JULY, 2021
A Special Thanks to Those Who Attended the 2021 Illinois Cannabis Symposium!
We would like to recognize everyone who made our inaugural event so successful- from our dynamic panelists to our engaged attendees! The event featured rich discussions and great networking.
If you attended or registered for this conference, don't forget to take advantage of your 90-day On-Demand access to all event recordings. We look forward to hosting the next symposium.
"I walked away from the symposium with new insights and a new eagerness to understand how cannabis legalization affects my community at different levels."

– Patricia Sykes, Attendee

Donate your myWalgreens Cash Rewards to Prevention First thru 8/31/21!

We’re participating in the myWalgreens donation program! You can donate your myWalgreens cash rewards to Prevention First, Illinois thru 8/31/21. At Walgreens, you’ll earn unlimited 1% Walgreens Cash rewards when you shop and you can choose how much to donate. It’s that easy. Whether you’d like to contribute $1, $5, or more of your Walgreens Cash rewards you’ll be making a big difference. It really adds up!

*Walgreens Cash rewards can be redeemed as a donation to designated charities as shown in your myWalgreensTM account in app or on Walgreens.com. Once Walgreens Cash rewards are redeemed for a donation, the exchange is not reversible and cannot be canceled once submitted. Donation is not tax deductible, and additional terms and conditions may apply. Walgreens reserves the right to change the charities that are eligible to participate at any time without notice.
Coalitions & Law Enforcement
The partnership between coalitions and law enforcement can produce positive results in the prevention of underage alcohol use. There are many environmental strategies that are implemented by law enforcement. The APRC has created a Law Enforcement Strategies Guide that provides an overview of evidence-based law enforcement strategies that coalitions can implement based on their local data. A fact sheet for how teens can partner with law enforcement is also available in English and Spanish.
The Alcohol Policy Resource Center can assist with how to analyze your data, scan your community, and match policy/strategy to assessment findings. The APRC can also provide certified training to law enforcement on evidence-based strategies such as Alcohol Compliance Checks or Controlled Party Dispersal. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Kellie Henrichs or Jody Heavilin.
Follow Our New Social Media Pages!
You can now find the Alcohol Policy Resource Center on Facebook and LinkedIn. Like, follow and share the APRC's page for exciting announcements, informative graphics and resources.
Connect with APRC's new social handles:
@alcoholpolicyresourcecenter
Alcohol Policy Resource Center
Recognizing Minority Mental Health Month

This month is Minority Mental Health Month, a nationwide effort developed by Mental Health America to "shed light on the multitude of mental health experiences within BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities and others that face disproportionate inequities due to system barriers and historical adversity." Learn ways to support Minority Mental Health this month and beyond here.
Youth Mental Health First Aid

Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders in youth. This training gives adults who work with youth the skills they need to reach out and provide initial support to children and adolescents (ages 6-18) who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care. First Aiders will complete a 2-hour, self-paced online class, then participate in a 4- to 5-hour Instructor-led videoconference.
The next Mental Health First Aid training is July 30th, 2021. Find details and register here. 
The technical assistance offered at Prevention First expands professional development beyond training to assist substance use prevention providers in applying what they have learned in their communities. Timely, flexible and provider-tailored technical assistance is available to meet the individual needs of providers.
Register Early for the NPN Conference!

Don't miss the 34th Annual National Prevention Network Conference virtually scheduled for August 24-26, 2021. The annual National Prevention Network (NPN) Conference highlights the latest research in the substance use prevention field. It provides a forum for prevention professionals, coalition leaders, researchers, and federal partners to share research, best practices and promising evaluation results for the purpose of integrating research into prevention practice.
Online Self Study Courses
For more information about technical assistance or other services we offer,
UPCOMING EVENTS
CADCA's 20th Annual Mid-Year Training Institute
July 9-15, 2021

This month, the virtual Mid-Year features 100+ sessions from the top substance use and misuse prevention experts in the field today and innovative strategies you can implement immediately.
IABH Conference 2021
In-Person: September 8-15
Virtual: September 30

Don't miss the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health's annual conference! Your registration will cover four days, three in-person and one virtual day, as well as the pre-conference workshops. Find the full conference schedule here.
Follow Prevention First on Social Media
Professional Development at Your Pace
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 Substance Use Prevention Webinars, visit SUPP Training Events- Archived Webinar on the sidebar.

For Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Webinars, visit their webpage.

For SUPR Treatment & Recovery Webinars, visit SUPR Training Events- Archived Webinar on the sidebar.