Fall 2021 Prevention Specialist Conference - Prevention Training Services

Welcome to the Fall 2021 National Prevention Specialist Conference

This virtual conference begins October 12th at 9:00 am CDT

All virtual workshops are scheduled in Central Time. CDT Click to use the time zone converter , then enter Texas, Houston

Schedule

Tuesday – October 12th
1) 9:00- 10:30    Self-Care in Crisis & Beyond for Prevention Professionals
2) 10:30- 12:00   Advocacy and Lobbying: Walking the Line (Prevention Ethics)
3) 1:30- 3:00       Alternatives to teaching prevention; using graphic medicine to discuss vaping prevention in classroom and informal settings
4) 3:00- 4:30       Vaping and the Search for Connection

Wednesday – October 13th
5) 9:00-12:00 Social Norms Campaign- An Approach to Behavior Change
6) 1:30- 4:30 Prevention Ethics and Social Media

Thursday – October 14th
7) 9:00- 10:30 Culture is the Strategy: Leading Your Prevention Team to Achieve Your Goals
8) 10:30- 12:00 Preventing Drug Use Among College Students: The Importance of Strategic Planning
9) 1:30- 3:00 Resiliency!
10) 3:00- 4:30 Pressing Play After the (Not So Great) Pausedemic

Friday – October 15th
11) 9:00- 10:30 Effectively Engaging Youth in Community Change
12) 10:30- 12:00 The Impact of Substance Use Disorder and Addictive Behavior on Families and Children. (ATOD Specific)
13) 1:00-4:30 CPS Exam Prep Course

Workshop Descriptions & Objectives

Tuesday – October 12th

Workshop One 9:00- 10:30 Self-Care in Crisis & Beyond for Prevention Professionals

Presenter: Mary Kate Chapman, Internationally Certified Prevention Specialist (ICPS), Prevention Credentialing Consortium of Georgia (PCCG) President

Pivot. After living through a global pandemic, do you absolutely HATE that word? We are in a constant state of pivoting, figuring out what today’s “new normal” looks like, and simply trying to keep our heads above water. In order to keep doing good by our communities and the prevention field, we must show up for ourselves – on a daily basis! Join us for this interactive webinar to explore what self-care truly looks like and just how easy it is to incorporate on the regular. Participants will learn Positive Psychology concepts; learn techniques for managing stress, especially in a time of crisis; and identify ways to incorporate daily self-care practices for our “new normal.”

Participants will learn Positive Psychology concepts and learn techniques for managing stress, especially in a time of crisis and identify ways to incorporate daily self-care practices for our “new normal.”

Workshop Two 10:30- 12:00 Advocacy and Lobbying: Walking the Line Presenter: Sandra Del Sesto, M.ED, ACPS

The Prevention Code of Ethics tells that we “should be proactive on public policy and legislative issues.” Simultaneously, prevention programs are prohibited from lobbying when operating under federal funding. This workshop will assist participants in discerning the fine line between non-lobbying advocacy and lobbying. Guidelines for providers and coalitions will be explained and resources provided.

Upon successful completion of this training the participant will be able to:
Define non-lobbying advocacy and lobbying within the context of funded.
List advocacy guidelines for actions that promote wellness and prevent substance misuse and related behavioral health problems.

Workshop Three 1:30- 3:00 Alternatives to Teaching Prevention; using graphic medicine to discuss vaping prevention in classroom and informal settings. Presenter: Sarah Johnson, PPS, BA, BS

Vaping trends are constantly changing, and addressing vaping with young people is a challenge many prevention specialists face. To help meet students where they are around this topic, the New England PTTC created a graphic novel with vaping specific prevention science throughout – a subgenre of graphic novels called graphic medicine. We chose graphic medicine as a medium to talk about vaping prevention because we know presenting ideas in a graphic format is helpful to the engagement, retention, and enjoyment of students, and is accessible to a wider variety of students, such as those who struggle with reading and those who speak English as a second language.

This graphic medicine was created with two driving goals:
1: To be used as a tool for substance misuse prevention, specifically for vaping prevention.
2: To be read and enjoyed as relatable glimpses into the lives of five young people in New England.

