Title: Fall Prevention Specialist Conference
Format: Virtual via Zoom
Date: October 15-17, 2024
Time: 9 am- 4:30 pm CST
Continuing Education Hours: 18 in Multiple IC&RC Domains
Price: $450
Registration Link: Click here to register
Schedule:
October 15th
1) 9:00-10:30- Get Unstuck: Using the 7 Strategies for Community Change to Invigorate Your Work– Rikki Barton, MAPS/ICRC
2) 10:30-12:00- Using Online Resources in the Jr High & High School Classrooms. – Trevon Norman, ACPS/ICPS and Danyelle Vasquez- ACPS
3) 1:30-3:00- It’s All Relative: How to Use Your Unique Talents and Skills to Enrich Your Prevention Programs– Amanda Hass, MA
4) 3:00-4:30- Creating a “Tearless” Logic Model– Kyle Evatt, CPS, MPA
October 16th
5) 9:00-10:30- Breaking Free: Reducing Teen Vaping Citations through Personal Resilience and Community Action. – Nathan Wray
6) 10:30-12:00- Uniting for Impact: Collaborative Strategies in Youth Substance Prevention and Recovery for Community Change. – Vicki Thomas, CPS, RSPS
7) 1:30-3:00- Prevention: A Lifelong Approach Across All Domains– Melanie Witkowski, M.S. Education, CPP
8) 3:00-4:30- Utilizing Data and Evaluation in Prevention– Drew Reynolds, PhD, MSW, MEd
October 17th
9) 9:00-10:30- The Intersection of Substance Use and Human Trafficking: A Road to Recovery. – Meagan Cothron, AS, CYC
10) 10:30-12:00- Impact of Substance Use Disorder & Addictive Behavior on Children & Families. – George Comiskey, Psy.D., LCDC, ICPS
11) 1:30-3:00- Policy and Prevention at the Local Level– Andrea Hoff, MPA, GPC, OCPC, ICPS
12) 3:00-4:30- Sharpening Your Facilitation Skills– Allison Sharer, OCPC
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) Get Unstuck: Using the 7 Strategies for Community Change to Invigorate Your Work
Description: Do you feel stuck in your prevention efforts? Are things same-old-same-old and lagging in progress toward your long-term goals? It’s time for a refresh of that strategic action plan with a fresh look at the 7 Strategies for Community Change. This evidence-based approach ensures the use of individual and environmental strategies that help coalitions create positive outcomes in their communities. Participants who are new to the field or are feeling sluggish about their efforts will get inspired to implement new activities or improve current efforts. Participants leave with the tools and resources necessary to examine their current activities and incorporate more wholistic approaches to ensure all 7 Strategies are in effect.
Presenter: Rikki Barton, MAPS/ICRC 1.5 hrs. in Domain 2 – Prevention Education and Service Delivery
Objectives- Participants will be able to define the 7 Strategies for Community Change and identify their essential role in primary prevention work.
2) Using Online Resources in the Jr High & High School Classroom
Description: In this workshop, we will explore the many options for online activities to use with any curriculum that is being administered in the high school classroom. We will explore, create, and even play in order to fully comprehend the tools that will be highlighted.
Presenters: Trevon Norman, ACPS/ICPS and Danyelle Vasquez- ACPS
1.5 hrs. in Domain 2 – Prevention Education and Service Delivery
Objectives- Participants will be able to design their own activities and use online games to help get the main points of their classroom lesson.
3) It’s All Relative: How to Use Your Unique Talents and Skills to Enrich Your Prevention Programs
Description: Each person in prevention brings a unique set of skills, experiences, and expertise to their position. But far too often, we feel that inner pressure to only do what has been done before or what has worked for others. However, we are missing an opportunity to apply our prevention programs using what makes us passionate. From art to science, tapping into our unique skills can make us better connect with communities, be a model, and advocate for unique solutions to problems.
