International Prevention Specialist Conference– October 24-28, 2022 $475 for 30 CEH’s
Staff Competency! There is a difference between knowing something and being able to do it. Knowledge is important and when combined with skills prevention professionals are even more competent.
All virtual workshops are scheduled in Central Time, CDT
Schedule
October 24th
1) 9:00-4:30- Prevention Ethics
October 25th-
2) 9:00-10:30- Cannabis Prevention and Risk Reduction in the Era of Commercial Cannabis: The Intersection of Policy and Prevention- Scott Gagnon
3) 10:30-12:00- Pulling Teeth or Working with Young People?- Brent Blackburn
4) 1:30-4:30- Prevention Messaging: Word Choice, Framing & The Use of Persuasion- Allison Sharer
October 26th-
5) 9:00-10:30- The Impact of Addiction on the Family System- George Comiskey
6) 10:30-12:00- Understanding THRIVE: Tool for Health & Resilience in Vulnerable Environments- Andrea Hoff
7) 1:30- 4:30- Moving Past Information and Education to Environmental Change- Allison Sharer
October 27th-
8) 9:00-10:30- Youth Mental Health and Substance Abuse: The World They are in Today-Amira Abdulhafid
9) 10:30-12:00- OK Boomer?Risk and Protective Factors for Older Adults-Julie Stevens
10) 1:30-3:00- The Impact of Substance Use Disorders on Children and their Families- Marcia Baker
11) 3:00- 4:30- An Introduction to the Brain’s Addiction Pathway- Andrea Hoff
October 28th
12) 9:00-4:30- CPS Exam Prep Course
Course Descriptions
October 24th- Prevention Ethics- This workshop will help participants develop a fundamental knowledge of Prevention Ethics and better understand the Principles of Prevention Ethics.
Upon successful completion of this training the participant will be able to Identify standards of conduct for mental health and prevention professionals and utilize a method of decision-making for difficult ethical decisions in prevention. Presenters: Julie Stevens, MPS, ACPS, ICPS and Mitchell Moore BAT, LCDC, ADC, ACPS
October 25th-
Cannabis Prevention and Risk Reduction in the Era of Commercial Cannabis: The Intersection of Policy and Prevention- Cannabis legalization, for medical and non-medical use, has moved forward in many states in the U.S and in other regions of the world. The rapidly evolving cannabis policy landscape has significant implications for how we select, plan, and implement youth and young adult cannabis prevention strategies. It is becoming increasingly important for prevention professionals to develop their skills in policy literacy, and to understand how awareness of the cannabis policies in their country, state, or locality should inform the selection, planning, and implementation of prevention strategies.
This training walks though the importance of cannabis policy literacy, how it intersects with and informs the work we do in prevention, and the tools and resources available to help guide us in this important work. Presenter: Scott Gagnon, MPP, PS-C
Pulling Teeth or Working with Young People?- Perceptions these days about working with young people make it seem like a visit to the dentist is more desirable than working with young people. In this workshop participants will explore their attitudes and perceptions of working with young people. We will also explore best practices for building successful youth/adult partnerships. By the end of the workshop you will be ready to cancel your dental appointment. (*Not recommended by the American Dental Association.) Presenter: Brent Blackburn, CPS
Prevention Messaging: Word Choice, Framing & The Use of Persuasion- Persuasion is at the heart of prevention, and yet there are few opportunities to learn about this foundational concept. Whether you are working with folks that are distracted and not very involved, or those that are more actively opposed, you need to know how to engage and persuade! Join us as we look at messaging basics such as being conscious of your word choices, framing your message and the persuasion basics. Presenter: Allison Sharer, OCPC
October 26th-
The Impact of Addiction on the Family System– This session will explore addiction and its impact on the Family System, especially children. As the session concludes we will explore treatment as it addresses the Poverty of Spirit using the Circle of Compassion. Presenter: George Comiskey, Psy.D., LCDC, ICPS
