2025 Program Schedule

7:00am

Registration Desk Opens

7:30am – 8:30am

(1 hr)

Breakfast & Exhibitor Viewing

8:30am – 9:00am

(3o min)

Conference Welcome and Opening

9:00am – 10:00am

(1 hr)

Keynote Session: 

10:00am – 10:30am

(30 min)

Networking Break & Exhibitor Viewing

10:30am – 11:30am

(1 hr)

Workshop Session 1:

A. Dollars and Sense: Using Cost-Beneficial Strategies in Prevention, Jonnie Kifer, Elizabeth Shahan
This session will examine how to locate and evaluate research and apply that knowledge to program selection. The presenters will discuss the benefit of calculating the return on investment for your chosen strategy or program and demonstrate the use of a current cost-benefit model on prevention work in West Virginia.

B. Empowering Youth Through Relevant Approaches to Substance Use Prevention, Chelsea McElwee, Kimberly Brock, Darnell Bell
This workshop introduces participants to an intervention designed specifically for Black and brown youth. Participants will gain awareness and knowledge of Winners, the community-based prevention model, and curricula; the importance of community in the development and implementation of prevention and intervention models, materials, and programming; findings that demonstrate the significant impact of the program model on youth that have participated; and examples of prevention activities that can be added to supplement current program prevention efforts.

C. Building a Strong Prevention Workforce: Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention, Louise Montag
The substance misuse prevention workforce is facing significant challenges, including high turnover rates, workforce shortages, and a lack of structured support for hiring, onboarding, and retaining prevention professionals. This session is designed for experienced prevention specialists, prevention leaders, and those involved in recruiting, hiring, and supervising new prevention professionals. Whether attendees are working for community coalitions, nonprofit organizations, or government agencies, they will gain insights into building a more sustainable and skilled workforce.

D. From Resistance to Responsibility: Cultivating Accountability in Prevention Coalitions, Angie Asa-Lovstad
This session is designed for substance misuse prevention professionals who are responsible for moving community efforts forward. It is especially relevant for those who encounter resistance, disengagement, or challenges with accountability in their work and are looking for facilitative tools to help shift group dynamics, build trust, and sustain momentum. Participants will benefit from reflective tools and frameworks that help them diagnose where coalitions get stuck.

E. Beyond the Haze: Friday Night Live Engaging Youth in California on Safer Cannabis Policy Solutions, Katelyn Williford
Attendees will understand current cannabis trends and youth-related impacts in California; learn about youth-centered cannabis policy solutions being used in Friday Night Live (FNL) programs; explore tools and strategies for local prevention and youth engagement in policy change; and experience how youth and adults can collaborate to improve public health outcomes.

F. Meth Use in Focus: Leveraging Quantitative & Qualitative Data for Effective Prevention, Kaitie Chakoian, Nicole Schoenborn
This presentation will highlight key quantitative & qualitative data and emerging patterns around methamphetamine use in the South Southwest region. The session will also critically examine the limitations of available data and what preventionists can do to fill in the gaps.

G. Podcasting for Prevention: Elevating Voices and Expanding Training Access, Dave Closson, Jake White
Participants will learn how podcasting can be used to translate prevention research and best practices into accessible, engaging content. This session will identify key components and tools needed to plan, produce, and distribute a prevention-focused podcast; analyze the impact of podcasting as a leadership development strategy through real-world examples involving youth and professional audiences; and develop a basic outline for incorporating podcasting into their own prevention efforts, whether for training, storytelling, or community engagement.

11:45am – 1:15pm

(1 hr 30 min)

Buffet Lunch (Provided)

1:30pm – 2:30pm

(1 hr)

Workshop Session 2:

A. Voices for Change: Building Youth Advocacy Skills for Impactful Action, Conor Wiley, Addie Cote, Dannielynn Somers
This session will focus on youth empowerment as a substance use prevention strategy. The strategy is based on empowering youth to cause positive change in their environment regarding substance misuse, and that empowering them in this way also reduces their likelihood of misusing substances.