But how do we tap into those skills and expertise? Through self-discovery and confidence building activities, participants will gain coping/thriving skills to better their prevention programs and their place in them. We will also be using lessons/activities that can be applied to their own programs to teach their communities. Activity sheets and deliverables will be available to download and use.
Participants will also have the opportunity workshop their more brazen and creative ideas for positive critique and help. Creativity and passion are pinnacles to prevention, but sometimes we just need a little support to take our next step!
Presenter: Amanda Hass, MA 1.5 hrs. in Domain 2 – Prevention Education and Service Delivery
Objectives- Participants will better understand how their skills and expertise can enrich their prevention programs and how to approach their work in a different way.
4) Creating a “Tearless” Logic Model
Description: Have you used a number of the highly developed logic model approaches and formats in writing federal and foundation grants, only to find yourself failing miserably when attempting to use these models collaboratively with community partners? In this workshop, we will utilize the “Tearless Logic Model” from the Community Psychology Practice and Research Collaborative, and Community Psychology Doctoral Program at Wichita State University as we prepare to help a hypothetical youth-serving organization develop a logic model with a group that included many high school age leaders. Instead of using a traditional approach, we will try a facilitated approach with an emphasis on visioning, grounded in appreciative inquiry and using common language. This process we use can be easily customized to fit the needs of different groups.
Presenter: Kyle Evatt, CPS, MPA 1.5 hrs. in Domain 1 – Planning and Evaluation
Objectives- Participants will be able to utilize the “Tearless” Logic Model approach to develop functional logic models with their community partners.
5) Breaking Free: Reducing Teen Vaping Citations through Personal Resilience and Community Action
Description: Nathan’s powerful journey from overcoming a 2.5 pack a day habit at the age of 25 to leading a significant reduction in middle school vaping citations will be the cornerstone of this engaging session.
Presenter: Nathan Wray 1.5 hrs. in Domain 4 – Community Organization
Objectives- Participants will be able to influence and contribute to school policy changes that reduce teen vaping citations and engage community members and stakeholders to create a collaborative effort against teen vaping..
6) Uniting for Impact: Collaborative Strategies in Youth Substance Prevention and Recovery for Community Change
Description: This session will explore innovative strategies to enhance community efforts in reducing substance use in young people and supporting recovery for those affected by addiction.
Presenter: Vicki Thomas, CPS, RSPS 1.5 hrs. in Domain 4 – Community Organization
Objectives- Participants will be able to advocate for policies and funding that enhance the community’s capacity for preventing and treating substance use disorders.
7) Prevention: A Lifelong Approach Across All Domains
Description: This workshop will provide a thorough dive into effective prevention approaches and strategies across the Lifespan from Preschool age students to Senior Citizens. First, the workshop will take a deeper dive on Evidenced-Based Curriculums, including PAX Good Behavior Game, Positive Action, Too Good For Drugs, Incredible Years, Teen Intervene Brief Intervention Program, Triple P Positive Parenting, Wellness Initiative for Senior Education and Team Awareness. Secondly, several Awareness Campaigns implemented by Prevention Works, Inc. and the HOPE Chautauqua Coalition will be shared including “Take It To The Box,” “If They Can’t Buy It Don’t Supply It” and the “One Pill Can Kill.” Lastly, the workshop will provide tips and tricks on increasing capacity to increase partnerships with local schools and other organizations, as well as how to market your message on Prevention.
Presenter: Melanie Witkowski, M.S. Education, CPP 1.5 hrs. in Domain 2 – Prevention Education and Service Delivery
Objectives- Participants will increase their knowledge of effective Prevention Programs across the Lifespan from Pre-K to Senior Citizens.
8) Utilizing Data and Evaluation in Prevention
Description: This workshop on data and evaluation focuses on preparing participants to 1) use public data to identify and track common measures in substance use prevention, and 2) develop strategies to collect data not currently available through public sources.
The workshop will use practical examples to help participants with a number of planning activities, including completing community assessments, building logic models, and preparing data and evaluation reports. Participants will receive a data and evaluation toolkit to assist them in their planning and evaluation work after the workshop is completed.
