COALITION NEWS

Prevent Coalition is excited to host the Elevate Youth Summit for the second year! This in-person event is designed for middle school aged youth (high school aged youth welcome). We invite prevention clubs, youth groups, teens and classes to join us in this youth gathering about empowerment, wellness, substance use prevention and more! Visit the event website for details about how to register, a shareable event flyer, and an agenda. Lunch will be provided!

Details:

Date: Thursday, May 30, 2024

Time: 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Location: Water Resource Center (4600 SE Columbia Way, Vancouver, WA 98661)

Registration: Visit event website. Opens 3/11/2024

Questions? Contact event organizer Paula Linden (paula.linden@esd112.org)

Event website: www.preventcoalition.org/elevateyouthsummit

Event flyer: Click here!

Season 2, Episode 2 is now available! Christopher and Paula interview Nicole Hamberger from SWACH (Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health) about her role, what an ACH is, and how communities can get involved with SWACH or their local ACH.

Season 2 Episodes:

• Episode 1 - Supporting Student Assistance Professionals
• Episode 2 - What's an ACH? (NEW!)

Season 1 Episodes:

• Episode 0 - Welcome
• Episode 1 - Rural Network
• Episode 2 - Policy Change
• Episode 3 - Secure Your Cannabis
• Episode 4 - "Better You Bingo" with special guests from Clark County STASHA!
• Episode 5 - Sweet & Sour
• Episode 6 - New Coordinator Orientation

Listen to all Prevent Coalition podcasts at preventcoalition.podbean.com or on Google Podcasts, the Apple Podcast app and other familiar streaming services. Episodes are also archived at preventcoalition.org/events/news/.

Consider adding the Prevent Coalition Podcast to your playlist! We're sharing stories and strategies to help coalitions and organizations reach their full potential.

Youth have easy access to e-cigarettes online through lax age verification and concealed deliveries. TikTok accounts promoting “discreet shipping” services that conceal e-cigarettes in cosmetics, candy, and beauty products attempt to circumvent age restrictions on e-cigarette sales as well as parental oversight, according to new Truth Initiative® research.

Read the full story by Truth Initiative.

Mark your calendar for National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW), March 18–24, 2024. NDAFW is an annual health observance that inspires dialogue about the science of drug use and addiction among youth. NDAFW provides an opportunity to bring together professionals, parents, and community members to address youth substance use. The event website contains lots of great resources for planning and promoting a NDAFW event.

Click here to learn more and see the NDAFW event resources.

Take Down Tobacco is Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids signature platform for empowering young people to fight Big Tobacco. Youth can work alongside elected leaders, parents, teachers, healthcare providers and advocates toward a tobacco-free generation. Whether hanging posters around school or holding a rally at the capitol, youth unite on April 1st each year to expose Big Tobacco.

The Campaign promotes three primary ways to get involved:

• Host an event to educate and raise awareness in your school or community.
• Share facts with paper-based media, on social media, or using other digital platforms.
• Contact elected representatives and advocate for commercial tobacco prevention.

Learn more about the campaign and find resources to assist with participation on the

National Day of Action website.

Sparkle Saturday is a free event for kids and teens who have been impacted by cancer – either from a personal diagnosis or that of a loved one. Attendees of Sparkle Saturday can participate in therapeutic arts activities and make friends with youth and counselors who are just like them! This event offered by Cancer Pathways is a half-day version of Camp Sparkle, which is a week-long summer camp offered at several locations in Washington.

Event Flyer: Click here to view printable event flyer.

When: March 16, 2024 (1pm - 2:30pm)

Where: Firstenberg Community Center Resource Room (700 NE 136 Ave, Vancouver, WA 98684)

Eligibility: Any child or teen in southwest Washington impacted by cancer, either a personal diagnosis or that of a loved one.

Cost: Free!

How to register: Visit cancerpathways.org/Vancouver to complete the online registration form, or email Michelle Massey, MSW, LICSW, OSW-C at michelle@cancerpathways.org.

Sixth grade students living in Cowlitz County are invited to attend a youth leadership & prevention summit. This year's conference will be keynoted by inspirational speaker Tyler Monk. Attendees can have fun with fellow students, participate in breakout sessions, group activities, and delve into the conference theme, "What's Your Why?". Free lunch provided!

When: Friday, March 22, 2024 (8:45am - 1:40pm)

Where: First Baptist Church (747 Wheeler St., Longview, WA 98632)

Who: For sixth grade students in Cowlitz County

Cost: Free!

How to Register: Mention this event to a school representative, or send an email of interest to event organizer Huyen Truong, huyen.truong@esd112.org.

