation to substance use
identify risk and protective factors for substance use in the older population.
learn the NIAAA guidelines for persons over 65.

5) The Intersection of Substance Use Disorder and Human Trafficking

The main objective for this training is to demonstrate the intersection of the vulnerability of victims of human trafficking and substance use disorder. This training will highlight the increased vulnerability of the populations with substance use disorder and victims of human trafficking, the increased overlapping of human trafficking cases and the opioid epidemic, the vulnerable industries in the substance use treatment for recruitment for human trafficking, and long-term recovery process for clients of human trafficking parallel with substance use disorder.

Presenter: Meagan Cothron 1.5 hrs. in Domain Six: Professional Growth & Responsibility

Objectives- Participants will be able to identify higher risk of vulnerabilities of exploitation and human trafficking, and how to properly evaluate the risk.

6) Prevention– What Works and What Doesn’t

Participants will explore innovation and principles of effective prevention. Focus will be given to children, adolescents, and families. Counterproductive strategies will be discussed. Tools we can use will be the highlight of this session.

Presenter: George Comiskey 1.5 hrs. in Domain One: Planning & Evaluation
Objectives- Participants will be able to identify and select evidence-based programs or innovations and principles of effectiveness to implement effective prevention and articulate what makes certain community-embraced prevention events as ineffective and/or counterproductive.

7) Fake Pills, Illicit Fentanyl, and Other Emerging Drug Threats

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 108,000 people died as the result of a drug overdose in the United States during the 12-month period ending May 2022. Synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl and its analogs, are the primary driver of the increase in drug overdose deaths. A significant threat right now are fake pills, which are pills that appear to be prescription pills but actually contain fentanyl or methamphetamine. Drug traffickers are using fake pills to exploit the opioid crisis and prescription drug misuse in the United States. This session will include an overview of the illicit fentanyl and fake pills crisis in the United States, DEA’s One Pill Can Kill awareness campaign, other emerging drug threats, and DEA’s prevention-related resources.

Presenter: Rich Lucey, DEA 1.5 hrs. in Domain Six: Professional Growth & Responsibility

8) Under the Influence- Identifying Persons Using and Misusing Drugs

The impact of drugs on the community we serve is often challenging to quantify. What are the short- and long-term consequences that happen due to the use and misuse of drugs? This presentation provides information on common drugs including how they are introduced to the body, the immediate effects of someone under the influence, and the possible impact on the overall health of someone that ingests these dangerous substances. Dr. Brauer, a Registered Nurse and Director of Emergency Management and Ryan Snow, M.Ed, a Drug Recognition Expert and police officer will explain what happens to the human body after these drugs are taken and what you can expect to see and experience with people that may be under the influence of several common drugs. These effects will be examined from the perspective of medical impacts, signs, and symptoms. Participants will leave with tips to identify indications of misuse of common drugs and warnings to give others that may encounter people that are misusing drugs, both legal and illegal

Presenter: Brian Brauer & Ryan Snow 1.5 hrs. in Domain Six: Professional Growth & Responsibility

Objectives- Participants will be able to list commonly used and misused drugs and medications and identify immediate signs and symptoms of use/misuse.

9) Say What?! – A Workshop on Effective Communication

It’s difficult to argue that effective communication is key to healthy, meaningful relationships, whether they be friendly, romantic, professional or familial. But simply being able to communicate does not guarantee its effectiveness. Participants will learn the art of effective communication by first increasing their awareness and understanding of both barriers and opportunities that arise in everyday communication scenarios. Then, participants will learn about different communication styles, how to become a more effective communicator and why it matters. There will be engagement and practice opportunities via 2 or 3 breakout sessions throughout the workshop. Resources for post-workshop skill building will be provided.

Presenter: Abbey Linn 1.5 hrs. in Domain Three: Communication
Objectives- Participants will better understand the barriers to and opportunities for effective communication and articulate how to incorporate effective communication into their daily lives/relationships.

10) The Prevention Professional: Increasing Our Competencies

Is prevention a profession? What constitutes a profession and what are the characteristics of a prevention professional? And why is this important to define? This workshop will seek to answer these questions and then describe what is means to be a true prevention professional representing ourselves, our organizations and our community. Finally, steps to improve our professional skills will be discussed.

Presenter: Sandra Del Sesto 1.5 hrs. in Domain Six: Professional Growth & Responsibility
Objectives- Participants will be able to define what a profession is and identify steps to improve our professional skills.

