Thursday, September 26 Agenda
Morning Keynote Speaker
Dr. Shawn Ginwright launched the Connections in Prevention with great enthusiasm. Dr. Ginwright’s introduction of the concept of "healing-centered engagement" in 2018 has revolutionized the field, providing an asset-based approach to addressing youth trauma and fostering resilience. His groundbreaking work on trauma, healing, and the empowerment of African American youth has earned him a reputation as an innovator, provocateur, and thought leader in the field of education.
Workshop Session 1
Cannabis Policy in Illinois - State and Local Updates
This workshop examined the landscape of cannabis policy in Illinois four years after legalization.
Microagression
This workshop provided a clear definition of microaggressions and how they manifest in our communities.
Indiana's Mobile Integrated Response System (MIRS): Impacts on the Opioid Crisis
This presentation provided an overview of the MIRS program and its impacts on the opioid crisis and offer insights into how other communities can replicate the program.
Integrating Harm Reduction Across the Prevention Continuum
This interactive workshop empowered participants with practical insights, actionable strategies, and a strengthened commitment to infusing harm reduction across the prevention continuum within their community.
The Circle of Care: Addressing Our Children's Grief and Loss
This discussion of support and learning about the opportunities for building a Circle of Care within your organizations, communities, schools, and faith-based groups. Information of how to link with the resources and training available for wellness with age-appropriate strategies and resources was provided.
Afternoon Keynote Speaker
Dr. Graham kicked off our afternoon of learning with an inspiring and motivating presentation. Dr. Graham has conducted community-based research and evaluation to address the impact of substance use, violence, and inequities on youth and their communities. He has investigated the effects of witnessing community violence, the development of ethnic identity among African American male adolescents, the effectiveness of science-based interventions to reduce youth substance use, and the impact of comprehensive school-based interventions and services to promote healthy child development
Workshop Session 2
Addressing Alcohol Access through Partnerships
This workshop shared the foundations of a partnership formed between the Alcohol Policy Resource Center at Prevention First and the Division of Enforcement at the Illinois Liquor Control Commission. This team has trained hundreds of officers and created a youth training toolkit for officers to use with their underage compliance check volunteers. They also shared the efforts to build law enforcement’s capacity to reduce youth retail access to alcohol.
Building Resilience: Addressing Racial Discrimination, Coping Strategies, and Behavioral Health Among Urban BIPOC Adolescents
This workshop offered a comprehensive exploration of the challenges facing urban BIPOC adolescents, focusing on racial discrimination, coping strategies like John Henryism, and behavioral health conditions. Participants gained insights into recognizing and combating racial injustices, supporting healthy coping behaviors, and addressing mental health stigma.
Bridging Primary Prevention and Harm Reduction: Engaging Youth Across the Continuum of Care
This workshop took a fresh look at nationally representative data on youth substance use behaviors that show for adolescents, all substance use is closely connected and that, more than ever, young people are choosing not to use substances. They also explored how communities have begun to amplify the voices of adolescents in primary prevention while holding space for the lifesaving tools of harm reduction.
Empowering Youth-Led Prevention
In this presentation, participants explored the benefits of youth and adult-led partnerships and how to enable communities to foster proactive prevention strategies led by youth. They shared how to use youth's powerful energy and influence to show you how you can create an atmosphere of positive peer support while recognizing youth as part of the solution.
Use Sector-Specific Outreach and Engagement Strategies to Amplify Your Impact
This session dove into the art and science of effective outreach and engagement strategies using two case studies that showcase the power of community sector involvement. It helped answer the question, how do you develop both breadth and depth in sector representation and engagement.
Workshop Session 3
What's With Teen Vaping? A Nicotine and Cannabis Vaping Overview
This session discussed nicotine and cannabis vaping, what they are, and how misuse and addiction develop. It also addressed how e-cigarettes and cannabis are marketed to teens with prevention and treatment strategies for teens around vaping.