Rede Group, on behalf of the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), is leading a Tobacco-Free Behavioral Health Initiative. They are conducting an assessment of behavioral health (BH) providers and facilities regarding policies and practices of commercial nicotine dependence treatment and recovery in the behavioral health system. They seek to understand and address the high levels of commercial tobacco/nicotine use in the BH population. Adults with BH conditions who smoke die about 5 to 15 years earlier than those without these conditions who don’t smoke. (CDC. 2021. Tobacco Use Among Adults with Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders).

Rede Group would be grateful for help informing behavioral health providers about this initiative. Please forward the survey flyer to BH providers in your area. You can also help by promoting it within your networks, newsletters, listserv, or on social media. If you would like a Rede Group representative to attend your coalition or association meeting to present about this initiative, please reach out to Audra Baca at the Rede Group at audra.baca@redegroup.co.

For those in a position to take the survey on behalf of a BH facility, please scan the QR code with this article or visit: http://tiny.cc/2yhcvz. If you have any questions or difficulties accessing the survey, please reach out to Audra Baca at the Rede Group at audra.baca@redegroup.co.

Two new lessons that address the growing problem of cannabis-filled vapes have been added to the Vaping: Know the truth tobacco prevention curriculum developed by Truth Initiative, the organization behind truth®, and Kaiser Permanente, in collaboration with EVERFI® from Blackbaud®, the leader in powering social impact through education.

The new lessons provide teachers with a trusted educational resource at a time when many of today’s teens are directly combining tobacco and cannabis use. The curriculum is used in schools across the United States and has enrolled more than one million students in less than three years.

Click the image to view a one pager overview or visit the curriculum website: https://everfi.com/courses/k-12/vaping-programs-for-high-school-students

RVO Health has updated their Live Vape Free youth vaping cessation program to now include 18-26 year olds! The website contains vaping prevention resources including health education, youth videos, tips for parents, and a link to the online youth cessation program. Older youth aged 18 and older who currently use a tobacco product may be eligible for free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products to help them quit.

Learn more at rallyhealth.com/live-vape-free.

The Indian Health Services and the National Cancer Institute launched SmokefreeNATIVE, a new, free evidence-based text-messaging tool for American Indian and Alaska Native adults and adolescents who want to quit smoking commercial tobacco. They also provide a social media toolkit to help communities and prevention advocates promote the new service.

View the SmokefreeNATIVE resources and others like it at smokefree.gov.

The Improving Cessation Treatment Workgroup with Washington Breathes developed a new fact sheet that focuses on:

This fact sheet can help educate about the harms of menthol and why so many people and organizations support a ban on menthol and all other flavored commercial tobacco products. More information about the impacts of flavors and policy solutions are available on the Washington Breathes Eliminate Flavors page. Learn more about Washington Breathes and how to get involved at washingtonbreathes.org.

Click here (or the image) to view the fact sheet.

The CDC provides training to help you understand, recognize, and prevent ACEs through their "Veto Violence" web pages. Specific training modules are available for mental health providers, medical providers, educators, and faith/religious communities. The modules use a combination of videos, web links, and documents to cover the material. Continuing education credits are available too!

Click here to visit the ACEs training materials or visit vetoviolence.cdc.gov to view this and more violence prevention resources.

First created in 2013, SAMHSA revised this toolkit for 2024. The primary purpose of this toolkit is to educate a broad audience on overdose causes, risks, and signs, as well as the steps to take when witnessing and responding to an overdose.

The 24-page guide provides clear, accessible information on opioid overdose reversal medications, such as naloxone.

Click here to download the guide.

This risk assessment by Partnership to End Addiction is designed to help parents better understand the risks their child may face related to mental health, well-being, personality, family history, and their environment. Parents can complete the assessment anonymously online in about 5 minutes.

Click here to view the assessment.

Click here to view the resource.

Started in 2002, Teens in the Driver Seat®(TDS) is a peer-to-peer safety program that educates teens about the top five dangers of teen driving to help them develop safer driving habits and prevent crashes, a leading cause of injury and death for young people.

The program uses peer pressure as a positive influence by having teens lead the program and spread awareness about teen traffic safety at their school. TDS helps teens build leadership skills and would make a great service project for student clubs. And that’s not all – students can earn up to $1,300 CASH for their school or organization, simply by participating in the program!

Each school that signs up will receive an educational toolkit with posters, banners, and other items for campus outreach - all at no cost to the schools thanks to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission and State Farm. Schools may claim their free program kit and sign up at https://www.t-driver.com/signup.