B. Leading Through Change: Reimagining Prevention Leadership for Community Impact, Nicole Augustine
Participants will learn how to define prevention leadership by emphasizing resilience, adaptability, and service delivery. This session will explore data-driven, place-based strategies that sustain health promotion in meeting people where they are and identify approaches to empower communities as co-leaders in prevention work, with a focus on sustainability and generational impact.

C. Increasing Uptake of Effective Parenting Programs: Lessons from Implementing Guiding Good Choices, Dalene Beaulieu, Margaret Kuklinski, Nicole Eisenberg
This panel features lessons from the implementation of Guiding Good Choices (GGC) in a variety of settings and systems. GGC is an evidence-based program for parents and caregivers of adolescents ages 9-14. The session will be valuable for groups interested in implementing GGC and other parent-focused preventative interventions.

D. From Silos to Solutions: Cross-Sector Partnerships for Sustainable Prevention within the State of California, Elizabeth Cayden, Lane Krumpos
This session highlights how California breaks silos by integrating substance use prevention into public health and social services. Through cross-sector collaboration, our program engages stakeholders to address fragmented systems, ensuring access and improved outcomes. This session will explore how California has successfully implemented cross-sector prevention strategies, aligning with Healthy People 2030’s goal of promoting health and well-being across all societal levels.

E. Are You Okay? Building Pathways for Mental Wellness through Caring Transitions, Samantha Crockett, Lori Gates-Addison
Participants will learn about the unique behavioral health challenges of older adults in rural communities, especially the increased risks of depression, anxiety, and suicide among older adults due to isolation, limited access to services, and social disconnection. Attendees will gain insight into how consistent outreach, emotional support, and meaningful connections help reduce mental health crises and promote resilience.

F. Going All In: Incorporating Collegiate Problem Gambling Initiatives into Our Continuum of Services, Cindy Clouner, James Lange, M. Delores Cimini
This presentation will focus on the co-occurrences of substance misuse and problem gambling among college students. Attendees will learn about the current gambling landscape and policies that have led to an increase in problematic gambling behaviors. Participants will also learn strategies to build readiness and capacity to address these issues on campuses and identify how to integrate problem gambling prevention work into existing prevention efforts.

G. Harnessing National and State Models to Transform the Future of Children and Families Through Prevention, Tabatha Curtis, Evangeline Watanabe, Eric Nation, Anthony Jackson
Participants will have an increased understanding of how to develop a drug endangered children statewide program utilizing state and local infrastructure of existing rural and urban county level prevention coalitions representing the state of TN. three grand divisions. This session will discuss the importance and benefits of working with communities, states, and tribes on establishing Drug Endangered Children Alliances, or working with existing Drug Endangered Children Alliances to enhance working relationships between professionals.

2:30pm – 3:00pm

Networking Break & Exhibitor Viewing

3:00pm – 4:00pm

(1 hr)

Workshop Session 3:

A. Hip-Hop 2 Prevent Substance Use & HIV (H2P): An Evidence-Based Hip-Hop Development Program 4 Prevention, P Thandi Hicks Harper
This session will be multimedia and engaging, designed for all who target young people in their prevention efforts. It will increase prevention stakeholders’ understanding of the hip-hop world and influence, while highlighting the role that hip-hop can play in successful preventive intervention. The evidence-based program targeting adolescents, called Hip-Hop 2 Prevent Substance Abuse and HIV (H2P), will be showcased.

B. What Do We Need? Understanding Colorado’s Prevention Landscape, Peter Rumbach, Sharon Liu
A critical first step in building stronger communities is understanding the needs, challenges, and opportunities community prevention agencies face. The session will focus on understanding current prevention needs and opportunities across Colorado. Participants will understand a model for conducting a statewide primary prevention needs assessment that uses community feedback as a primary data source, learn the benefits of partnering with local prevention professionals to engage in a needs assessment, and understand the scope and resources spent to undertake a statewide needs assessment.

C. Identifying the Barriers and Facilitators to the Use of Evidence-based Substance Use Prevention in Appalachia: A Panel with State and County Prevention Leaders, Brian Bumbarger
Attendees will learn about a state and local initiative in West Virginia to develop, implement, and refine a needs assessment and prevention planning process; including a pilot project in two counties to assess this process and make recommendations for strengthening local and state prevention infrastructure. The panel will identify the barriers and facilitators to adopt evidence-based prevention practices identified through this process.

