Moving from Individual to Community and Policy Prevention Strategies

Event information: Tuesday May 13 and Thursday May 15, 2025, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm (5.5 contact hours, 15 minute break each day)

Much of prevention is focused on individual attitudes, beliefs, behaviors and skills. Yet individuals do not make their choices in a vacuum. Join us as we explore the environmental influences on individual alcohol and drug use choices and effective strategies coalitions can use to impact these environmental factors Topics include: the Public Health Model, four areas of environmental change, seven change strategies and best practice environmental strategies. We will also explore how “willingness” and “capacity” can impact a coalition’s success with policy and environmental strategies.   

Objectives: Participants will be able to: 1. Understand and be able to explain 4 core areas of Environmental Prevention (WHAT we are trying to change). 2. Apply their knowledge of environmental prevention through use of a community scenario. 3. Identify and apply seven community change strategies (HOW we work to make change). 4. Understand what research has found on the effectiveness of common environmental strategies. 5. Explore how “willingness” and “capacity” can impact a coalition’s success with Environmental Prevention.

Criteria for Successful Completion:
Participants are expected to fully participate on both dates (5/13 & 5/15)) with audio and video access in order to receive a certificate. Participants will be expected to keep video on throughout the workshop. Participants will engage in both individual activities and group discussions during the workshop. Please come prepared to engage with this training to create a successful learning environment for all participants.

About the Trainer
Allison Sharer, OCPC, has worked in the Prevention field since 1983. She is an independent trainer and consultant, and the President of Wingspan Training, LLC. Her experience includes work within youth-led prevention, community-based prevention, environmental prevention and drug-free workplace. She has developed and presented workshops, trainings and other educational opportunities for a wide variety of audiences. Allison is the past-president of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Association of Ohio (now called Ohio Prevention Professionals Association) and also served on the former Ohio Credentialing Board as chair of the Prevention Committee. She represented Ohio for three years to the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium.

For any questions about this training, please contact Kristen Erickson, kerickson@ccsme.org. This training is hosted by the New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center, a program funded through SAMHSA, in response to an identified need for more advanced training for coalition development. Participants will receive a certificate of participation for up to 5.5 contact hours. This training has been pre-approved by the Maine Prevention Certification Board, an IC&RC member board.

Register here!