Everyone has a role in prevention. Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a web page. Farewell Marcie Seidel: A Career of Service to Others As announced last week, Marcie Seidel has retired as Executive Director of Prevention Action Alliance, and I find myself reflecting upon her service to the field of prevention. I have known Marcie from several vantage points—as a professional in the field, as her employee, and now as her successor as Executive Director. When I entered the prevention profession, it seemed to me that Marcie led the way, ensuring that coalition leaders and prevention professionals in the field were provided with up to date information on state and federal issues. Through her leadership, Drug Free Action Alliance (now Prevention Action Alliance) provided opportunities for ongoing professional development as well as galvanized the field to champion for effective prevention policies and strategies. In 2014, marijuana became a ballot initiative, and she mobilized prevention specialists across the state. Because of her knowledge, we all became experts regarding the risks of marijuana use and that ballot initiative was defeated. As the opiate epidemic swept across the state, I watched Marcie be responsive to the emerging needs of families and communities. The Know! Parent Tips and G.A.P. Network are examples of programs and resources that met unique needs in the state of Ohio and exist because of Marcie’s care and commitment. Marcie has worked tirelessly to provide factual resources to all audiences. She educated community and state leaders and advocated for healthy communities and families. Marcie was committed to reducing the incidence of substance misuse in the state of Ohio and used her position to challenge prevention professionals to think about creating environments that encourage resiliency and education to prevent addiction, not just react to the current substance of misuse. Her belief is that “Everyone Has a Role in Prevention.” She recognized that youth, adults, and community coalitions could work together to create healthy communities. As her employee, I watched as she guided the next generation of prevention leaders. Marcie assembled prevention leaders from ADAPAO, the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio, Prevention Action Alliance, and the Statewide Prevention Coalition Association to establish the Ohio Prevention Advocacy Network (OPAN). Recognizing the unique opportunity and momentum for change that exists for our field, Marcie thought it wise to unite prevention professionals so that we could speak with a cohesive voice and work together to impact our state. Marcie initiated a network of like-minded professionals, who support the mantra “Everyone Has a Role in Prevention” and are working to secure the role of prevention in Ohio. And now, as her successor, I find myself having to say goodbye and thank you. But how do you say goodbye to someone who has made prevention a way of life? How do you adequately thank a professional hero? You do so by picking up the mantel and empowering others with her reminder that “Everyone Has a Role in Prevention” and then equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to make prevention a priority. So today, join me as I send my thanks, appreciation, and congratulations to Marcie for a job well done. And tomorrow, on July 1st, 2020, please join me and the staff of Prevention Action Alliance as we start a new chapter. Join us as we work together to ensure that Ohio communities are healthy and well equipped to prevent substance misuse and promote mental health wellness. Sincerely, Fran Gerbig Executive Director Prevention Action Alliance Build Your Skills Virtual Training through the Ohio Prevention Conference The 2020 Ohio Prevention Conference this year includes a virtual webinar series and a separate series of webinars on Working Minds, an initiative designed to help workplaces appreciate the critical need for suicide prevention while creating a forum dialogue and critical thinking about workplace mental health changes. All sessions are free and courses are scheduled through September. Register for the VirtualWebinar Series Register for theWorking Minds Series Join Us in Building a Healthier World Join the OYLPN Youth Council The Ohio Youth-Led Prevention Network is accepting applications for the 2020-2021 Youth Council (YC). In addition to the annual We Are The Majority Rally, the Youth Council plans and implements prevention activities related to their strategic plan. The 2019-2020 YC built a Vaping Prevention Education Toolkit that is nearly ready to be revealed. YC originally expected to work with youth-led groups this fall to use the toolkit in their communities, but the plan may change due to COVID-19 and YC priorities. To learn how youth can bring their advocacy efforts to the state level, check out our application here. You can also download a preview of the application here. We expect that COVID-19 will continue to influence the way youth-led programs meet and work together, and so next year's YC will look a little different than it has in the past few years. Working together, though, we can still support other young people in the state and figure out the best way to move forward despite the challenges ahead. Apply Now for the OYLPN Youth Council SPCA Membership is Now Free The beginning of the next fiscal year is here, which means it's time for members of the Statewide Prevention Coalition Association to renew their membership. However, in light of current events and in an effort to grow coalition capacity across Ohio, we'll be waiving all membership fees for the upcoming fiscal year, which runs from July 1st to June 30th. Whether you're a current SPCA member or want to become one, now you can get one year of membership for free. Apply to Join SPCA Learn More about SPCA Resources You Can Use What Is Prevention? Drug misuse comes with serious health problems, including the risk of addiction. Long-term drug use can lead to heart or lung disease, cancer, mental health issues, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and other diseases, while even short-term use can cause heart attack, stroke, psychosis, overdose, and death. The good news, however, is that drug misuse is preventable. Effective prevention addresses the root causes behind drug use, protects families and communities, and stops addiction before it starts. Learn More Watch the Video Grieving out Loud Every day, more than 10 families in Ohio suffer the loss of an overdose death. Not only are they suffering the loss of a loved one, but they’re also experiencing the whirlwind of emotions that accompany deaths due to overdoses—sadness, anger, relief, and others. Then, they have to deal with the shame that’s projected onto them by a society that stigmatizes overdose deaths and the disease of addiction. Everyone grieves differently and in their own way. Some people cope with self-reflection, journaling or talking with a friend. Others use art, nature or professional support, these are all healthy ways to cope with grief. The G.A.P. Network at Prevention Action Alliance has created a series of resources that we hope can help people in their grief. Grieving out Loud Download the GriefResource Packet A Case for Prevention in Higher Education America’s colleges and universities serve millions of students. These students are in a time of transition, face new stressors, and are at higher risk of behavioral health issues, like depression and anxiety. Because of these challenges, more colleges and universities are building behavioral health systems to support their students, yet a majority of students found it difficult to get emotional support at college when they needed it. This fact sheet helps college health and wellness professionals demonstrate the importance of what they do with statistics and evidence. Read More Suicide in Ohio: Facts, Figures, and the Future The Mental Health & Addiction Advocacy Coalition with the Ohio Alliance for Innovation in Population Health and the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation have released a report showing deaths by suicide across the state of Ohio. Suicide in Ohio: Facts, Figures, and the Future provides insight about deaths by suicide and the impact of and community responses to suicide in specific areas of Northeast and Southwest Ohio. It can help develop effective responses at the local, state, and federal levels. Get the Report July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month July is Bebe Moore National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, and Mental Health America has created a Blacks, indigenous people, and people of color (BIPOC) Mental Health Month toolkit. This toolkit includes: Links to updated information Lists of resources specifically for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities Handouts on racism and mental health and racial trauma An infographic built from MHA screening data on BIPOC and LGBTQ+ mental health A call to action for people to share how discrimination and/or racism have affected their mental health using the hashtag #ImpactofTrauma Learn More and Download theToolkit Reducing Vaping among Youth and Young Adults The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently released a free guide that "supports health care providers, systems, and communities seeking to prevent vaping." It describes relevant research findings, examines emerging and best practices, identifies knowledge gaps and implementation challenges, and offers useful resources. Download the Vaping Prevention Guide ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Share this email with your friends! ‌ ‌ ‌ Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Click here to email us. 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