11) Emotional Health & Resiliency

Our ability to monitor and manage our emotional health has become more important than ever to our own well-being and the relationships we have with those at home and in the workplace. In addition to being able to help their own emotional health, this workshop will offer participants tools that can be brought to all of those they support through their jobs and in their lives. Once we have explored topics and tools related to everyday emotional health, we will then discuss components of resiliency over time, and demonstrate activities that behavioral health professionals can use with their service recipients to help them cultivate long-term resiliency.

Presenter: Marissa Carlson 1.5 hrs. in Domain Six: Professional Growth & Responsibility
Objectives- Participants will be able to recognize their emotional health “Danger Zones” & how to adjust their coping to keep or move back into their “Healthy Zones” Participants will also be able to utilize tools to support their coalition members, participants, and others in their life to manage their emotional health and cultivate resiliency

12) And the Beat Goes On; Letting the Muse Guide Us Knowing your “why” is foundational to prevention work. They say life is a journey and not a destination! And, while this profession often measures success in outcomes, during this presentation you will see that nothing happens by mistake and this thing called prevention is as much about process. This presentation picks up where the previous talk on “Does Music Move Our Choice” concluded and advances that conversation with a broader and more personal approach. As a person in long term recovery, the story is founded in what it was like, what happened and what it is like now; with what it’s like now serving as the primary focus of this talk, and where experience, strength and hope are offered. It’s more than a story of addiction and recovery, it’s about how all the pieces of life’s puzzle keep falling into place. It’s a before and after story and reveals the importance of music on both sides and why working in prevention begins with you and that now more than ever prevention needs a voice – your voice!

Presenter: Steve Miller 1.5 hrs. in Domain Six: Professional Growth & Responsibility
Objectives- Participants will discover why keeping relationships at the core of prevention might be the most effective tool in the toolbox and understand the role of soft skill development as a component of prevention workforce development.

13) Prevention and Systemic Inequality: A History

Systemic equality has impacted all areas of American life over the centuries. It has also impacted how we have delivered prevention services in the past. In this workshop participants will review key terminology intended to help define what is needed to provide equitable prevention services. In addition, they will identify substance use policies, program and practice milestones related to systemic inequality and its impact on our field. Most important they will discuss recommendations for positive change in addressing systemic inequality in our work to be sure the needs of communities most at risk for substance misuse and mental illness are met.

Presenter: Sandra Del Sesto 1.5 hrs. in Domain Six: Professional Growth & Responsibility
Objectives- Participants will be able to define prevention, systemic inequality, cultural humility and cultural competence and describe substance use policies, program and practice milestones related to systemic inequality and its impact on the field of prevention.

14) Alcohol – YES… it is a Drug!

Unlike many drugs that can cause negative physical and mental effects, alcohol is legal and seen as socially acceptable for recreational use. As a drug, alcohol can have negative effects and lead to addiction, even when it’s not severely misused.

During this presentation we will examine alcohol’s effect on the body, define use, misuse and alcohol use disorder and perhaps better understand why some individuals should avoid alcohol completely.

We will also explore higher risk populations including women, college age & underage youth.

Presenter: Mitchell Moore 1.5 hrs. in Domain Six: Professional Growth & Responsibility
Objectives- Participants will be able to define use, misuse and alcohol use disorder.

15) The Art of the Ask Creating a successful grant proposal is a simple as baking a cake; just follow the recipe right? Writing award winning proposals is more than just stirring around words and placing them in the grant application. It is about correctly combining all of the ingredients to create an outcome-based, fundable proposal. Do you want to learn about basic grant writing or how to ask for extra funding for resources not allowed under your existing grants? Join us and learn the “Art of the Ask”.

Presenter: The Art of the Ask 1.5 hrs. in Domain Six: Professional Growth & Responsibility
Objectives- Participants will be able to list the components of a grant and explain how to create opportunities for community support.

Presenters:

Dave Closson, the owner of DJC Solutions, LLC, a consulting company dedicated to serving substance misuse prevention professionals, law enforcement officers, and military veterans across the United States. With a focus on sustainable habits, aligned experiences, and next-level excellence, Dave helps others achieve their full potential. As the author of “Motivational Interviewing for Campus Police” and one of the few Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) #StillServing Heroes nationwide, Dave is a nationally recognized expert in his field. He was the very first Director of the Mid-America Prevention Technology Transfer Center, where he served as a prevention catalyst, empowering individuals and fostering partnerships to promote safe, healthy, and drug-free communities. Dave’s unique experience in substance misuse prevention comes from serving as a university police officer at Eastern Illinois University and being deployed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During his year in Iraq with his infantry battalion and recon team, Dave earned the Combat Infantryman’s Badge and was awarded two Army Commendation Medals (one for valor and one for meritorious service). With a Master’s in Technology, Training and Development, and a Bachelor’s in Environmental Biology, Dave is a lifelong learner who is committed to pushing his own limits and helping others do the same. Through training, coaching, and consulting, Dave is making a difference in the lives of those he serves and helping them achieve lasting transformation.