Youth aged 16-25 can also earn gift cards using the "You in the Driver Seat" (YDS) App. Youth earn points for the number of safe trips and miles driven which can be redeemed for gift card rewards. Links to download the app and more information can be found at www.t-driver.com/you-in-the-driver-seat-app.

For fact sheets and information about teen drivers visit targetzero.com, or reach out to your regional Target Zero representative.

The Washington State Legislature wrapped up the 2024 session on March 7th. However, anytime is a good time to better understand the legislative process. Grant County Health District developed a toolkit just for that purpose with support and endorsement from the Youth Cannabis and Commercial Tobacco Prevention Program (YCCTPP).

This toolkit is meant to serve as an educational resource and includes a compilation of knowledge, definitions, experiences, and guidance from several well-known players on the WA State prevention scene.

Click here (or the image) to view the toolkit.

The Health Assessment and Evaluation (HAE) team at Clark County Public Health (CCPH) works to develop a comprehensive understanding of health in our community and to translate data into action.

Our Services:

• Design of, or feedback on, data collection tools (i.e. surveys and focus groups). We can provide guidance on the questions you ask, how you ask, and audience considerations.
• Identify, access, and understand data sources. We can help you better understand populations by finding data you can use when developing presentations, grant proposals, or program plans.
• Data analysis & reporting. We can make sense of the data - numbers or concepts - so you can do the community work you do best.
• Evaluation of your programs/initiatives to determine effectiveness and quality improvement. We can help you demonstrate the effectiveness, or explore intend impacts of, your program, initiative, or policy.
• Present a professional and well-structured document. We can assist you in ensuring your data makes sense to, and resonates with, your audience.
• Technical assistance. We can identify the best methods, approaches for your project, and answer other questions about research, assessment, planning, or evaluation.

Learn more at clark.wa.gov/public-health/health-assessment-and-evaluation

Email us at cntyhealthHAE@clark.wa.gov

Read more in the article by Geographic Health Equity Alliance (CADCA).

The 2024 Rural Conference will take place on September 25 & 26, 2024 at the Yakima Convention Center, Yakima, WA. This will be the second Rural Conference and excitement is growing! Registration and agenda are still under development, however, the 2022 conference web page is still live and offers information to help anyone interested in learning more. Visit www.preventcoalition.org/ruralconference.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact us at preventcoalition@esd112.org.

Whether you have recently joined the Rural Network or are still thinking about it there is a resource available that will answer your commonly asked questions - our New Member Orientation Guide!

This guide describes our mission, vision, funding, 7 core principles, who we serve, and how to get involved. It also describes what our meetings are like and why you should join!

Learn all the details at smore.com/8eqhp

If you are interested in joining one or more activities below, please contact Abigail Wells, Rural Network Coordinator (abigail.wells@esd112.org) or preventcoalition@esd112.org. More information about these activities and the work of the Rural Network is available on the Rural Network website.

www.preventcoalition.org/rural

The full membership meets monthly on the last Tuesday from 2-3:30pm. This meeting is meant to engage network members, build connections across isolated communities, provide training to members and bring in guest speakers, we do policy work and have guest legislators come to meet rural volunteers, and we also do community-of-practice style activities where members share their experiences with one another or tackle tough issues collaboratively. These meetings are usually held virtually and open to the public, anyone is welcome to join.

This group meets monthly to prepare, design and plan for a statewide gathering of rural prevention professionals which happens every 2 years in Yakima, called the Rural Conference. We had our first ever conference last year convening our network members and the goal is to expand on that experience and make it even bigger and better than it already was. This committee gets to design theme, branding elements, activities that happen at the conference, agenda, speakers and more. This workgroup is hosted by the Rede Group, an event-planning subcontractor of Rural Network. The committee meets on a rotating schedule based on volunteer availability each month.

This is our newest Committee. It is tasked with reflecting and brainstorming around network member engagement. They will tackle questions such as, “Do our network members feel regularly and routinely engaged?”, “Are people feeling satisfied with our work?”, “Do people know how to get involved?”, “How can we get more members?”, “Do we have the right people at the table?”, “What barriers to engagement can we remove?”, etc. They will examine ways to improve and increase our engagement across rural communities. This committee is led by Steering Committee member Tammy Maine and will begin in March to April. The committee has not created a set schedule yet.

Our leadership team guides the work of the Rural Network, reflects on action plan progress, plans monthly meeting agenda, and evaluates the progress and outcomes of the program. We’re looking for more members to guide the work and get involved to increase our Steering capacity and keep the work sustained/strong. We meet monthly on the 1st Wednesday from 3-4:30 p.m. and are hoping to add 3-4 more members.