D. Creating Workforce Impact through Field Professionalization: Why Certification is Important & How to Get There, Marissa Carlson
This session will provide a practical walk-through of the certification process, exploration of the rationale behind the requirements involved, and a demystification of what can be an opaque process to a new prevention professional, especially if they do not have a certified mentor or supervisor in their professional life.

E. Braiding Funding Streams and Leveraging Partnerships to Increase Program Impact: North Carolina Co-Dispense Initiatives in the Pharmacy Setting, Jane Casarez, Holly Carter, Devan Conley, Brandy Letson, Ijeoma Uwakwe
This session will focus on the crucial role of existing partnerships in developing and implementing a comprehensive co-dispense project within the pharmacy setting. Participants will learn how to braid various funding streams, with a strong emphasis on strengthening and leveraging established partnerships. We will explore how these collaborations with pharmacies and local prevention providers can create a solid foundation for a co-dispensing model, ensuring sustainability and effectiveness.

F. The Future is Now: How Young Leaders are Transforming Substance Use Disorder Prevention and Policy, Matt Cervantes, Jesus Escobar, Melissa Diaz Raygosa, Vattana Peong, Megan Drda
By the end of the workshop, participants will have a deeper understanding of Elevate Youth California’s evidence-based, promising, and community-driven practices and the implementation strategies used that support youth engagement, leadership, and civic engagement to advance substance use prevention. This session will describe three strategies to prioritize youth perspectives and ways to effectively integrate them into programs and services that directly affect young people.

G. Tobacco Prevention through Strategic Enforcement and Education: Fostering partnerships to reduce youth access, Bryan Champagne
Since its inception in 1997, the Connecticut DMHAS Tobacco Prevention and Enforcement Program (TPEP) has successfully reduced youth access to tobacco, vape, and nicotine products. This workshop will highlight the key strategies that contribute to TPEP’s success. Participants will learn about collaborations with partners, best practices for maintaining an effective tobacco compliance inspection program and recruiting and training a dedicated team of youth inspectors.

4:00pm

Enjoy Washington, DC!

7:30am–9:00am

Breakfast & Exhibitor Viewing

9:00am–10:00am

(1 hr)

Workshop Session 4:

A. Free Tools for Change: Simple Solutions for Professionals and Communities, Jennifer Wood, Craig PoVey, Nel Nadal
This workshop will demonstrate how “Talk. They Hear You.” serves as a starting point for initiating conversations, while Screen4Success and SBIRS provide essential tools to engage families and make a lasting impact on the health and well-being of youth. Attendees will gain a high-level understanding of the “Talk. They Hear You.” campaign, which aims to reduce underage drinking and substance use among youth under 21 by providing youth-serving professionals, families, parents, and caregivers with information and resources to address these issues early and often.

B. Resources for Talking about Cannabis and Substance Use with Youth, Kristen Erickson, Catherine Chichester
This session will discuss current issues related to cannabis use, describe research-informed strategies for talking with young people about substance use, and identify evidence-based resources for information about cannabis and other substances.

C. Collaboration Opportunities for Substance Use Prevention and the Criminal Justice System, Josh Esrick, Emily Patton, Olivia Stuart
This workshop will explain the bidirectional relationship between criminal justice involvement and substance use and provide information on initiating and strengthening collaborative efforts with criminal justice system organizations. Prevention professionals will learn how to better support people at risk for, or involved with, the criminal justice system.

D. “You Got This!” The Role of Leadership in Prevention Career Development, Scott Gagnon, Erin Burnett
This presentation will provide an overview of research that speaks to leadership styles and strategies that promote workplace environments conducive to growth and productivity. Attendees will learn practical strategies to develop, implement, or refine approaches to supervising and leading prevention professionals, with an eye towards retention and developing the next generation of prevention leaders.