The students of the Tobacco Free Rhode Island Youth Ambassadors who shaped and reviewed the novel identified a variety of themes they found readable and interesting for the story to be centered around, including:

Relatability
Anti-Stereotypes
Fantasy + Reality
Character Development
Likeable characters that don’t always make the “right” choice

We wanted to create a story with prevention messages that teens could read and discuss, so the story had to be driven by teens to reach that goal.

In this training, we will discuss the graphic medicine and how to order a copy, how it was written and how it can be used, as well as go over many of the tools that are available to support its use in a classroom or in a community setting. We will also practice facilitation skills around the tool so those who wish to use the tool with students feel confident in facilitating conversations around it.

Workshop Four 3:00- 4:30 Vaping and the Search for Connection Presenters: Jonathan Edwards, MEd, LPC Associate, CPS, JSO. and Hayley Olson-MEd, LPC-Associate, PSC.

The trend of vaping and e-cigarettes has been an ever growing phenomenon. This challenge places much strain on educators and practitioners to provide programing to combat this issue. To properly tackle this issue we will discuss the search for connection and relationships that drives teenagers to vape. By creating an understanding of the social psychology of vaping educators and treatment professional will be better equipped to address the needs in their community.

Upon successful completion of this training the participant will be able to:
Participants will gain a further understanding of the data concerning vapes and e-cigarettes.
Participants will gain an understanding on the social psychology that influences teens to be attracted to vaping.

Wednesday – October 13th

Workshop Five 9:00-12:00 Social Norms Campaign- An Approach to Behavior Change Presenter: Mitchell Moore BAT, LCDC, ADC III, ACPS

A Social Norms Campaign is one way to correct certain misperceptions of norms and promote positive social norms or behavior. The truth is most students are making good choices. Peers can be a strong influence, so when a student sees that most students are doing something different than them, they might reconsider their choices. We do this by taking norms data and letting students know the truth about what they and their peers are actually doing. It is an excellent project for a school or community because it shows the positive things that youth are doing.

Upon successful completion of this training the participant will be able to:
Define the purpose of using a social norms campaign
List steps to plan a school or community based campaign

Workshop Six 1:30- 4:30 Prevention Ethics and Social Media Presenter: Sandra Del Sesto, M.ED, ACPS

As use of social media as a communications tool grows, so too has its adoption by the prevention field. Prevention practitioners currently use social media to connect and collaborate with colleagues, partners, and the people we serve; to design, deliver, and evaluate our prevention efforts, and to promote our messages and work. In doing so, it’s important to apply the same code of ethics we apply to our face-to-face encounters to this venue. This workshop highlights some considerations for applying the Prevention Code of Ethics to our social media activities in our prevention work.

Upon successful completion of this training the participant will be able to:
Define social media and identify three ethical issues in prevention related to social media
List guidelines for using social media in prevention work

Thursday – October 14^th

Workshop Seven 9:00- 10:30 Culture is the Strategy: Leading Your Prevention Team to Achieve Your Goals. Presenter: Dave Closson M.S.

Culture is one of the most powerful forces on the planet. We sense its presence inside successful organizations, teams, and thriving families. We also sense when it’s absent or toxic. This session will dive into how you can unlock the power of culture within your prevention team. You’ll learn 3 skills and 4 principles for growing an extraordinary team culture that achieves its goals. Lastly, participants will be guided through an interactive experience to create a unique picture of their personalities, strengths, and weaknesses that lead to improving team communication and collaboration.

Participants will learn skills that Produce Extraordinary Team Cultures, Understand the Four Principles for Team Growth and Success and Identify Strengths & Development Areas to Improve Team Dynamics.

Workshop Eight 10:30- 12:00 Preventing Drug Use Among College Students: The Importance of Strategic Planning Presenters: Rich Lucey & Dave Closson M.S.

This session will feature an overview of current drug use rates among college students; an overview of DEA’s strategic planning guide to preventing drug misuse among college student; and current and future resources from DEA and national organizations to support your prevention efforts. This interactive session will encourage dialogue with the attendees about successes and challenges they face in preventing drug misuse among college students.

