Leaders from the Sherburne County Substance Use Prevention Coalition (SUP) joined more than 1,500 prevention specialists from across the country at the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)’s 2015 Mid-Year Training Institute in Indianapolis last week, reports county program coordinator Alicia Klepsa.
The institute is a one-of-a-kind intensive training opportunity that offers more than 70 half-day and two-day courses geared towards helping participants find solutions to their community’s toughest substance abuse problems, Klepsa said. Attendees participated in a variety of lecture and hands-on sessions to expand their knowledge in prevention science and improve their skills in implementing evidence-based strategies to reduce drug and alcohol use.
The program featured a number of nationally-known experts in the field of substance abuse prevention, including Michael Botticelli, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy; Kana Enomoto, Deputy Principal Administrator for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Karla Sneegas, Branch Chief for the CDC’s Office of Smoking and Health.
“We were fortunate to have been able to spend a week with other similar organizations from across the country, learning and honing our skills so we can more effectively prevent drug and alcohol abuse,” Klepsa said. “We are reenergized with new strategies under our belt to tackle drug use and its associated problems in Sherburne County.”
The event covered a wide range of topics, including strategies for preventing prescription drug abuse and reducing heroin use to the creation of tobacco-free environments, reducing impaired driving and developing policies to reduce marijuana use and underage drinking.
Attendees from the Sherburne County program included Alicia Klepsa (Project Coordinator of the SUP Coalition), Mike Tauer (SUP Coalition Member, Becker Parent), Rachael Tauer (Youth Coalition Member), Heather Eigen (SUP Coalition Member, Becker Parent), Macy Eigen (Youth Coalition Member), and Megan Peterson (Youth Coalition Member).
Locally, the coalition is currently working on multiple strategies including designing a “Positive Community Norms Campaign” with youth in Sherburne County, creating a coalition survey to be administered to students in the fall, and implementing an alcohol prevention curriculum within some of the schools in the county.
“The coalition exists to prevent substance use among out youth by promoting safe and healthy choices among all community members,” Klepsa said.