E. How Parents and Caregivers Can Support Prevention Across the Pre-Teen, Adolescent and College Years, Nicole Eisenberg, Darlene Beaulieu, Clara Hill, Jennifer Bailey, Brittany Cooper
This workshop will introduce participants to a set of three strategies and programs that parents and caregivers can use to promote youth wellbeing and prevent substance use among pre-teens, adolescents, and college-aged young adults. After attending the session, we expect participants will be able to describe family-focused strategies to help caregivers prevent substance misuse among young people; explain how allowing adolescents to drink at home under parental supervision can increase the risk of youth engaging in alcohol misuse; and describe best practices for engaging and collaborating with colleges and universities on student substance use prevention efforts.

F. Lessons Learned in Implementing Promising Interventions to Prevent Opioid and Other Substance Misuse and Use Disorder, Elvira Elek, Beth Stormshak, Tyra Boomer, Danica Knight
The HEAL Prevention Cooperative (HPC) was designed to address barriers to adopting new interventions to prevent substance use, opioid misuse, and opioid use disorder among older adolescents and young adults. Research projects funded include partnerships with community representatives, local health care systems, and state entities with a focus on developing interventions that are economical and well designed for adoption, if found to be effective. This session will describe three promising new interventions focused on preventing opioid misuse and opioid use disorder. Participants will learn about factors that influenced the implementation of the interventions and provide suggestions for ways to improve novel interventions.

G. New Mexico’s Prevention modified Bootcamp Translation (P-BCT): an innovative community-based approach to develop evidence-based prevention messages, Liz Lilliott-González, Marissa Elias, Cristina Lopez-Gutierrez
Participants will be able to describe what Prevention Bootcamp Translation is and its purpose. This session will teach participants the core components of PBCT that are essential to create evidence-based messages that resonate in target communities, most importantly what to do and what to avoid. Participants will also gain an understanding of the potential long-term benefits of PBCT to their local prevention capacity.

10:00am–10:30am

(3o min)

Networking Break & Exhibitor Viewing

10:30am–11:30am

(1 hr)

Workshop Session 5:

A. Wellness Initiative for Senior Education: Empowering Older Adults in an Aging Society, Diane Litterer, Janine Fabrizio
The Wellness Initiative for Senior Education (WISE) Program is designed to help older adults celebrate healthy aging, make healthy lifestyle choices, and avoid substance misuse. The curriculum focuses on alcohol, opioids, cannabis, and touches on gambling in older adults. Participants will be able to recognize the importance and significant impact of an evidenced-based prevention curricula focused on older adults in various cultural settings, describe the benefits of, and reasons for, empowering older adults to make healthier lifestyle choices, and explain the main components and lessons of the WISE program.

B. Using Positive Community Norms to Spark Community-Level Change, Jason McCoy, Cassandra Hainey
The Positive Community Norms framework is an evidence-based approach used to prevent child maltreatment and teen substance use, reduce drinking and driving, and increase utilization of mental health services. Participants will be able to explain how correcting misperceptions can increase health, discuss the importance of collecting data that reflects the community, demonstrate an introductory knowledge of Positive Community Norms, and apply Positive Community Norms to their community’s substance prevention narrative.

C. Drug Endangered Children: Often the Forgotten Ones, Eric Nation
This session will help participants understand who drug endangered children are, along with the risks and long-term impacts that are associated with parental and caregiver substance misuse and drug activity. The panel will discuss the importance of, and opportunities for, early identification and intervention, and the need for multidisciplinary collaborative efforts to identify and help these children. Presenters will provide examples that all disciplines can relate to and activities to assist in understanding this challenging topic.

D. Using Opioid Settlement Funds to Enhance Effective Primary Prevention in Communities Across the U.S., Cori Hammond, Linda Richter
This session will provide an overview of critical prevention needs of local communities, gaps in perceptions regarding what works in prevention, and the Partnership’s experiences in working with local and state decision-makers on trying to close those gaps. The session will include practical guidelines and examples for local and state governments, coalitions, and community-based organizations on what are effective, research-based uses of funds and how to explain to constituents the value of utilizing a portion of the funds to invest in primary prevention.