Participants will learn in-depth information about the Strategic Prevention Framework’s five steps, including the underlying foundations of cultural competence/cultural humility and sustainability, and its applicability to prevent drug misuse among college students. Participants will also learn about current and future resources to support efforts to prevent drug misuse among college students.

Workshop Nine 1:30- 3:00 Resiliency! Presenter: Maura McGowan, CPS

Resilience is a capacity we can cultivate, grow, and strengthen. Understand the role that resilience plays in a crisis and identify multiple simple strategies for building your resilience capacity.

Participants will be able to define resilience as a psychological concept, including the idea that it is a capacity we can cultivate, grow, and strengthen.

Participants will also understand the role that resilience plays in a crisis and identify multiple simple strategies for building their resilience capacity.

Workshop Ten 3:00- 4:30 Pressing Play After the (Not So Great) Pausedemic Presenter: Susie Reece susiereece.org

Let’s face it, this past year (going on two) has been hard, harder than hard. Many of us had to learn new skills, uproot our routines, or even start completely over. We’ve lost a lot, And even though times are still uncertain, one thing is clear, emotion is at an all time high in the world.

Some of us are worn out, tired of the never-ending negative news, and struggling to connect with who we once were. Some of us are feeling the pressure to jump back into our old habits without acknowledging everything we have endured, or even accomplished. What’s happened to YOU through the pandemic? Loss, grief, confusion, disconnection? Have you taken the time to process the past two years? What has your pause button looked like and are you still in a state of timeout?

Reece helps you take a moment for you so you can get ready to press play, reconnect, and get back to yourself. Because we all deserve to take care of ourselves a bit extra right now.

Participants will assess any new positive skills, knowledge, or mindsets they may have gained this past year.

Participants will begin to shift into a goal planning mindset and conceptualize how they will move forward over the next few months, while celebrating the lessons they’ve learned.

Friday – October 15^th

Workshop Eleven 9:00- 10:30 Effectively Engaging Youth in Community Change Presenter: Alicia Rosas, B.S.

When youth and adults work together, people take notice. This training will discuss strategies that coalitions can implement to effectively engage youth in their substance use prevention efforts at the community level. Positive Youth Development is an approach that recognizes, utilizes, and enhances young people’s strengths. Following Texans for Safe and Drug-Free Youth’s Guide to Effective Engagement, participants will learn about activities that will advance their organization’s strategic goals while actively engaging with youth. Specifically, TxSDY will showcase 1) the Youth Leadership Council members’ application of activities and prevention strategies in their communities (including virtual examples), and 2) TxSDY’s virtual regional Zero Alcohol for Youth Academies as a mechanism for engaging, training, and building strong youth coalition members.

Upon successful completion of this training the participant will be able to:
Identify three activities/environmental strategies that youth can play an active role in with a coalition
Recognize characteristics of effective youth and adult partnerships and use the Guide to Effective Engagement to implement these key strategies within a coalition.

Workshop Twelve 10:30- 12:00 The Impact of Substance Use Disorder and Addictive Behavior on Families and Children. (ATOD Specific) Presenter: George Comiskey Psy.D., LCDC, ICPS

In this session, participants will explore the manifiestation of addiction within the family system and it’s impact on children. Treatment for the entire family will be discussed focusing on the poverty of spirit and circle of compassion born out of recovery capital throughout the communities in which we live.

Participants will explore the development of addiction, understand the challenges for the entire family treatment and embrace the concept of recovery capital. Participants will also identify how addiction manifests itself within the family system and on children and identify resources to support children growing up impacted by addiction.

Workshop Thirteen 1:00-4:30 CPS Exam Prep Course Presenters: Julie Stevens, MPS, ACPS, ICPS and Mitchell Moore BAT, LCDC, ADC III, ACPS

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.

Presenter Bios

Tuesday – October 12th

9:00- 10:30 Self-Care in Crisis & Beyond for Prevention Professionals

Presenter: Mary Kate C. Chapman serves as GUIDE’s Associate Executive Director of Positive Youth Development. Mary Kate is responsible for oversight of the Youth Advisory Board; customized training events for both youth and adults; the coordination of various conferences including the Georgia Afterschool & Youth Development Conference; and GUIDE’s annual youth leadership conference, Georgia Teen Institute (GTI). Mary Kate began her journey with GUIDE when she was 17 years old as a GTI participant. She continued to volunteer and serve as a trainer for GUIDE in various capacities and is now happy to call GUIDE home.

