Registration for this course is closed. If you are not already registered, please add your name to the waitlist to get notified about future courses.
Overview
This 7-week series offers a unique interactive experience that provides participants an opportunity to learn more about the key organizational elements that assist coalitions of all types to operate efficiently and effectively. This series will have a special focus on coalitions that promote healthy youth development to reduce substance misuse and other related problem behaviors.
Participants will explore a variety of organizational principles that will assist them in the overall development of their coalition by learning more about how to engage and sustain the involvement of key stakeholders and members over time, how to utilize dynamic group-development strategies, and how their efforts can connect with other coalition efforts in their area.
The learning series is structured to provide online consultation, skill-based learning and practice, group and self-study activities, reading assignments, and discussion on topics essential to an effective community coalition structure when focusing on primary prevention.
Participants will have the opportunity during the course to discuss specific “next steps” questions.
When:
States & American Samoa:
May 11, 18, June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 2023
3:00 PM – 4:30 PM Pacific
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM Hawaii
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM American Samoa
Pacific Jurisdictions:
May 12, 19, June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 2023
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM Republic of the Marshall Islands
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM Pohnpei and Kosrae
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Chuuk, and Yap
7:00 AM – 8:30 AM Republic of Palau
Facilitator:
Meghan Blevins, MA, is a Systems Change Specialist at Penn State University’s Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center’s EPISCenter and certified Communities That Care (CTC) Plus coach. In this role, she helps guide communities through the CTC process, and support local and state prevention collaboration. In addition to presenting on PAYS, CTC, prevention science, and the Social Development Strategy to communities around PA, she has also presented at the Commonwealth Prevention Alliance conference, the Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development conference, CADCA’s 28th National Leadership Forum, the PA Liquor Control Board conference, and the PA Statewide Afterschool/Youth Development Network retreat.
Prior to her work at the EPISCenter, she supervised Juvenile Justice programming at the Olivet Boys & Girls Club and with Berks County Juvenile Probation in Reading, PA for 9 years.
Meghan earned her Master of Arts degree in Community Psychology and Social Change from Penn State University, concentrating on both community member, and youth-led local data utilization.
Objectives:
- Explore diverse community sectors and ways to engage them in your prevention efforts
- Showcase effective strategies to key leader engagement and sustaining their continued support
- Discuss the importance of member engagement and ways to strengthen the relationship over time
- Demonstrate the importance and key elements of group goal directedness
- Describe the elements of efficient meetings and group development
- Explore the importance of understanding the prevention landscape and determining how to make connections
Audience:
- Community-level substance misuse prevention practitioners and community coalition coordinators located in the Pacific Southwest (HHS Region 9) states and jurisdictions of American Samoa, Arizona, California, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, Republic of Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau.
- Prevention practitioners who would like to become a Certified Prevention Specialist or need to continuing hours of education to meet re-certification requirements.
- Please note: This training is reserved for prevention professionals working in HHS Region 9.
- Prevention professionals interested in this course but who work outside of HHS Region 9 are encouraged to contact their region’s PTTC to learn about similar courses available to them.
Participant Commitment and Expectations:
- Participate in 7 sessions of training, for 1.5 hours on scheduled series days/times
- Complete up to ONE hour of independent learning activities between each session
- Use a web-camera and have access to appropriate technology to join the online videoconferencing platform (i.e., internet connection, built-in or USB webcam, desktop/laptop computer, built-in/USB/Bluetooth speakers & microphone)
- Actively engage and be on camera 90% of the time during each session, since this is not a webinar series and active participation is essential to gain/improve skills
Please Note:
This EPLS is not a webinar series. Active participation is essential to gain and improve skills. Registrants enrolled in this series are required to attend all sessions. If you do not attend Session 1 on Thursday, May 11, 2023, you will forfeit participation in the series.
In addition, it is expected that participants will have access to the appropriate technology by Thursday, May 11, 2023 in order to fully participate and be on camera at least 90% of the time.
If you have questions regarding technology requirements or registration details contact ktotten@casat.org.
Certificates:
Up to 15 hours of continuing education hours can be earned in this series. Participants who complete the entire course will receive a certificate of attendance for 15 hours. Participants who miss more than two sessions will not receive a certificate. Participants will need to confirm with their certification board to determine if these certification hours are accepted towards their specific certification requirements.