E. From Crisis to Care: Helping Construction Workers Overcome Addiction and Suicide Risks, Emily Haro
Participants will learn about the impact of substance use on mental health and suicide within the construction industry. The construction industry has the second-highest rate of suicide and one of the highest rates of substance misuse. This session will discuss the Construction Suicide Prevention Partnership (CSPP) and its initiatives to raise awareness about substance misuse and suicide, and how companies and individuals can address the stigma surrounding mental health and substance misuse.

F. Anti-Stigma Education Is Substance Use Prevention: Tackling Misinformation to Promote Recovery, Janelle Havens
This session will discuss the Anti-Stigma Initiative in Manchester, New Hampshire, led by Makin’ It Happen, which aims to tackle the region’s stigmatizing beliefs about addiction and recovery through an evidence-informed educational series and a social media campaign. Preventionists will learn how to address the stigma that follows substance use disorder and confront stigmatizing beliefs about the “right” ways to treatment and recovery, and other associated health and social problems that people in recovery face, such as problem gambling or disordered eating.

G. Enhancing Prevention: Standardizing the Review of Innovative Prevention Programs. A Wyoming Approach, Sam Barron, Lexy Jamison
The Wyoming Department of Health’s Community Prevention Unit maintains a list of approved evidence-based prevention strategies. However, Community Prevention Specialists in each county may seek to implement newer or innovative strategies that are not yet evidence based. This workshop discusses the activities involved in improving this review and approval process, including seeking guidance and insights from other states, ensuring that Community Prevention Specialists had a voice in the process, and aligning the review of programs within the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF).

11:30am–1:30pm

(2 hrs)

Lunch on your own

1:30pm – 2:30pm

(1 hr)

Workshop Session 6:

A. Substance Use Prevention for High-Risk Communities in Hawaii, Sarah Yuan, Sally Ancheta, Kathleen Gauci, Valerie Mariano, Valerie Crabbe, Trevor Lee
The strategies and initiatives discussed in this workshop focus on Native Hawaiians and residents of rural communities in Hawaii. These communities often face unique challenges, including limited access to healthcare and prevention resources, and other barriers that increase vulnerability to substance misuse. Prevention efforts aim to engage individuals and families across different life stages, from early youth education to adult community mobilization.

B. OK Boomer! Risk and Protective Factors for Older Adults, Mitch Moore
The first wave of Baby Boomers has entered retirement age and for the next twenty years, the U.S. will have a major shift in population demographics. This workshop discusses the growing demographic of older adults in America, drugs of choice, and risk and protective factors of this population.

C. Meet Them Where They Are: Community Prevention in Action, Karen Sylvester
This workshop will discuss how to identify natural gathering points and digital spaces where community members already engage, and how to leverage these spaces to embed prevention messaging. Participants will learn to apply a place-based and behavior-driven approach to prevention outreach; using data and local insights to guide where, when, and how messages are delivered; and develop strategies for integrating prevention into community events, recreational spaces, and digital platforms

D. Familias Unidas: An Evidence-Based Prevention Intervention to Reduce Substance Use in a High-Risk Community in Collaboration with Community-Health Workers or “promotores,” Maria Isabel Tapia
This workshop will discuss Familias Unidas, an evidence-based practice to prevent substance use and other risk behaviors in Hispanic adolescents and their families.
The session will highlight key multi-level, innovative intervention strategies that target risk and protective factors to prevent substance use, describe implementation of Familias Unidas by trained community health workers or “promotores,” and discuss challenges in implementing and sustaining an evidence-based practice model in a high-risk community.

E. Building Substance Use Monitoring Systems to Reduce Overdose Deaths in Rural Places, Kelsey Van Selous, Matthew Voss, Shawn Dorius
This session will provide information on thirteen substance use monitoring systems developed to enable local monitoring of substance use trends, design data-informed interventions for high-risk populations and neighborhoods, and evaluate the impact of local substance use response efforts. Participants will be able to describe a rural substance use monitoring system, list the benefits of using a substance use monitoring system in rural places, and learn how to engage with communities around substance use monitoring systems.