Understanding THRIVE: Tool for Health & Resilience in Vulnerable Environments- Oftentimes, when people think about trauma, they think about a single person who has undergone some hardship: a soldier coming back from war or a woman who was physically attacked. It is not often the case that we consider the types of traumas that occur across entire communities, which can include everything from a community that has survived a natural disaster or even the chronic trauma of extreme generational poverty. When entire communities experience trauma, the effects are widespread. To appropriately respond to traumas, communities must first understand what they can do to improve the health and safety of their communities while also promoting health equity. The Tool for Health & Resilience in Vulnerable Environment – or THRIVE model – does just that. This session will describe the THRIVE model and its 12 identified community determinants of health that are categorized within three interrelated clusters. Attendees will learn about how the inequitable distribution of power, money, and resources determine a community’s health and safety outcomes. Through this learning, attendees will gain skills on how to create change at the community level by influencing the specific health determinants they identify within their community. Presenter: Andrea Hoff, MPA, GPC, OCPC, ICPS
Moving Past Information and Education to Environmental Change- Many coalitions, even those with some real longevity, are not maximizing their ability to make long-lasting environmental changes. In this workshop, we will explore how environmental prevention not only supports individually focused prevention, but creates community-level change. Topics include: CSAP six prevention strategies, seven strategies for community change; common barriers to engaging in environmental change, and what you can do to help your coalition make lasting change in your community. Presenter: Allison Sharer, OCPC
October 27th-
Youth Mental Health and Substance Abuse: The World They are in Today- In December 2021, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory on the youth mental health crisis that has been further exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health challenges in our youth have existed long before the pandemic, however, the isolation and complete reversal of the world as they knew it has further increased rates of helplessness, depression and thoughts of suicide. There is a direct correlation between youth mental health and substance abuse. While youth may turn to substance use to escape from overwhelming emotions, substance use is a major risk factor for suicide. This workshop aims to define mental health and review the current trends. We will learn about the connection between mental health and substance use disorder as well as learn about various strategies to decrease substance abuse and improve mental wellness in their communities. Presenter: Amira Abdulhafid ICPS
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 examines alcohol, prescription drug and substance use, and risk and protective factors among the senior population. Presenter: Julie Stevens MPS, ACPS
The Impact of Substance Use Disorders on Children and their Families- This presentation will focus on how substance use disorders impact families and children. Families and children are impacted in unique ways that are not often recognized or acknowledged by treatment providers. Evidenced-based practices will be discussed as it relates to assisting families and children heal and stabilize when a family member has a substance use disorder. Presenter: Marcia Baker, PhD LPC LCDC LP with provisional status.
An Introduction to the Brain’s Addiction Pathway- The human brain is the most complex organ in the body as it is responsible for every single thought, feeling, and behavior that every human being has ever had or will ever have. It regulates our every function including breathing, consuming food, driving a car, and enjoying everyday activities. But what happens to the brain when it is exposed to a toxic substance such as alcohol, marijuana, and other illicit drugs? This session will describe the addiction pathway, also known as the mesolimbic dopamine pathway, or the reward circuit. This scientific session will be taught in a way that the average citizen will walk away with a full understanding of how substances impact the brain, what that exposure means for young people who have under-developed brains, and the long-term consequences that can occur as a result. Presenter: Andrea Hoff, MPA, GPC, OCPC, ICPS
October 28th- CPS Exam Prep Course- 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 will cover 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. This course will NOT cover exam content.
Upon successful completion of this training the participant will:
Be knowledgeable about the requirements to become a Certified Prevention Specialist.
Be familiar with the structure and the content of the exam, the types of questions on the exam, and be able to locate resources to help in preparation for the exam.
