In 2003, a group of passionate community members envisioned a healthy, thriving community free of the effects of substance abuse. PREVENT! Coalition formed, standing for: Prevent, Reduce, Educate, Voice, Empower, Nurture, and Transform. In 2007, PREVENT! received its first DFC grant. In 2017 the name changed to Prevent Coalition, the branding updated, but the vision remained the same; healthy, thriving communities free of substance misuse. Prevent Coalition now supports a dozen community coalitions across Clark, Klickitat, and Skamania Counties, and implements initiatives for rural communities across Washington State.

Prevent Coalition would not be able reach this milestone without support from its fiscal agent ESD 112, regional and state public health and prevention partners, and invaluable community volunteers and organizations across the Southwest Washington region.

See our full timeline history on preventcoalition.org.

Joy Lyons is the new Assistant Director of Prevention Programs at ESD 112 where she oversees the Student Assistance Program and Community Prevention Initiatives throughout the Southwest Region. Joy has over 20 years of experience managing programs and people who are dedicated to assisting youth and communities in reaching their potential. She comes with years of experience working with vulnerable populations, especially young people experiencing trauma, addiction, and mental health challenges. She is passionate about creating healthy, thriving, safe communities, and using a collaborative approach to working with systems and individuals. Joy has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Western Washington University and is a Certified Prevention Professional.

Joy served as a CASA volunteer through YWCA in Vancouver and developed, led, and managed many residential treatment centers throughout the country. She graduated from Leadership Clark County in 2015 and currently serves as the chair of the education committee for Lower Columbia College. Joy replaces Leanne Reid who remains involved in prevention work via CADCA.

Logan Morrow is the new Program Manager for ESD 112’s Prevention Department. In her new management role, she will be overseeing Student Assistance Program and Community Prevention Initiatives throughout the Southwest Region. Before this role Logan was a Community Prevention Project Coordinator for the Prevent Coalition team. In this capacity, she advised on budget decisions, annual planning, and has implemented Positive Norms Campaign development, and community-wide environmental change strategies. Logan has a BA in Human Development, is a Certified Prevention Professional, and has worked for over seven years in youth substance prevention.

For six years, Logan worked in a local middle school as a Student Assistance Professional, implementing Project Success, a best practice substance use prevention and intervention program including school wide prevention activities and social norms campaigns, prevention clubs, and early intervention groups for youth. Her populations of focus included high needs youth with ACE-related risk factors.

The Prevent Coalition held a local Prevention Resource Fair on October 18th at the ESD 112 Conference Center. Rows of vendors with resources were met by a steady crowd of community members and local professionals. Attendees networked, exchanged resources, or attended free Narcan training. It was a great opportunity to strengthen capacity to provide substance use prevention and promote healthy youth choices.

Prevent Coalition would like to thank everyone who attended and give special gratitude to the vendors who helped make this event possible. We hope to do this again next year!

This event brings student assistant professionals, prevention intervention specialists, and coalition coordinators together with principals from the schools they serve. This event will take place on November 21, 2023, from 8am - 10am and hosted by Educational Service District 112. Free breakfast provided!

Goals of this event:

• Promote collaboration between SAPs, principals and coalition coordinators
• Increase awareness and support for prevention efforts in the ESD 112 region
• Provide actionable steps and best practices for prevention
• Inspire hope and ideas for prevention activities within schools and communities

If you would like to attend this event or have questions please email Joy Lyons, Assistant Director of Prevention Programs ([email protected]) for more information.

More than 413 residents in Clark and Klickitat counties participated in a multi-site drug take-back event on Saturday, October 28.

“We had a good turnout for the events across our region,” said Kelley Groen-Sieckmann, community prevention project coordinator with Central Vancouver Coalition and ESD 112. “It is always inspiring to see members of the community committed to disposing of medicine properly, which in turn keeps these potentially dangerous substances out of the environment and our waterways. It also protects their children and families from the potential risks of accidental poisonings, overdose, or misuse which can lead to prescription drug addiction,” explained Groen-Sieckmann.

Read the full story at www.esd112.org/news

- Clark Year-Round Disposal Flyer

- Klickitat Year-Round Disposal Flyer

- Skamania Year-Round Flyer

In 2023, 10.0% of middle and high school students reported current tobacco product use. From 2022 to 2023, current e-cigarette use among high school students declined from 14.1% to 10.0%. E-cigarettes remained the most commonly used tobacco product among youths. Among middle school and high school students who currently use e-cigarettes, 25.2% used e-cigarettes daily, and 89.4% used flavored e-cigarettes.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids both acknowledged the progress made in reducing youth commercial tobacco use but restated their commitment to remain steadfast in their efforts to further reduce youth use rates.

Read the full report from the CDC here.

Four districts will get funding to address youth nicotine vaping: Evergreen Public Schools, Battle Ground Public Schools, the Camas School District and Woodland Public Schools. They are among 1,600 school districts involved in the lawsuit, which, after reaching a settlement earlier this month, will see Juul Labs pay out an estimated $1.2 billion.

