2023 NPN Conference Program - Flipbook - Page 18
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM | Workshop Session III
3F - It's Complicated: A Peer Taught Cannabis Prevention Program, Nichole Dawsey and Emma Wilson
Adolescence is a critical period of brain and social development. Initiation of cannabis use is common during the high school
years. For many adolescents, escalation of cannabis use during this period is associated with risk of negative health outcomes,
including development of cannabis use disorder. High schools are a natural venue for delivering educational and risk reduction
interventions. However, such approaches should be rooted in empirical evidence, feasible to integrate into the school curriculum,
and perceived as useful and credible by youth. Building upon years of experience in the delivery of school-based preventive and
educational intervention, PreventEd designed "It's Complicated," a 3-session, peer-delivered cannabis education curriculum. The
program design relies on the power of adolescents leading lessons with their classmates, empowering young people to be
leaders. This curriculum is implemented in a 3-lesson series that provides up-to-date facts on the changing landscape of
cannabis across the United States. It allows the facilitators to have real conversations about cannabis and address many of the
misperceptions on this substance. Coalition leaders/members looking to implement a promising program for teens in their
region will benefit from this presentation.
3G - We Serve Too! Building Capacity to Support Military Youth and Families, Sarah Flowers
Military-connected youth experience unique challenges that impact their educational and socio-emotional learning, putting
them at greater risk for substance use and behavioral health challenges when compared to non-military-connected youth. The
Kentucky Incentive for Prevention (KIP) survey estimates 50,000 Kentucky youth in grades 6,8,10,12 have one or more family
members serving in the military. The KIP survey shows Kentucky’s military-connected youth report higher rates of peer
victimization, past 30-day alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use (1.5%) and as well as serious psychological distress (3.4%) and
suicide attempts (3%). Building capacity to increase resiliency in military families helps mitigate these challenges by cultivating a
culturally competent, supportive environment in families, schools, and communities. This session illustrates how Kentucky built
capacity to serve military-connected youth by launching and sustaining statewide initiatives that are implemented at the local
level. Using the five-step data-driven planning process (SPF), Kentucky launched and sustained four culturally competent
evidence-based strategies to address the needs of military-connected youth. Join the session to hear about the four evidencebased strategies Kentucky implemented: The Purple Star Award Program is a state-sponsored designation for individual schools
that are dedicated and committed to military-connected students, The Yellow Ribbon Resiliency Program empowers militaryconnected youth to make sound decisions and take positive actions for healthy and effective living, The Dinner Table Project
(DTP) encourages healthy communication and relationships within families, and The annual Creative Art Contest encourages
military youth to raise awareness about the increased risk they experience because of being military-connected. This session
provides participants creative “out of the box” approaches to building innovative partnerships to serve the needs of military
families and participants will walk away with sustainable strategies they can implement in their states and communities.
3H - C.H.A.T.S. (Connecting Humans and Telling Stories) to Foster Connection Among Diverse Groups,
Samantha Crockett, Ginny Moorer, and Megan Hamilton
This program was initially funded under opioid use disorder prevention and looks at the correlation between Adverse Childhood
Experiences/trauma and the relation to the increased risk of substance use disorders. The target population has focused on
coalition stakeholders, college students, teachers, hospital staff, and the recovery community. In this interactive session,
participants will learn how Mount Rogers Community Services engages participants to practice skills for listening, staying
curious, challenging what we think we know about others, and for approaching conversations from different angles. C.H.A.T.S
aims to connect humans and tell stories to deepen our appreciation and understanding of others. The presentation will begin
with a brief opening word about the role of listening, staying curious, and building bridges with those in your community,
followed by discussion-based activities, with prompts designed for interactive, dynamic conversations. Then, we will present on
the second part of C.H.A.T.S. “Challenging Assumptions." Assumptions are certainly a part of human nature, an instinct that can
protect us in times of uncertainty. However, taking the time to check assumptions can lead to connections in a community.
Finally, we will discuss the “Third Chair Perspective," the process of stepping back and learning to accept another’s point of view.
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