F. Beyond a Checklist: What Readiness Means for Prevention Coalitions Engaging in Evidence-Based Prevention, Dana Vasers, Michael Sparks, Alicia Sparks
This presentation will focus on the lessons learned about coalition readiness and community mobilization from the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking’s (ICCPUD) Policy Academy for Implementing Community-Level Policies (Policy Academy). The Policy Academy provided an opportunity for coalitions to engage in developing local and state-level policies to prevent and reduce underage drinking and harms related to excessive drinking. The Policy Academy hosted two cohorts and accepted a total of 28 coalitions from across the country to collaborate with leading experts on alcohol policy, learn policy strategies and best practices from experienced prevention experts, and engage with coalitions from across the United States.

G. Effective Strategies for Addressing Childhood Risk Factors Linked to Substance Use, Kim Dash, Maanasa Chitti, Kimberly Nguyen
This session will discuss the importance of addressing risk factors for substance use that present early in life (ages 0–12). Participants will be able to identify evidence-based programs, practices, and policies to prevent or reduce childhood risk factors for substance use; identify methods for determining the level of evidence supporting these prevention programs, practices, and policies; and describe how information on effective childhood programs, practices, and policies can inform state and local prevention planning priorities.

2:30pm–2:45pm

(15 min)

Networking Break & Exhibitor Viewing

2:45pm–3:00pm

(15 min)

NPN Awards Presentation

3:00pm-4:00pm

(1 hr)

Keynote

4:00pm

Enjoy Washington, DC!

Workshop Session 7:

A. Empowering Prevention Leaders: Strengthening Mentorship, Leadership, and Technical Assistance, Carlton Hall
Prevention professionals play a critical role in guiding communities and organizations in applying prevention science effectively. This interactive workshop will enhance participants’ capacity to provide mentorship, leadership, and technical assistance to prevention coalitions and organizations. Participants will explore key strategies for building trust, fostering collaboration, and applying evidence-based practices to strengthen prevention efforts.

B. Game On or Game Over? Understanding Young Adult Gaming and Gambling Trends, T Schweimler, Eden Griffin, Anne Rogers
The workshop will focus on young adult gaming and gambling behaviors. We will discuss how these experiences intersect with substance use and mental health outcomes, highlighting opportunities to integrate problem gambling and gaming prevention into broader substance use prevention strategies. Attendees will explore key findings from the Virginia Young Adult Survey and the City of Medford, Massachusetts Young Adult Problem Gambling Needs Assessment to better understand young adult experiences, attitudes, and perceptions related to gaming and gambling.

C. Suspension Alternatives for Substance Use in School Settings, Amanda Scott, Susan Gardner, Hannah Meissner
Substance use continues to disproportionately affect certain communities at an alarming rate. When students are suspended or expelled from school due to substance use or vaping, they are cut off from essential support systems and resources, leaving them vulnerable to the adverse effects of substance use disorder. Attendees will understand risk and protective factors for urban youth, the negative impact of suspension and expulsion, and the benefits of Peer Support in schools.

D. Challenging the Buzz: A Youth-led Response to Alcohol Risks & Industry Messaging, Izabelle Wensley, Conor Wiley
This session will focus on the established connection between alcohol use and increased cancer risk, alcohol industry practices that minimize the risks of use, and the potential of youth advocacy in addressing industry messaging and practices. Attendees will be able to describe how alcohol-related cancer risk increases with consumption, identify three action projects youth advocates could replicate in their own community to address underage drinking and alcohol industry messaging on cancer and other risks, and access resources that will support youth programs.

E. Exploring the Connection Between Justice-Engaged Students, Epigenetic Trauma and Substance Abuse Factors, Jose Silva
This workshop will define epigenetic trauma and explain how it contributes to substance misuse and behavioral health challenges among justice-involved students.
Attendees will explore strategies that can be applied in educational and community settings to support justice-engaged youth, develop responsive approaches to substance use prevention, and evaluate current policies and programs addressing trauma and substance use among justice-involved students and identify areas for improvement or advocacy.

F. Outcomes of Lifestyle Risk Reduction Across the Lifespan: Serving Highly Impacted Populations, Michelle Stephen, Rosa Elva Barron
This session highlights the outcomes of serving highly impacted populations across the lifespan for 45 years. This session will explore how the Lifestyle Risk Reduction Model has tailored services and resources to serve the Hispanic and Latino populations and our training and coaching to prevention professionals who provide direct service to unique populations.