Mary Kate is an Internationally Certified Prevention Specialist through the Prevention Credentialing Consortium of Georgia and regularly trains others in the Core Courses required by PCCG.

Mary Kate holds a Master of Art in Liberal Studies (English) from Clayton State University and a Bachelor of Science in Communications (Media Studies) from Kennesaw State University. She has presented at local, state and national conferences and is an active member of the National Society of Leadership and Success.

10:30- 12:00 Advocacy and Lobbying: Walking the Line

Presenter: Sandra Del Sesto, M.ED, ACPS

Sandra Puerini Del Sesto, M.Ed, CPSS, is a consultant and master trainer in behavioral health and strategic planning for non-profits. 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 a member of the Board of Directors 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 the SAMHA/CAPT’s 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.

1:30- 3:00 Alternatives to Teaching Prevention; using graphic medicine to discuss vaping prevention in classroom and informal settings.

Presenter: Sarah Johnson, PPS, BA, BS

Sarah Johnson is the New England PTTC Training Project Coordinator and author of In the Air. Sarah has worked in the prevention field in a variety of roles, from outreach and communications for a Drug Free Communities grantee in Central Maine, to a community coordinator in child abuse and neglect prevention, to her current role in training and technical assistance for the New England substance misuse prevention workforce. Sarah has a BA in Social Science and a BS in Public Administration from the University of Maine at Augusta and is perusing an MA in Peace and Reconciliation studies at the University of Maine. Sarah was the 2021 winner of the Maine Public Health Association Public Health Rising Star Award. Sarah enjoys writing and theatre, and was excited to bring those elements of storytelling to this prevention science-based product.

3:00- 4:30 Vaping and the Search for Connection

Presenters: Jonathan Edwards, MEd, LPC Associate, CPS, JSO.

Jonathan Edwards is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate, a Certified Prevention Specialist and a certified Juvenile Supervision Officer. He is the program director for Hub City Outreach Center, a Counselor Intern at Garza County Juvenile Center and provides Direct Care at the Texas Boys Ranch. Jonathan Edwards provides prevention education for at-risk youth and their families, AOD and Crisis counseling, and direct care for youths in the foster system. After receiving his Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling at Texas Tech University, Jonathan began working on his doctorate at Texas Tech University in Counselor Education. In addition to this career and academic pursuits, Jonathan enjoys writing books, reading, playing video games and mentoring youth in West Texas.

Hayley Olson-MEd, LPC-Associate, PSC.

Wednesday – October 13th

9:00-12:00 Social Norms Campaign- An Approach to Behavior Change

Presenter: Mitchell Moore BAT, LCDC, ADC III, ACPS

Mitchell is a dynamic educator who has a passion for training people and serves those who serve by designing and delivering training and 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 and executive director of a charitable organization.

In 2019, he was awarded the Texas Prevention Specialist of the Year.

1:30- 4:30 Prevention Ethics and Social Media

Presenter: Sandra Del Sesto, M.ED, ACPS

Thursday – October 14^th

9:00- 10:30 Culture is the Strategy: Leading Your Prevention Team to Achieve Your Goals.

Presenter: Dave Closson M.S.

Dave Closson is the owner of DJC Solutions, LLC, a modern-day consulting company with a combined focus on serving substance misuse prevention professionals, law enforcement officers, and military veterans across the United States. He is the author of “Motivational Interviewing for Campus Police” and was chosen as one of the few Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) #StillServing Heroes nationwide.

Dave is also Co-Director of the Mid-America Prevention Technology Transfer Center which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. His PTTC serves as a prevention catalyst, empowering individuals and fostering partnerships to promote safe, healthy, and drug-free communities across Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas.

He was previously a Training/Technical Assistance Specialist for SAMHSA’s Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT). Before joining CAPT, Dave was Assistant Director of the Illinois Higher Education Center for Alcohol, Other Drug, and Violence Prevention.