Presenters: Julie Stevens, MPS, ACPS, ICPS and Mitchell Moore BAT, LCDC, ADC, ACPS
Presenters:
Scott Gagnon is a Certified Prevention Specialist, Associate Executive Director of AdCare Educational Institute of Maine, Inc., and Director of SAMHSA’s New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC). Scott is a national speaker on a variety of prevention topics, including cannabis policy and prevention, opioid prevention, and prevention workforce development. Scott currently serves as a Co-Chair of the national Technology Transfer Center SBIRT Coordination work group, and previously served as Chair of the national PTTC Network Cannabis Prevention Work Group. Scott serves as a board member of the Maine Recovery Coach Certification Board and is a member representing public health on Maine’s Marijuana Advisory Commission. Scott has previously served as Co-Chair of the Prevention Task Force for the Maine Opiate Collaborative, and has also previously served on the SAMHSA, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention National Advisory Council.
Scott’s work has been recognized with awards from multiple organizations, including the Maine Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse, Healthy Androscoggin, and the Maine Public Health Association. In 2017, Scott was the recipient of the Patrick J. Kennedy Outstanding Advocate Award from Smart Approaches to Marijuana.
Brent Blackburn is a Certified Prevention Specialist that has more than twenty-five years of experience in alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention. Brent has traveled the nation in pursuit of his passion to build youth and adult partnerships to help solve community problems. Brent currently serves as the Executive Director of Extreme Youth Leadership, working to create connections in the community that will reduce substance use, engage young people to serve their schools and communities, and developing them into leaders.
Allison Sharer, OCPC, is President of Wingspan Training, LLC and has worked in the Prevention field since 1983. Her experience includes work within youth-led prevention, community-based prevention, environmental prevention and drug-free workplace. She has developed and presented workshops, trainings and other educational opportunities for a wide variety of audiences who have expressed gratitude not only for her expertise but her presentation style.
George Comiskey– 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 is an 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.
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.
Andrea Hoff is the Owner & President of You Thrive Training & Consulting, LLC, a company that provides training and consulting services in the areas of behavioral health prevention, government and nonprofit leadership, and grant writing. Andrea has worked in the behavioral health field for nearly 27 years, is certified in Ohio as a behavioral health prevention consultant (OCPC) and international behavioral health prevention specialist (ICPS) and is a certified Adult & Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor, QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Instructor, and Substance Abuse Prevention Skills Training Instructor. She is a coach for the Ohio Coaching and Mentoring (OCAM) Network, and she uses the Gallup CliftonStrengths assessments in her coaching work. Andrea is also a certified grants professional (GPC) with extensive experience in grant writing. She is the Immediate Past President of the Miami Valley, Ohio, Chapter of the Grant Professionals Association (GPA), is an approved GPA speaker, and is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Andrea has a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Dayton.
Amira Abdulhafid serves as the Program Director for Suicide Prevention. She joined GUIDE in June of 2019. Amira focuses on increasing awareness and resources for suicide prevention, including evidence-based suicide prevention trainings, such as QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) and Youth Mental Health First Aid. Amira received her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish with a Creative Writing minor at Georgia College & State University and earned her Master of Public Health at Georgia State University. After receiving her undergraduate degree, Amira joined the Peace Corps and served as a Youth Development Volunteer in Honduras, where she facilitated education and prevention programs. Amira is passionate about building relationships and sharing knowledge and education to create a healthier community.
Marcia Baker has a PhD in Psychology with a specialty in Health Psychology/Behavioral Medicine. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, Licensed Psychologist with Provisional Status, Advanced Certified Prevention Specialist and Registered Yoga Teacher. She is currently owner of Third Coast Counseling and Wellness where she is a practicing therapist. She has developed programs and worked as a therapist in the substance abuse treatment, prevention, and behavioral health field for over 30 years. She utilizes her education and experience to provide a holistic approach when treating emotional/physical health issues for all ages. Her research expertise is in psychosocial oncology with families of children that had cancer and substance use prevention. She is a trainer for Strengthening Families Training Certification, Skill training program for substance abuse prevention professionals and teaches/ trains adjunct in the field of substance abuse, prevention and mental health for numerous colleges and educational institutions. She is a Registered Yoga Teacher and has been a Yoga practitioner for over 25 years.