Sarah Jemison grew up in a military family in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She works for Seven Counties Services Inc. as a Certified Prevention Specialist and Military Family Resiliency Specialist. She works with local, state, and national agencies and community organizations to develop and coordinate evidence-based strategies to increase resilience within military and Veteran families. She provides training and consultation to Kentucky’s prevention network on capacity building, community engagement and best practices working with military families. Sarah developed and coordinates Kentucky’s Purple Star Award Program and Yellow Ribbon Resiliency Program. Her innovative work supporting and advocating for military and veteran families has been recognized locally and across the state. She received a Certificate of Recognition from the Robley Rex Veteran Affairs Medical Center in 2020, the Kentucky Prevention Specialist of the Year award in 2021 and a Certificate of Recognition from the Kentucky Department of Veteran Affairs in 2022. She received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Criminal from Saint Leo University and her Prevention Specialist certification from the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium.

Trevon Norman has been working as a Prevention Specialist for 6 years. I currently work in YPI with the PTND program. I love the high school element and am passionate about the intimate conversations we get to have with them. I am married to my wonderful wife and we have one beautiful little girl who has me double wrapped around her finger.

Meagan Cothron, Co-Founder of Nonprofit Organization, Recover Out Loud, founded in 2018, and developer of the R-Fit (Recovery Fitness in Training) program, serving the South Central counties of Indiana. Cothron started her career in 2014 as an Intake Coordinator for the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center, then became a Certified Recovery Coach for Centerstone from 2015-2018. She graduated from Ivy Tech with an Associates Degree in 2017, and has continued her education through experience in co-founding her own organization along with her husband and continued education in her sector of work. She is currently employed with the Indiana Trafficking Victims Assistance Program focusing on the overlapping of trafficking victims and survivors and substance use disorder. Meagan is a strong advocate for the voice of recovery, peer support services and grassroots organizations. She continues to grow her vision for the organization and leads a team of volunteers in their community. She seeks to find innovative approaches and identify the gaps of service to better enhance the experience of recovery.

George Comiskey, Psy.D., LCDC, ICPS Associate Professor of Practice at Texas Tech University in the Community Family and Addiction Sciences Department. Associate Director of the Center for Collegiate Recovery Communities – External Relations George began teaching English, Speech and Drama in inner-city Kansas City, MO in 1983. He has worked in prevention and addiction field since 1990. Dr. Comiskey isan Internationally Certified Prevention Specialist and a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor. Before coming to Texas Tech, George was the Director of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools/Communities office for Lubbock ISD. George is an Associate Professor of Practice in the Community Family and Addiction Sciences department. He has the honor of working at the Center for Collegiate Recovery Communities at Texas Tech University since 2002, where he works with students in recovery, develops programs and provides outreach to the community. Family: George is the 8th of 11 kids (born to the same parents). Married to Megan (an only child), a special education teacher of 4-year-olds. They fostered and adopted a sibling group of 3.

Rich Lucey is a senior prevention program manager in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Community Outreach and Prevention Support Section. Rich plans and executes educational and public information programs, evaluates program goals and outcomes, and serves as an advisor to the Section Chief and other DEA officials on drug misuse prevention and education programs. Rich formerly served as special assistant to the director for the federal Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, and worked as an education program specialist in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools.

Dr. Brian Brauer leads the emergency management function at a large public state university where his responsibilities include reducing the campus community’s vulnerability to extreme events, promoting campus safety and resiliency, mitigating emergencies, and ensuring continuity of operations and recovery efforts following a disaster. He has over three decades of experience in public safety as a first responder and incident commander, including twenty years at a state fire academy. He works internationally chairing a non-profit emergency responder accrediting body and has led the strategic planning process for an international organization. Brian’s work has been featured internationally in presentations, interviews, and webinars. He has been published in journals, white papers, international training standards and federal publications. He continues to research the impact of leadership and culture on organizational change. Brauer holds degrees in nursing, education, and leadership. His doctoral dissertation was a case study of a fire department that changed because of a fireground death.

