"Each year we bring our fifth graders to experience the Adventure Learning Center's alpine tower, giant swing, and team building exercises. They always come back energized, proud, and united! I believe it is one of the best field trips for kids! The staff is always positive, encouraging and totally dedicated to the kids. "

— 5th Grade Counselor, New Hanover County Schools

SAMHSA's 13th Annual Prevention Day

SAMHSA’s 13th Annual Prevention Day – February 6th

SAMHSA’s Prevention Day

Monday,  February  6, 2017

9 am – 4:45  pm

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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services  Administration (SAMHSA) will convene its 13th Annual Prevention Day on Monday, February 6, 2017, in conjunction with the CADCA’s National Leadership  Forum.

SAMHSA’s Prevention Day highlights  “Power of Prevention: Strengthening Community Voices.” This exciting one-day event features dynamic speakers and informative training sessions for prevention practitioners, community leaders, researchers, and consumers in the behavioral health field sharing SAMHSA’s prevention priorities for the coming year and providing participants with the necessary training, technical assistance, and resources to successfully address prevention issues.

Share your experiences and information with other SAMHSA grantees and partners, and build your program skills across a variety of prevention topics. Also, learn how to leverage your community’s efforts, tell your prevention story, and showcase the impact of your prevention programming on community health by getting involved in SAMHSA’s 2017 National Prevention Week. This annual health observance is dedicated to increasing public awareness of, and action around, substance use and misuse as well as mental health issues.

Participants can check out the CyberCafe to find the wealth of SAMHSA’s multimedia prevention resources addressing topics such as underage drinking, suicide prevention, prescription drug misuse and abuse, and youth marijuana use.

Click here to register!

SAMHSA Prevention Day Opening Plenary

8:45 AM – 10:30 AM, Potomac Ballroom

The theme of SAMHSA’s Prevention Day 2017 is “Strengthening Community Voices.”  As part of the opening plenary, SAMHSA will host an interactive Community Forum to listen and discuss with the field emerging issues impacting communities working in substance use and misuse prevention with a goal of sharing knowledge and ideas.

Moderated by Washington, DC’s NBC4 news anchor Pat Lawson Muse, the Community Forum will feature a panel of prevention community leaders and experts representing communities from around the country with expertise in underage drinking, prescription and opioid drug misuse, marijuana and prevention work that engages diverse populations and regions.  Confirmed Community Forum panelists include:

  • Virgil Boysaw, Jr., Cecil County Drug Free Coordinator, Cecil County Health Department, Elkton, MD
  • Lynne Goodwin, MPA, Program Director, California Friday Night Live Partnership, Visalia, CA
  • Kelly J. Kelleher, MD, Director, Center for Innovation in Pediatric Practice, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH
  • Aaron Payment, Chairman, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, MI

During this important conversation, panelists will discuss with Prevention Day attendees the challenges and evidenced-based prevention solutions that are working in their communities. We encourage participants to come ready with questions for the panelist.

SAMHSA Closing Plenary

4:10 PM – 4:45 PM, Potomac Ballroom

Led by Washington, DC area youth, the Prevention Day closing plenary will be a lively conclusion to SAMHSA’s 13th Prevention Day and kick-off planning and participation in SAMHSA’s National Prevention Week 2017 to take place May 14 – 20, 2017.  Hosted by students from The George Washington University’s Students for Recovery, the closing plenary will feature live improv performances by FoolProof, an improvisational theatre troupe made up of drug-free, alcohol-free and tobacco-free youth from Carroll County, MD, and highlight the new resources, activities and interactive challenge available for planning your community National Prevention Week activities.  Also, the closing plenary will feature remarks from SAMHSA and CADCA.  This session will be live webcast.