Presenter: Drew Reynolds, PhD, MSW, MEd 1.5 hrs. in Domain 1 – Planning and Evaluation
Objectives- Participants will be able to use public data to identify and track common measures in substance use prevention and develop strategies to collect data not currently available through public sources.
9) The Intersection of Substance Use and Human Trafficking: A Road to Recovery.
Description: More than 85% of victims of sex trafficking has utilized substances as a form of coping mechanism. Traffickers often will use the facilitation or control the access to those substances as a means of coercion to control their victims. This presentation takes a deep dive into 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 recruitment indicators and pipeline and vulnerable facilities, and how to support survivors for long-term, sustainable road to recovery.
Presenter: Meagan Cothron, AS, CYC 1.5 hrs. in Domain 2 – Prevention Education and Service Delivery
Objectives- Participants will be able to identify human trafficking, implement effective service provision and understand the impact of the intersection of substance use disorder and victims of human trafficking and indicators for recruitment for human trafficking within treatment facilities that address substance use disorder
10) Impact of Substance Use Disorder & Addictive Behavior on Children & Families.
Description: This session will define addiction and its impact on the family system–especially children. The session will conclude with an exploration of the poverty of spirit that is a byproduct of a home impacted with substance use and tools to reinvigorate the spirit leading to resiliency.
Presenter: George Comiskey, Psy.D., LCDC, ICPS 1.5 hrs. in Domain 6 – Professional Growth and Responsibility
Objectives- Participants will be able to identify the impact of addiction on the family system–especially children and garner resources to address the poverty of spirit and reinvigorate spirit leading to resiliency.
11) Policy and Prevention at the Local Level
Traditional prevention has historically focused on prevention professionals teaching individuals how to make healthy decisions to avoid early initiation of substance use and challenges with mental wellness. However, healthy individuals can only stay healthy for so long if they do not reside within healthy communities. Thus, preventionists must also promote environmental changes that enhance the health and wellness of entire communities. One such strategy that has been widely researched and shown to create broad-sweeping and long-lasting community-level change is the creation or modification of public policies, which can – and should – occur at the local (community) level. This session will provide an overview of policy efforts as an important tool in the prevention professional’s toolbox. Participants will leave this session with a thorough understanding of what public policy is and why it plays such an integral role in prevention. Most importantly, though, participants will learn both how to choose policy strategies as well as how to conduct policies strategies at the local and level.
Presenter: Andrea Hoff, MPA, GPC, OCPC, ICPS 1.5 hrs. in Domain 5 – Public Policy and Environmental Change
Objectives- Participants will be able to articulate why conducting policy efforts is such a powerful prevention tool for creating community-level change and define policy efforts in the context of prevention strategies.
12) Sharpening Your Facilitation Skills
Description: Many prevention practitioners are thrown into active work tasks and forced to develop their skills on the job. Facilitation is one of those skills that few people are taught and are somehow expected to just know how to do it. Join us as we dig into some of the key skills needed to facilitate meaningful discussions and to help participants surface and apply learning.
Presenter: Allison Sharer, OCPC 1.5 hrs. in Domain 3 Communication
Objectives- Participants will be able to facilitate the Experiential Learning Cycle to process activities and shared experiences with program participants and utilize a more diverse array of tools to facilitate meaningful discussions, including asking for feelings/opinions, paraphrasing, encouraging participation, asking for a summary, asking for clarification, asking for examples and exploring ideas in more detail.
Presenters:
1) Rikki Barton, MAPS/ICRC, has a passion for communicating essential messages to move individuals and communities onward in their goals. She is the Founder/Lead Consultant of Onward Consulting and holds the Missouri Advanced Prevention Specialist certification as well as international IC&RC certification. Rikki has over 14 years of prevention field experience and currently serves as a consultant to assist organizations, coalitions, and state/federal agencies in the areas of substance use prevention, suicide prevention, and mental health promotion. She has extensive experience working with community coalitions, providing training, grant writing, managing funding sources, and leading a team of preventionists. She holds a Bachelors degree from Pennsylvania State University and a Masters degree from Liberty University. In her free time, Rikki loves exploring the outdoors on hikes with her rescue dog, Oreo.