Ryan Snow serves full-time as a Police Officer with a large University Police Department, where he has served in several leadership roles including field training officer and shift supervisor. During his career, Ryan has gained experience building positive working environments and making decisions that empower teams to embrace their strengths and collaborate towards a common goal. Ryan has spoken at numerous state and national conferences. Ryan’s work has been featured in webinars, newspapers, television, books, and educational articles. Organizations such as the Drug Enforcement Administration, The National Center for Campus Public Safety, and the Mid-America Prevention Technology Transfer Center have all requested and endorsed Ryan as a trainer and speaker. Before law enforcement, Ryan graduated with a Masters in Educational Administration. This experience provided the opportunity for him to understand the demands of organizations from different perspectives and develop a well-rounded picture of successful leaders.

Abbey Linn is a Prevention Specialist at Serenity Impact in Abilene, Texas. With a Marketing degree from Abilene Christian University, Abbey spent the first eight years of her career in marketing and event planning roles only to discover her true passions revolve around empowering people, not a bottom line. Eager to pursue a purpose-driven career in mental wellness and prevention, Abbey dove headfirst into her current role at Serenity Impact in August of 2022. While working towards her APS certification, Abbey utilizes her communication and mentorship skills alongside her mental wellness experience towards equipping youth with awareness and tools to help them live their happiest, healthiest lives.

Sandra Puerini Del Sesto, M.Ed, ACPS, is a consultant and master trainer in behavioral health and strategic planning for non-profits. She was the founder and for 30 years the executive director of Initiatives for Human Development, a statewide, multi service prevention program, and a founder of CODAC, RI’s largest non-profit treatment program. She was also the founding director of the Institute for Addiction Recovery at Rhode Island College. She is a member of the advisory boards of the New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC), the National Latino PTTC and the New England School of Addiction Studies. Sandra serves as the RI delegate to and the former Prevention Committee Co-Chair of the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC), which certifies professionals working in behavioral health. Sandra is a co-author of SAMHAs Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Training (SAPST) and its basic and advanced Prevention Ethics courses as well as many other face-to-face and online courses in prevention.

Marissa Carlson is the Executive Director of the NH Teen Institute, a leadership development nonprofit working with middle & high school students from around NH & New England in a variety of areas including substance misuse prevention, peer mentoring, and creating positive school & community climate. As part of her role at TI, she oversees and facilitates training for youth participants, youth & adult volunteer program staff, and outside behavioral health and education professionals. She is a trainer for multiple workshops developed through SAMHSA systems, and is a member of the advisory council of the New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC). In addition, she is the President of the Prevention Certification Board of NH, the NH Prevention delegate to the IC&RC, and serves as the chairperson of the Prevention Specialist credentialing committee. Outside of her prevention work, Marissa is a founding member of Mill City Productions, a theatre company in Western Massachusetts. She graduated from Pomona College with a BA in Psychology, received an MS in Nonprofit Management from Bay Path University, and has been a Certified Prevention Specialist since 2011.

Steve Miller MAPS, CRPS, In addition to his role as the Director of Mid-America PTTC (Prevention Technology Transfer Center), the presenter has a radio and television background, and is a graduate of Wichita State University with a degree in Marketing. Drawing on his diverse experience to help shape the message of this presentation, the seeds of this work were born out of his own personal recovery journey and is reflective of his innate curiosity about the impact of music in our lives. In his spare time, he is active in the historic preservation of the north-side Springfield, Missouri neighborhood where he lives, and in the development of the Moon City Creative Live-Work-District.

Julie Stevens, MPS, ACPS, ICPS is an Advanced Certified Prevention Specialist and was a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor for 20 years. She has served as Director of Prevention for the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, and Training Specialist for the University of Oklahoma’s Southwest Prevention Center, and most recently as Executive Director of LifeSteps Council on Alcohol and Drugs. She is currently Member At Large of the Board of the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium and Advisor to the Prevention Committee. Ms. Stevens serves on the Texas Certification Board of Addiction Professionals and is chair of the Prevention Subcommittee. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Baylor University and a Masters of Prevention Science from the University of Oklahoma.

In addition, Ms. Stevens is an adjunct professor for the University Of Oklahoma College Of Liberal Studies. She teaches core courses for Masters of Prevention Science Degree, including Foundations of Prevention and Prevention across the Lifespan.

Mitchell Moore, BAT, LCDC, ACPS, ADC is a dynamic educator who has a passion for training people and serves those who serve by designing and delivering training across America.

He is an advanced certified prevention specialist and licensed chemical dependency counselor who has extensive experience working with youth and families in both prevention and recovery settings. He has served as a counselor, prevention specialist, grant writer, program developer and executive director of a charitable organization. In 2019, he was awarded the Texas Prevention Specialist of the Year.

He is currently an independent contractor, a beekeeper and volunteers his time for the Texas Certification Board.