CADCA is looking for coalitions to participate in CADCA’s 2021 Annual Survey of Coalitions. This survey has informed training and technical assistance needs, advocacy efforts, creation of national partnerships and broader community-based prevention research.

All coalitions across the country can participate—you don’t have to be a CADCA member. Your contribution is equally impactful whether your coalition is emerging or established.

CADCA is offering special incentives for coalitions who complete the survey early. Three lucky winners will receive a registration to the National Leadership Forum happening February 1-4, 2021, if they complete the survey by Friday, January 22.

One person, preferably one who is very familiar with the day-to-day activities of the coalition, should complete the survey. The survey typically takes less than one hour to complete. You can start the survey and return to it at any time. All of your information is automatically saved. CADCA has pre-populated demographic fields of the survey.

To receive a personalized link to the survey, please send an email to [email protected] or call 1-800-54-CADCA, ext. 267.

We hope that you are as excited as we are to attend the CADCA National Leadership Forum on February 1–4. While it will be different and virtual, it will still be a great time to network, share solutions, and socialize in a safe and healthy way. Of course, it's also a great time to advocate during the virtual Capitol Hill Day.

In addition to attending, we will be hosting a virtual exhibitor table, where we will share prevention resources to help you serve your community. Be sure to check out the virtual exhibit hall to see all the tools we at Prevention Action Alliance will share and to start up a one-on-one chat with us.

We look forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions about Capitol Hill Day our virtual exhibit, or need technical assistance, please reach out to us.

I am honored and excited to accept the position of resource development manager at Prevention Action Alliance.

My relationship with Prevention Action Alliance began in 2014 when I attended CADCA’s National Coalition Academy brought to Ohio by PAA and OhioMHAS. As a staff member at a local coalition, the National Coalition Academy training proved to be challenging and rewarding, forging relationships that remain strong to this day. I was hooked on the collaborative nature of coalition work and the science behind creating community change.

Over the years, my involvement with the Statewide Prevention Coalition Association cemented the respect I have for Prevention Action Alliance and their leadership in the prevention field. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to develop resources that further substance misuse prevention and mental wellness promotion in Ohio and throughout the nation. If there is any way that I can support you and your work in prevention, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Alyce Jennings, OCPC

Resource Development Manager

Communities throughout Ohio and the United States rely on us at Prevention Action Alliance to provide them with resources and expertise to help them prevent drug misuse and promote mental health wellness. In turn, we rely on our dedicated staff to carry out that mission. Do you want to join a team of passionate professionals working together to improve health and wellness?

We’re currently accepting applications for a marketing and communications officer. This person will develop and implement a comprehensive communication and marketing plan for Prevention Action Alliance. Learn more about the role, including how to apply and key responsibilities on our website.

The 18th Ohio Problem Gambling Conference, presented by PGNO and sponsored by Ohio for Responsible Gambling, will be held virtually on Tuesdays and Thursdays during March 2021, which is Problem Gambling Awareness Month.

This year's conference will once again bring together national experts, state leaders, and local innovators in problem gambling prevention, intervention, treatment, recovery, research, administration, and responsible gambling. Due to the virtual nature of this conference, we expect it to be our most far-reaching and impactful conference to date!

The early registration rate is $50 and will close after February 1st, 2021. Registration will be $65 after and will not close until after the conference has concluded.

Post-conference sessions include 3.0 contact hours of ethics for prevention and treatment. These sessions will be offered at a rate of $15. Attendees wanting to attend a post-conference session must register for it separately from or in addition to the main conference. Space is limited and will be first-come, first-serve. PGNO Members will receive complimentary post-conference registration. Contact [email protected] for details.

Substance use disorder, is a chronic, complex brain disease that affects about 21 million, or 1 in 7, Americans, according to the U.S. Surgeon General’s report Facing Addiction in America. Addiction compels people to seek out drugs despite any negative consequences that might be incurred. As a disease, it hijacks the brain to create an intense craving for the addictive drug or behavior. That craving can override other thoughts and needs in the brain, including desires to care for an infant, build and maintain healthy relationships, work, have fun, take care of oneself, and protect oneself from harmful situations. It changes how you think and how you behave.

COVID-19 continues to present new challenges, burdens, and consequences in our daily lives and that of young people. A sneeze or cough in a public setting may have once elicited a “bless you,” but nowadays it’s more likely to prompt heads turning with looks of disapproval. For people who have, or have had COVID, they may feel as if they contracted the plague, based on the way others treat them. They may experience feelings of isolation, depression, and abandonment. The stigma that surrounds this disease must end, not only for the physical health and mental wellbeing of those who have COVID, but in order to help bring an end to this pandemic in communities throughout our nation and world.

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) released a four-part video series focused on the prevention of suicide and supports for people with mental health issues. Suicide in Ohio: Conversations, was developed between OhioMHAS and the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation and aired on The Ohio Channel and PBS stations starting December 10.

The series features well-known leaders and experts in healthcare, as well as the parents of a young woman who died by suicide, and two University of Toledo football players who share their stories of loss and finding strength in mental health. This effort ties in with The Suicide Prevention Plan of Ohio, a statewide collaboration meant to define and build a service system that helps Ohioans recognize signs of suicide and know where to get help.

The Ohio CareLine is a toll-free emotional support call service created by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and administered in community settings.

Behavioral health professionals staff the CareLine 24 hours a day, 7 days/week. They offer confidential support in times of personal or family crisis when individuals may be struggling to cope with challenges in their lives. When callers need additional services, they will receive assistance and connection to local providers.

Call 1-800-720-9616 to connect.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?