Series Overview

This 7-session Enhanced Prevention Learning Series (EPLS) 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.

By the end of the EPLS, participants will be able to:

• Explore diverse community sectors and ways to engage them in 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

Who Should Participate

Community, tribal, jurisdiction, and state-level substance misuse prevention practitioners and allied health partners located in the Pacific Southwest region, including American Samoa, Arizona, California, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, Republic of Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau.

Dates & Times

States and American Samoa
Thursdays, May 11, 18, June 1, 8, 15, 22, & 29, 2023
03:00 pm – 04:30 pm Pacific (including Arizona)
12:00 pm – 01:30 pm Hawaii
11:00 am – 12:30 pm American Samoa

Pacific Jurisdictions
Fridays, May 12, 19, June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 2023
10:00 am – 11:30 am Republic of the Marshall Islands
09:00 am – 10:30 am Pohnpei and Kosrae
08:00 am – 09:30 am Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Chuuk, and Yap
07:00 am – 08:30 am Republic of Palau
(view in your time zone)

Please note there will be no session on May 25, 2023. 

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.

Cost: Free!

Certificate of Attendance

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.

Questions?

Please contact Karen Totten (ktotten@casat.org) for any questions related to registration. For any other questions, please contact Britany Wiele (bwiele@casat.org).

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