Impaired and Disctracted Driving Prevention Policy in Your High Schools
Using the Strategic Prevention Framework, participants in this session walked through the collaborative efforts between a Coalition, NHTSA, high school administration, and law enforcement, resulting in approved parent/guardian/student contracts and parking passes. Everyone left this ession with all the tools needed to enhance impaired and distracted driving prevention in their community.
Youth Engagement: The Secret to Effective Culture Change
In this workshop, participants heard how Catalyst, a 140-member strong youth prevention group, is changing the culture around substance use at Stevenson High School and the surrounding communities. Every participant left with a blueprint for how to get a youth group started, strategies to keep youth engaged, and innovative ideas for creating effective culture change in their own schools and communities.
Recovery Friendly Workplaces in Rural Communities
This interactive workshop explored the transformative potential of becoming a Recovery Friendly Workplace in rural communities. They covered the importance of mental health and substance use prevention, the impact of inclusive policies, and the role of community engagement in creating a thriving, supportive workforce.
Brain Architecture and Considerations of Trauma-Informed Care
This engaging workshop provided an understanding of the powerful role of experiences on early brain development – what promotes it, what derails it, and potential societal outcomes.
Friday, September 27 Agenda
Workshop Session 4
Community Gardening and Prevention
This workshop offered an in-depth overview of Prevention First’s Community Gardening Initiative (CGI) while exploring the multifaceted roles gardening plays in prevention and horticulture therapy. Participants gained a comprehensive understanding of how community gardens can serve as a tool for improving public health and fostering community cohesion.
Illinois Prevention Network-ing
Participants learned about the Illinois Prevention Network (IPN) in this workshop. They were given the opportunity to discuss current initiatives with other prevention professionals.
Performance-Based Substance Use Prevention
Helping athletes understand the risks associated with substance use, participants learned how to deliver strategies to strengthen mental wellness, increase refusal skills, and develop self-confidence. We learned how the Illinois Human Performance Project and The IL HPP Prescription Playbook have successfully provided prevention education efforts through the lens of performance in counties across Illinois!
Prevention, Meet "SAMHSA Harm Reduction Framework for People Who Use Drugs (PWUD)"
SAMHSA Harm Reduction Framework for People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) is the first document to comprehensively outline harm reduction and its role within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Participants in this workshop learned of how harm reduction intersects with prevention, treatment, and recovery and how the Framework informs SAMHSA policies, programs, and practices.
Opioid Overdose: Recognition, Response, and Reversal
Session participants learned about the factors contributing to the recent opioid overdose epidemic.
Workshop Session 5
The Substance Misuse/Mental Health Connection
This workshop explored the relationship between substance misuse and mental health, their shared risk and protective factors, and why we do ourselves and our communities a disservice to think of them as separate and unrelated issues.
Making Collaborative Advocacy Work
In this workshop, the 13 C's of how to be an effective advocate was shared along with a discussion of examples of successful advocacy. Attendees were guided through the process of starting local policy change initiatives using the Strategic Prevention Framework.
How Youth and Adult Partnerships Lead to Positive Change
This session will explore how adults can partner with youth using SAMHSA's Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) to break down the steps that lead from goal setting and brainstorming to implementation and evaluation.
Bridging the Gap: Connecting with Marginalized Communities for Substance Use Prevention
This presentation will explore the importance of cultural competence in prevention work and provide practical strategies for connecting with diverse communities.
Playing with Learning: Strategies for Fun and Effective Education
There are numerous principles to learning retention. This workshop explored one principle, active engagement, which allows learners to retain information better when they are actively engaged in the learning process through activities, discussions, and applications.
Closing Keynote Speaker
Kym Laube brought our conference to a close with heart and inspiration. Kym’s unwavering commitment to improving the lives of young people extends beyond her executive office and can be seen in her many leadership roles. She is active on various local, state, and national boards and task forces. She served on the NY State Governors Opiate Task Force, creating statewide policy changes in prescribing laws and increasing treatment stays and policy and practice to help NY families. Most notable is her personal recovery and commitment to pushing individuals to make the space better wherever they are.