Warmest wishes from all of us at Prevention First! We hope you and your family find peace and joy this holiday season. With the end of the year quickly approaching, we are looking back at 2021 with deep gratitude. Thank you to all of |
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of our staff, partners, providers, funders, and community members who make our work possible and enjoyable. We look forward to working together to promote healthy behaviors and prevent substance misuse in 2022! |
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National Impaired Driving Month
December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness of the consequences of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. With the holiday season taking place in December, the consumption of alcohol can increase. This month is also is statistically one of the most dangerous times for driving.
According to research, the average American consumes double the number of alcoholic drinks over the holidays than any other time of the year. This statistic explored how much more social people are over the time between Thanksgiving and New Years Day. While people tend to be more social during this time, the average American will attend three times more social functions and parties as well which leads to more drivers on the road. Help keep yourself, your community, and your loved ones safe on the road this year.
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A Roadside Safety Check, also known as a Roadside Sobriety Checkpoint, is a law enforcement tool to detect & deter impaired driving. This tool is especially important during December's National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. Roadside Safety checks work when paired with a strong awareness campaign. Campaigns can be conducted by law enforcement or in conjunction with a prevention coalition. You can download an Alcohol Policy Resource Center fact sheet on Roadside Sobriety Checkpoints here.
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Enforcement of Alcohol Laws Equals Prevention:
Working with Law Enforcement to Increase the
Effectiveness of Alcohol Laws
Tuesday, January 11, 2022 - 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
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For alcohol laws to have their intended deterrent effect, state and local law enforcement agencies need to actively and visibly enforce the alcohol laws at their disposal.
This webinar will review the alcohol regulatory system in Illinois and highlight ways that agencies working on alcohol prevention can support law enforcement agencies' efforts to regulate the sale and consumption of alcohol outlets within the community. It will highlight the common alcohol enforcement strategies and highlight how you can develop working relationships with law enforcement to increase the impact of those strategies.
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The Alcohol Policy Resource Center can assist with analyzing your data, scanning your community, and matching policy/strategy to assessment findings. If you have any questions or need more information, please reach out to Kellie Henrichs or Jody Heavilin
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Student Advisory Board Applications Now Open
The YPRC is now accepting applications for 22-23 Student Advisory Board. Applications are open to students currently in 8th through 11th grade. The Student Advisory Board creates a strong platform for youth to identify issues important to them and play an active, prominent role in developing and implementing tools to address them. The YPRC SAB members consist of Illinois high school students that address the YPRC’s Four Cornerstones of Prevention- Youth Leadership Development, Teen Traffic Safety, Mental Health and Wellness, and Substance Misuse. The YPRC trains SAB members so they can advocate for issues using their unique voice and perspective. Share the application with your students using this link.
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Winter Youth Mental Health First Aid Training Dates |
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December 14th, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
January 12th, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
February 10th, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health challenges and substance use disorders in young people. This training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial support to a young person who may be developing a mental health or substance use issue and help connect them to the appropriate care.
First Aiders will complete a 2-hour self-paced class (pre-work) and then participate in a 5.5-hour instructor-led class using video conferencing via Zoom.
Training typically costs $175 per participant, but the YPRC is happy to offer it at no cost to providers and residents within the state of Illinois. Email mhfa@prevention.org if you have any questions.
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Technical Assistance, commonly referred to as consulting or coaching, is a one-on-one service that provides timely, flexible, and targeted support to an organization. Using a collaborative approach, Prevention First builds a prevention professional’s capacity to address their local conditions and develop their own prevention solutions to amplify programmatic effectiveness. |
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Online Training Spotlight: Creating Community Change with Environmental Strategies
Prevention First is excited to announce this new online self-paced training. The training provides an overview of environmental strategies and immerses participants in a scenario where they learn about the process of selecting environmental strategies that fit the community environment. Participants will learn what environmental strategies are and their benefits, which stakeholders to engage in the selection and implementation of environmental strategies, a process for identifying environmental strategies that match identified contributing factors and key components of building capacity for environmental strategies.
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Building Health Equity and Inclusion Resource: Social Determinants of Health
During this two-part webinar series from PTTC participants will understand the basic tenets of the social determinants of health and its impact on behavioral health, prevention, and wellness efforts. Participants will critically examine the role of neighborhood conditions, education, socio-economic, and socio-political climate. This training will strengthen participants' understanding of the social determinants of health and their role in shaping the prevention efforts of diverse populations.
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Online Self Study Courses |
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For more information about technical assistance or other services we offer,
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TRAFFIC SAFETY RESOURCE CENTER |
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Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving |
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During National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, Prevention First's Traffic Safety Resource Center is implementing a national public awareness campaign: Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. This campaign focuses on social norming as a way of deterring people from drinking and driving. Even a little bit of alcohol can alter someone’s ability to drive safely. The message is simple: impaired driving is dangerous. You can access and distribute Traffic Safety Marketing materials, which can be distributed to fit your local needs and objectives.
"Every year lives are needlessly lost on our roadways due to impaired driving. During National Impaired Driving Month, the Prevention First Traffic Safety Resource Center would like to remind everyone that making the decision to drive while impaired by any substance can be a deadly decision that brings needless tragedy to families and communities. Protect your family from heartache by never driving impaired."
-Kathy Murphy, Administrator of the Traffic Safety Resource Center
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Cannabis Policy Resource Center |
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The Cannabis Policy Resource Center is excited to announce that our webpage is undergoing development and has a tentative live roll-out planned for early January 2022. The CPRC is already in full swing collaborating with partners to develop resources, present webinars, expert-led speaking events, and other training opportunities. Be sure to visit our page, check out our new logo, and access our resources.
The CPRC is always looking for partners! If you or your organization is interested in collaborating with the CPRC, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are looking for speakers, training opportunities, speaking opportunities, and more. If you have questions or are interested in collaborating, please contact the Program Administrator, Brandi Young, at brandi.young@prevention.org.
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INVEST BACK INTO YOUR COMMUNITY |
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This past Tuesday was National #GivingTuesday, a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. While this day has passed, there is still time to donate to Prevention First. Your financial gift supports our mission to reduce substance misuse in every community. |
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CANNABIS USE DURING PREGNANCY MAY AFFECT CHILD DEVELOPMENT |
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Women who use cannabis during pregnancy, potentially to relieve stress and anxiety, may inadvertently predispose their children to stress susceptibility and anxiety, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the City University of New York published Monday, November 15, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS).
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There's a Resource for That!
We have created and gathered helpful resources to help you deliver strategic and intentional prevention efforts. Visit our Substance Use Prevention Resource Center to find a collection of resource guides, video links, full toolkits and curriculums, tip sheets and more.
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Professional Development at Your Pace |
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Archived Webinars
Don't miss out on Prevention First's collection of live webinars to watch at your own convenience:
For APRC Webinars, visit their GoTo Stage for archived webinars.
For Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Webinars, visit their webpage.
For SUPR Treatment & Recovery Webinars, visit SUPR Training Events- Archived Webinar on the sidebar.
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