Dave brings a unique experience to substance misuse prevention, having served as a university police officer at Eastern Illinois University. Dave was deployed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While spending a year in Iraq with his infantry battalion and his recon team, he earned the Combat Infantryman’s Badge and was awarded two Army Commendation Medals (one for valor and one for meritorious service).

Training, coaching, and helping others is what he does best!

10:30- 12:00 Preventing Drug Use Among College Students: The Importance of Strategic Planning

Presenters: Rich Lucey & Dave Closson

With three decades of experience working in the drug misuse prevention field, 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 adviser 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 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. Rich began his career working for the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (now Office of Addiction Services and Supports), overseeing the state’s efforts to prevent alcohol and drug misuse among college students.

Dave Closson is director of the Mid-America Prevention Technology Transfer Center, which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The PTTC serves as a prevention catalyst, empowering individuals and fostering partnerships to promote safe, healthy, and drug-free communities across Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas. Dave brings a unique experience to substance misuse prevention, having served as a police officer at Eastern Illinois University. Dave is proud to have served in the Illinois Army National Guard for 6 years, and he was deployed under Operation Iraqi Freedom.

1:30- 3:00 Resiliency!

Presenter: Maura McGowan, CPS

Maura McGowan, CPS is the Program Director of the NH Teen Institute, a non-profit agency whose mission is to empower youth through personal leadership development and community engagement. Maura has worked in the field of prevention since 2002 when she began facilitating prevention education programs for youth and families through the Child Assault Prevention (CAP) Program, Active Parenting Series, and The Parenting Journey. Maura became involved with the NH Teen Institute in 2008 and began volunteering for programs and working on a curriculum updating and development board. In 2017, Maura became Program Director for the agency in charge of youth programming and volunteer engagement. Maura believes strongly in the importance of prevention and works to increase her own knowledge and skills while educating others.

3:00- 4:30 Pressing Play After the (Not So Great) Pausedemic

Presenter: Susie Reece

Reece is a seasoned inspirational speaker, resiliency coach, suicide prevention strategist, consultant and published author.

As Founder & CEO of Speak Fearlessly Always, a consulting and social issues awareness organization, Reece appreciates the crucial need for mental health resiliency awareness on a professional level. She also understands it all too well personally. Susie dealt with major depression stemming from multiple traumas and losses suffered during her early childhood.

Reece’s lived experience inspires others to overcome the fear that deters most from expressing their truth. Her life’s work inspires others to safely engage in the healing process that occurs upon sharing the challenging stories of their lives, while strengthening mental health resilience.

Friday – October 15^th

9:00- 10:30 Effectively Engaging Youth in Community Change

Presenter: Alicia Rosas, B.S.

Alicia Rosas has served as the Youth Engagement Specialist at Texans for Safe and Drug-Free Youth (formerly Texans Standing Tall) since 2018. In this role, she oversees a statewide youth leadership organization focused on preventing underage alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use in Texas. In addition, Alicia oversees the development of youth prevention programming, activities and events for the organization. Alicia has served on various statewide substance use prevention teams over the past 10 years as a young adult volunteer, including Extreme Youth Leadership and TxSayWhat! (Students, Adults, and Youth Working Hard Against Tobacco). She received her undergraduate education in Community, Family, and Addiction Sciences and Youth Development from Texas Tech University and is currently pursuing a graduate certificate in Youth Program Management and Evaluation. Alicia is passionate about promoting health and wellbeing among herself and others in her community.

10:30- 12:00 The Impact of Substance Use Disorder and Addictive Behavior on Families and Children. (ATOD Specific)

Presenter: George Comiskey, Psy.D., LCDC, ICPS

George began teaching 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.

1:00-4:30 CPS Exam Prep Course

Presenters: Julie Stevens, MPS, ACPS, ICPS and Mitchell Moore BAT, LCDC, ADC III, ACPS

Julie Stevens 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. 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.

Mitchell is a dynamic educator who has a passion for training people and serves those who serve by designing and delivering training and across America.

In 2019, he was awarded the Texas Prevention Specialist of the Year.

He is currently an independent contractor, a beekeeper and volunteers his time as a board member for Prevention Training Services.