We have a Toolkit Workgroup meeting that is currently on pause due to funding delays and contract negotiations. This committee will eventually be run by the Montana Institute and is in charge of creating a Positive Community Norms (PCN) Campaign for rural communities statewide. Last year, this committee updated the Find Your Good campaign and created new messaging/media based on a rural youth survey they created and promoted.

Our staff holds a placeholder for an hour every month for people to come and brainstorm, bounce ideas off one another, or otherwise receive support or Technical Assistance from any/all our staff team. Sometimes you need a like-minded Coordinator to generate ideas, double check their action plan, troubleshoot a difficult sector representative, etc. We’re here to support you at these monthly time slots. Email Abigail Wells (abigail.wells@esd112.org) or preventcoalition@esd112.org to reserve this time with us.

Coalition Coordinators Meeting

TBD-No Meetings Scheduled

Virtual conference call by invitation.

For southwest region coalition coordinators.

Regional Network Meeting

TBD-No Meetings Scheduled

Virtual conference call by invitation.

For southwest region coalition coordinators.

Rural Network Meeting

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

2-3:30 p.m.

Online conference call

For Rural Network members by invitation

Rural Network Office Hours

Wednesday, April 3, 2024

1-2 p.m.

Online conference call

For Rural Network members to receive technical assistance

Rural Steering Committee

Wednesday, April 3, 2024

3-4:30 p.m.

Online conference call

Develop the plan, guide the implementation, evaluate the results.

All times are Pacific Standard Time (PST)

Relevant events not sponsored by Prevent Coalition:

PAVe

Dangers of Vaping: What Parents Need to Know

Webinar

Tuesday, March 12, 2024 (3pm, PT)

Cost: Free!

How to Register: Visit the registration page

At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to understand and recognize tobacco industry tactics targeting youth, explain the dangers of nicotine e-cigarettes/vapes, non-nicotine vapes, and other new tobacco product, know the steps to protect youth and how to advise others to get involved, and how to take action in communities.

WASAVP

SAPST (SPF Application for Prevention Success Training) workshop

In-person, Pasco Police Department (215 W. Sylvester Street, Pasco WA 99301)

March 19-21, 2024 (8:30 am - 5 pm) and March 22, 2024 (8:30 am -12:30 pm)

Cost: $650

How to Register: Please email Jennifer Dorsett to get more information or to register at jennifer.dorsett.sac@gmail.com or call (509) 851-1348.

This training will provide foundational knowledge and skills for using SAMHSA's Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF). Participants must also complete Introduction to Substance Misuse Prevention: Understanding the Basics (Pre-SAPST Course), a free online, self-paced course. Instructions for logging into the course will be provided with your registration confirmation.

PTTC

Opioids, Fentanyl, and Xylazine

Webinar

Monday, March 25, 2024 (12:30pm to 2pm, PT)

Cost: Free!

How to Register: Visit the registration page

At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to understand what illicitly manufactured fentanyl is and how it compares to other opioids, describe what Xylazine is and how it is used in illicit substances, recognize current drug use trends in the Northwest region, debunk common myths around occupational fentanyl exposure, naloxone safety, and the use of medications for opioid use disorder in adolescents.

PTTC

Alcohol and Social Injustice: The Untold Story

Webinar

March 26, 2024 (10:30am to 12pm, PT)

Cost: Free!

How to Register: Visit the registration page

In this webinar, participants will: Explore how inequity is infused in the history of alcohol policy, both globally and in the USA; Describe inequities in alcohol-related harms; Explore alcohol’s role in various types of violence; Describe how alcohol companies perpetuate and support inequities and social injustice, at national and local levels; Examine evidence-based alcohol policies that alleviate inequity and address social justice issues.

National Council for Mental Wellbeing

NatCon24

In-person, St Louis, Missouri

April 15-17, 2024

Cost: Full conference pass for members $875, non-members $1140

How to Register: Visit the conference website for all pricing options, registration, and more.

Renowned for its sought-after speakers and best-in-class curriculum, NatCon24 offers three days of learning, networking and access to experts. Engage with thousands of colleagues from across the country, participate in dozens of diverse, immersive and peer-led workshops, access hundreds of hours of premium content on trending topics, discover new technologies and tools to increase your impact, and contribute to conversations about the future of our field.

Stanford Medicine

5th Annual Teaching Cannabis Awareness & Prevention Virtual Conference

(Virtual)

April 17-18, 2024, 8am-2pm daily

Cost: $150 (adult early bird)

How to Register: Visit the conference registration webpage for more information.