Read the full story on www.columbian.com.

See product examples and find out how this will impact licensed and unlicensed retailers by reading the article from the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB).

The You Can marijuana prevention campaign is hoping to partner with Washington youth to create a library of user-generated videos that feature places teens go to de-stress or find joy throughout the state.

What You Can needs:

• A vertical video that’s 15-30 seconds long and shows a place that brings teens joy or helps them relax.
• A short description of the teen's video, like "My favorite library," or "Granite Falls, WA”.
• The teen's first name, age, city or state, email address, and Instagram username.

What participants will get:

• A $20 Amazon gift card per each submission that meets the required guidelines.
• One entry in a random drawing for five prizes of one $100 Amazon gift card.

Who can participate?

• This video project is open to everyone in Washington state, ages 13- to 17-years-old.

What is the deadline for submissions?

• All submissions must be sent by Tuesday, December 5, 2023.

Visit You Can's Calming Videos webpage for the full rules and to access the video submission link.

November is Native American Heritage Month and a time to honor the diverse and rich cultures, histories, and traditions of Native Americans. Traditional, or sacred, tobacco is considered a gift by many American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. Unfortunately, commercial tobacco companies have a well-documented history of targeting minority and marginalized populations, including AI/AN youth. Nationally, AI/AN high schoolers have the highest current cigarette smoking rate of any other race or ethnicity at 16.2%, compared to 5.8% overall (source: Truth Initiative).

In 2022, FDA launched “Next Legends” – a youth e-cigarette prevention campaign that aims to educate American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth, ages 12-17, about the harms of vaping. Native youth are more susceptible to tobacco than their non-Native peers, and they demonstrate disproportionately high experimentation and current use of e-cigarettes. The “Next Legends” campaign uses unique branding and tailored messaging that is specifically designed to educate AI/AN youth on the harmful effects of vaping.

Visit the FDA website to access posters, videos, fact sheets, and youth quitting resources.

"Learn About Cannabis" is an educational website developed by the University of Washington Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI). Information is available for parents, teens, cannabis consumers, health and prevention professionals, and specific populations.

Resources include a collection short video modules that answer frequently asked questions on topics related to cannabis, links to cannabis prevention campaigns, data, laws, quitting resources, and much more.

Visit www.learnaboutcannabiswa.org to learn more.

• definitions to cannabis related terminology
• information about the current state of legalization and changing state laws regarding cannabis
• information on cannabis and tobacco products and the evolving product landscape
• cannabis use patterns among youth and adults and the health effects resulting from such use

Read the full article and access the fact sheet on truthinitiative.org.

About 34 million American adults still smoke cigarettes, and smoking remains the single largest preventable cause of death and illness in the world. Smoking causes an estimated 480,000 deaths every year in the United States, or about 1 in 5 deaths.

For more than 40 years the American Cancer Society (ACS) has hosted the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday in November. Resources are available to assist people, groups, or coalitions who want to promote the event or get smoking cessation resources. Visit the ACS website at www.cancer.org or click on the image.

This podcast, now 12 episodes into season three, delves into crucial topics surrounding drug use, prevention, and parenting. The hosts aim to empower parents and caregivers with knowledge, awareness, and actionable insights to raise drug-free kids and navigate the challenges of modern-day parenting.

Check out episodes of this podcast at www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov.

This series of guides can help professionals, families, and communities support the mental well-being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and Two-Spirit (LGBTQIA2S+) youth. The series includes a resource guide and four companion focus guides designed for specific populations.

Developed by Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago, the guides center input from LGBTQIA2S+ individuals and those who have experienced suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The guides provide detailed and actionable recommendations to provide youth with positive perspectives and sources of joy. Links to the guides are below.

Resource Guide:

• Resource Guide for Professionals, Families, and Communities

Focus Guides:

• Focus Guide for Parents, Families, and Communities

• Focus Guide for Health and Behavioral Health Professionals

• Focus Guide for School Professionals

• Focus Guide for State Agencies

A 30-minute recorded webinar is available to provide an overview and assist with implementing these guides. The webinar and guides are available on the SPRC website. Visit www.sprc.org.

Did you know the 988 Lifeline provides specialized services to certain populations? The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides support to anyone who may be experiencing or who has a loved one that may be experiencing thoughts of suicide, mental health crises, substance use concerns, and other kinds of emotional distress.