2) Trevon Norman, ACPS/ICPS, is a Prevention Specialist in Wichita Falls TX. He has been in prevention since 2016 and loves the dynamics of the High School classroom.
2) Danyelle Vasquez, ACPS, has been in Prevention for 6 years. She is an Advanced Certified Prevention Specialist who has implementation expertise in TGFD (Too Good For Drugs) and PA (Positive Action)
3) Amada Hass, MA is a Prevention Specialist with Cenikor Prevention located in Amarillo, Texas. She holds her Master’s of Art degree in history from Wayland Baptist University and her Bachelor’s of Science in University Studies from Eastern New Mexico University. Throughout her career in informal education, she has worked for 3 different non-profits, including the Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains, the Atomic Museum in Las Vegas, NV, and in her current position at Cenikor. She has created immersive and informative programs using her experiences and knowledge gained in her education and experiences in Las Vegas and New York City. When she is not creating programs, she challenges herself with outdoor activities, researching historical works, and writing for her history and education-based blogs.
4) Kyle Evatt, CPS, MPA is a Certified Prevention Specialist in the State of Arkansas. Kyle entered the field of prevention in March of 2020 after working for three years in youth treatment/residential facilities in the State of Missouri. During his time in the field of prevention, he has remained dedicated to bringing a new community focus to the health and safety of our youth through education and relationship building.
5) Nathan Wray, a former teen smoker, triumphed over a 2.5 pack a day habit at the age of 25. His journey unveils the profound impact nicotine had on his adolescent brain, leading to academic challenges and behavioral issues. Today, as a Prevention Coordinator for the Roane County Anti-Drug Coalition, Teen Vaping Cessation Specialist, and Motivational Speaker, Nathan is dedicated to transforming his experiences into powerful educational advocacy.
In his role as a Prevention Coordinator, Nathan actively engages in initiatives aimed at reducing teen vaping and preventing the initiation of harmful habits. His comprehensive approach addresses the root causes and fosters a supportive environment for healthier choices. Notably, Nathan has led the charge in his community to reduce middle school vaping citations by 61% from the 2022/2023 school year to the 2023/2024 school year.
Nathan’s story is not just one of overcoming challenges but also a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. His motivational speaking engagements at schools and conferences across the U.S. focus on the profound impact of adverse childhood experiences on emotional regulation and stress management. Nathan inspires students to manage stress effectively and highlights the transformative power of positive childhood experiences in reversing trauma.
6) Vicki Thomas, CPS, RSPS, is a Coalition Coordinator for the Circles of San Antonio Community Coalition at the San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Awareness. Vicki works to educate, advocate, and achieve policy changes at every level to keep our young people healthy, well, and substance free.
Ms. Thomas is a person in sustained recovery from an opioid use disorder and depression. As a person passionate about substance use prevention and recovery, Vicki shares her knowledge about prevention, harm reduction, and recovery to help the community find solutions so everyone can live safe and healthy lives. She is a member of the Texas Association of Addiction Professionals (TAAP), serves on the May’s Cancer Center Advisory Board, is on a National Institutes of Health Helping End Long-Term Addiction (HEAL) panel, a Representative for Mobilize Recovery and volunteer for Project SAFE. In her spare time, Ms. Thomas enjoys spending time with her two nieces and volunteering in local politics.