The conference will focus on the intersection of cannabis, tobacco/nicotine, and vaping, both singular and co-use of these products by youth. Learn the latest research, reasons for use, health effects, and the latest available lessons for teaching cannabis, tobacco, and co-use education and prevention to elementary, middle- and high school-aged youth. This conference is for educators, TUPE Coordinators, community-based organizations, school administrators, healthcare providers, school resource officers, counselors, parents, and anyone else working with youth. Over 1400 attendees last year!

Rede Group

ToPCon - A Commercial Tobacco Prevention Conference

(Virtual)

May 20-22, 2024

Cost: $0-$195

How to Register: Visit the conference registration webpage for more information.

This national conference features emerging topics in commercial tobacco prevention and a preconference first day focusing on the fundamental. This national conference features emerging topics in commercial tobacco prevention during the traditional day two and three of the conference and a first day pre-conference session focusing on the fundamentals of tobacco prevention. With dynamic content for professionals at any stage in their career, ToPCon will be a site for dialogue around prevention best practices, strategies for policy change, engaging community, health equity, and much more. Join the discussion!

The Montana Institute

Expanding the Circle: Creating Space for Hope, Health, and Connection

In-Person, Yellowstone Conference Center at the Big Sky Resort, Big Sky, Montana

Also available via livestream

July 16-19, 2024

Cost: In-Person: $995. Virtual only, $525

How to Register: Visit the Montana Institute website for more information

Reshape the way you approach community health and well-being at the 2024 Montana Summer Institute. Join us onsite or online and learn how to foster hope, cultivate health, and strengthen connections to build healthier, safer, and more positive communities for all.

CADCA

2024 Mid-Year Training Institute

In-person, Chicago, Illinois

July 14-18, 2024

More details for this event are forthcoming...

National Prevention Network

NPN Conference

In-person, Arizona Grand Resort, Phoenix, AZ

August 13-15, 2024

Cost: $899

Registration: Opens April 1st. Visit website: https://npnconference.org/

The purpose of the NPN Conference is to highlight the latest research in the substance use prevention field. It provides a forum for prevention professionals, coalition leaders, researchers, and federal partners to share research, best practices and promising evaluation results for the purpose of integrating research into prevention practice.

Pacific Southwest PTTC

Media in Prevention

(3-Part Webinar Series)

On-demand, click link below to view

No Fee

Webinar 1: Social Media Best Practices
Webinar 2: Media Literacy as a Practical and Transferrable Skill
Webinar 3: Using Media in Substance Misuse Prevention

This three-part webinar series aims to do this by helping participants better understand core concepts such as media literacy, social media strategies, and the role of advertising in substance use, and develop skills to think critically about social media, its’ messages, and its role in prevention.

NW PTTC

Ethics in Prevention Foundations

(Virtually moderated 6-hour course)

Repeats monthly, visit website for next session!

No Fee, Limited Space Available

This two-week, asynchronous moderated course, adapted from the original SAMHSA Center for Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT) course, explores the six principles of the Prevention Code of Ethics. The course also introduces a decision-making process to help practitioners apply this code to a variety of ethical dilemmas, and an online discussion area to facilitate discussion with other course participants. Course meets requirements for prevention specialist credentialing.

View ongoing training and events at https://pttcnetwork.org.

NW PTTC

Special Topics in Prevention of Substance Misuse

(Self-paced courses)

A large selection of online, on-demand courses that explore special topics in prevention of substance misuse that will better-equip prevention professionals & coalitions to serve their communities.

Access the courses via the HealtheKnowledge.org website.

NW PTTC

Pharmacology for Prevention Professionals

(Self-paced course)

Explore the basics of how substances impact major brain regions and the acute and chronic symptoms associated with different substances. Certificates of 1.5 hours for each of the following four courses: Basics of Pharmacology and Alcohol, Basics of Pharmacology and Opioids, Basics of Pharmacology and Psychostimulants (Cocaine & Methamphetamine), and Basics of Pharmacology and Cannabis.

Learn more and enroll via the HealtheKnowledge.org website.

Supported by fiscal agent ESD 112, Prevent Coalition is a regional coalition formed in 2003 to increase collaboration, awareness, and reduce youth substance use in Southwest Washington. Prevent Coalition also implements initiatives for rural communities across Washington state. As a community mobilizer, our coalition creates a culture promoting healthy choices; advocates for policies and regulations that protect, empower and nurture youth; and facilitates positive opportunities for youth to be involved and thrive.

Email: preventcoalition@esd112.org
Website: www.PreventCoalition.org
Location: 2500 NE 65th Ave., Vancouver, WA, USA
Phone: 360-952-3457
Facebook: Facebook.com/PreventCoalition
Twitter: @supportyouthnow