G. Enhancing Access to and Engagement with Pediatric Substance Use Prevention and Behavioral Health Services, Kalyn Holmes, McKayla Harrison, Katy Doles, Sydney Cople
This session will describe current barriers to behavioral health and substance use prevention care for families impacted by caregiver substance misuse. Attendees will learn how to increase access and engagement for family-based substance use prevention and mental health care by leveraging relationships and pathways to care in system of care serving under-resourced youths and families and identify and address barriers to routine caregiver substance misuse screening.

9:45am – 10:45am

(1 hr)

Workshop Session 8:

A. Let’s Talk Wyoming – A Series of Safety Moment Videos for Construction and Mining, Oil and Gas Industries, Rachel Nuss
Wyoming continues to have one of the highest suicide rates in the nation and binge drinking rates that are higher than the national average. Heavy industry workplaces have higher rates of substance use and suicide than other industries. Participants will gain an understanding of the value of developing resources utilizing input from industry and community partners that consider the intersection of substance use and other health and social issues.

B. Prevention Across Generations: Bridging Ages with Evidence-Based Programs, Vicki Thomas
This session will focus on risks specific to different life stages: youth, young adults, adults, and older adults. It will address prescription misuse, social isolation, transitions, barriers, and emphasize integrating prevention across the continuum. Attendees will be able to identify evidence-based substance use prevention programs tailored to different life stages and across the continuum; recognize protective factors and policies that enhance prevention outcomes across the lifespan; and develop strategies to address the unique needs of different populations.

C. Barriers and Opportunities to Using Evidence-Based Registries in Prevention Planning, Maria Valenti, Kim Dash
Effective prevention relies on evidence-based strategies, yet registries of policies, programs, and practices (EBPPPs) often lack details for selecting suitable approaches. This presentation examines challenges and opportunities in using registries to meet community needs across life stages.

D. Lessons Learned in Designing a Data Dashboard to Support the Community Needs Assessment Process, Melinda Pankratz, Renata Yassa, Parissa Ballard, Thomas McCoy, Kathleen Egan
Effective prevention planning requires actionable, localized assessment data, but many communities have limited capacity to collect and interpret prevention survey data. To address this gap, we developed the data dashboard to guide communities through a data driven needs assessment process. Participants will be able to describe key considerations when designing a prevention data dashboard for community needs assessment, identify features that improve usability and reduce the risk of misinterpretation, and apply lessons learned from North Carolina to their own state’s data system development.

E. Implementation and diffusion of a sustainability readiness strategy for the future, Knowlton Johnson, David Collins, Stephen Shamblen, Abraham Wandersman
Readiness of organizations and coalitions to sustain evidence-based and evidence-informed interventions to prevent substance use and other health-related problems is vital. This session will increase awareness of the importance of sustaining prevention EBIs (evidence-based interventions), increase awareness of a science-informed sustainability strategies, and provide feedback on readiness tools being presented.

F. Prevention Across the Continuum: Strategies for Implementing and Scaling Intergenerational Prevention Initiatives for Children and Families Impacted by Substance Use Disorders, Alison Sutter, Karen Scott, Kristen Gingery, Margaret Kuklinski, Jeanette Betancourt
This presentation will focus on community-based substance use prevention interventions across the lifespan by highlighting several evidence-based programs that reach young children, adolescents, and parents/caregivers in schools, healthcare practices, and community service organizations.

G. It’s Greek to Me! Prevention for Fraternity & Sorority Students, Bethany Lemons
Attendees will learn to recognize Greek Life’s unique protective factors by understanding the strengths within fraternities and sororities that can support prevention efforts; mitigate Greek Life-specific risk factors by identifying and addressing common challenges related to substance use and mental health within Greek organizations; and engage effectively with Greek Life by learning strategies to build relationships, gain buy-in, and foster collaboration with fraternity and sorority members.

10:45am – 11:00am

11:00am – 12:00pm

Break

Keynote