7) Melanie Witkowski, M.S. Education, CPP is the Executive Director at Prevention Works, a New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports provider in Chautauqua County. She received her M.S. in Education from Walden University and B.S. in Elementary Education from Fredonia State. Her career started at Prevention Works (Previously known as the Chautauqua Alcoholism & Substance Use Council) in 2005 as a Community Educator, providing Evidenced-Based Prevention Programming for social emotional learning, life skills, substance use and gambling prevention. She received her Credentialed Prevention Professional (CPP) certification in 2015. In addition to running Prevention Works, she is on the Board of Directors for the Western New York Chemical Dependency Consortium, on the Steering Committee of the Chautauqua Substance Abuse Response Partnership, on the HOPE Chautauqua Leaders Board, and a Past President Elect for the Dunkirk-Fredonia Rotary Club. Melanie is also a train the trainer of the Teen Intervene Brief Intervention Program and is certified to facilitate more than eight different Evidence-Based Drug and Alcohol Prevention Programs. Lastly, Melanie is a member of the WNY Health Leadership Fellows program, CoHort 10.
8) Drew Reynolds, PhD, MSW, Med PhD, MSW, MEd is Principal Consultant at Common Good Data, where he provides data and program evaluation services to nonprofits and the public sector. In his consulting work, he advises organizations in how to use data-driven decision-making to design and evaluate effective programs, secure funding, and improve community wellbeing. While he serves organizations across many sectors, Drew – a social worker – has developed an expertise in providing data and program evaluation services for organizations in prevention, mental health, human services, and education. Drew also advises organizations on how to improve data and evaluation activities through a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens that attends to the culturally, linguistically, and racially diverse contexts in which many organizations serve.
Drew co-hosts and produces the Common Good Data Podcast, a podcast for nonprofit and social sector professionals. Drew brings his expertise in social work and nonprofit practice to the classroom, serving as a part-time instructor at the Georgia State School of Social Work. He has published articles in peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Children and Poverty, Children and Youth Services Review, Population Research and Policy Review, and Child and Family Social Work. He previously served as Board Chair at The GLOBE Academy, a dual-language immersion charter school in Atlanta GA, helping to shepherd the acquisition of a ~$25M new campus for the Elementary School. Previously, Drew served on the Board as Academic Committee Chair from 2019-2022.
9) Meagan Cothron, AS-Human Services, CYC, Certified Recovery Coach, is the Region Coalition Coordinator of the Indiana Trafficking Victim Assistance Program (ITVAP), and Co-Founder of a recovery community organization, Recover Out Loud. She is a graduate from Ivy Tech Community College with a degree in Human Services, with a focus in Addiction Studies. She is a Certified Recovery Coach, serving 8 years in the field of substance abuse and mental health. Her career expertise has ranged in intake coordinator, case management, life skills and group facilitation, program development. She serves in her role as a region coalition coordinator in the scope of human trafficking work through advocacy, prevention, education and raising awareness to empower individuals to recover from the traumas of substance abuse to human trafficking, and every societal issue that impacts our communities.
10) George Comiskey, Psy.D., LCDC, ICPS, began teaching English, Speech and Drama in inner-city Kansas City, MO in 1983. George is a person in long-term recovery. 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 The Center for Students in Addiction Recovery since 2002, where he works with students in recovery, develops programs and provides outreach to the community.
11) Andrea Hoff, MPA, GPC, OCPC, ICPS 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, nonprofit leadership, and fundraising. Andrea has worked in the behavioral health field for over 29 years, is certified in Ohio as a behavioral health prevention consultant (OCPC) and international behavioral health prevention specialist (ICPS) and is a certified QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Instructor and Substance Abuse Prevention Skills Training (SAPST) Instructor. She is a coach for the Ohio Coaching and Mentoring (OCAM) Network, and she uses the Gallup Clifton Strengths assessments in her coaching work. Andrea is also a certified grants professional (GPC) with extensive experience in grant writing. She is a Past President of the Miami Valley, Ohio, Chapter of the Grant Professionals Association (GPA) and is an approved GPA speaker. During her career, Andrea raised over $50 million to support a variety of behavioral health services. She graduated summa cum laude with her Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Dayton.
12) Allison Sharer, OCPC has worked in the Prevention field since 1983. She is an independent trainer and consultant, and the President of Wingspan Training, LLC.
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.