Learn more about these services and how to access them:

• American Sign Language (ASL) services: Individuals who use ASL as their primary language can call 988 via videophone to receive support from a counselor in ASL. TTY users can use their preferred relay service or dial 711, then 988.
• LGBTQI+ youth subnetwork line: LGBTQIA2S+ teens and young adults, ages 13-24, can call, text, or chat the 988 Lifeline to receive support from affirming crisis counselors.
• Native and Strong Lifeline: Washington American Indian and Alaska Native people can call, text, or chat the 988 Lifeline to receive support from native crisis counselors who are tribal members and descendants closely tied to their communities. Native and Strong Lifeline counselors are fully trained in crisis intervention and support, with special emphasis on cultural and traditional practices related to healing.
• Spanish language line: To receive support in Spanish, call, text, or chat the 988 Lifeline and choose option 2.
• Veterans Crisis Line: Veterans in crisis or anyone concerned about a veteran in crisis, can call 988 and press 1 to be connected to the Veterans Crisis Line. You can also chat online or text 838255. Veterans Affairs benefits or health care are not required.

The Lifeline offers interpretation services in more than 240 languages and dialects. These services are available 24/7/365. To receive support in languages other than English or Spanish, call the 988 Lifeline and say the name of the language you need.

To learn more about the 988 Lifeline and its services, visit DOH's 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline page.

Parents can help young adults make healthy choices in their late teens and early 20s. It may be as simple as talking with them about the consequences of underage drinking. Even though they are branching out on their own, parents can have a positive influence on choices affecting their health and future.

SAMHSA produced a fact sheet to assist parents with talking with their young adult(s) about underage drinking after high school. It provides facts, terminology, information about the law, and goals of a conversation. Click the image with this story to view the fact sheet.

The Reaching Rural Initiative is a one-year initiative. Over the course of the year, the selected individuals and teams will receive coaching and participate in skill-building workshops as well as virtual and in-person learning experiences.

Participation in the Reaching Rural Initiative includes:

• Travel and per diem costs to participate in an orientation, a field visit to observe the implementation of evidence-informed practices in a rural setting, and a closing session at the end of the 12 months. This is not a grant opportunity.
  
• Monthly mentorship and guidance aimed toward your local needs.
• Monthly assignments that help you apply core concepts to your local community or region.
• Access to a diverse network of rural peers, innovative rural communities, and technical assistance providers.
• Formal recognition for completing the planning initiative.
• At the conclusion of the planning period, the opportunity to apply for an implementation grant of up to $100,000 for up to 15 months to launch a project planned during the Reaching Rural fellowship.

Is the Reaching Rural Initiative for You? Click here to read the full solicitation.

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 Christopher Belisle, Rural Network Coordinator ([email protected]) or [email protected]. 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.

Logan Morrow, Community Prevention Coordinator, is running a book club around cultural competency and equity, requested by our Steering Committee. The book we’re currently reading is “I Never Thought Of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times,” by Washington author Mónica Guzmán. We are currently reading the book on our own through the next month or so then meeting in October to review and reflect. We will bring the author in to a monthly network meeting in the Winter and if there is enough interest, we can host the Book Club again in Winter or Spring after meeting the Author. A book club reflection meeting will be scheduled after members have time to read the book.

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 October or November. 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 Christopher Belisle ([email protected]) or [email protected] to reserve this time with us.

Coalition Coordinators Meeting

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

9:30am-11am

Virtual conference call by invitation.

For southwest region coalition coordinators.

Coalition Coordinators Meeting

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

9:30am-11am

Virtual conference call by invitation.

For southwest region coalition coordinators.

Rural Network Meeting

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

2-3:30 p.m.

Online conference call

For Rural Network members by invitation

Rural Network Office Hours

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

1-2 p.m.

Online conference call

For Rural Network members to receive technical assistance

Rural Steering Committee

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

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:

YCCTPP and Rede Group

How to Engage Schools in Community Prevention

(Webinar)

November 29, 2023

10:30am-11:30am

No fee. Registration link not yet available, expected in time for next newsletter.

This webinar presentation will be provided by Leanne Reid, former Director of Prevention for Educational Service District 112 and presenter for CADCA.

YCCTPP and Rede Group

Adolescent and Young Adult Tobacco Use

(Webinar)

December 13, 2023

11am-12:30pm

No fee. Registration link not yet available, expected in time for next newsletter.

This webinar presentation will be provided by Dr. Adam Goldstein MD, MPH, University of North Carolina Tobacco Intervention Programs.

CADCA

National Leadership Forum

Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center, National Harbor, MD

January 29 thru February 1, 2024

Cost: Visit the CADCA Forum 2024 website for more information

CADCA Forum provides training from top experts in the field, Information, tools and strategies to take your prevention work to the next level, the latest science, news and trends on substance misuse issues, the opportunity to network with thousands of advocates passionate about prevention, and specialized youth leadership training.

CannAct

Cannabis Action Conference

(Virtual)

January 30-31, 2024

Cost: $195 (adult early bird), $100 (student)

Visit www.ph-mjsummit.com or more information.

The annual CannAct Conference (formerly Public Health-Marijuana Summit) brings public health professionals, prevention specialists, equity advocates, public safety professionals, tobacco prevention professionals, partners, and other advocates together virtually to discuss the new and changing legalized cannabis landscape in our communities. The conference focus is policy, system and environmental change and youth prevention.

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

Visit: 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.

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

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