This category contains courses that explore special topics in the prevention of substance misuse. Topics range from health equity, social determinants of health, policy change, ACE's, and more.
Sustainability is one of the overarching principles of the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF). It sits in the middle of the Framework touching every step of the SPF. Yet, we often fail to consider sustainability in our daily work. Sustainable, community-driven, outcome-focused substance misuse prevention isn’t built in the last 6 months of a grant cycle. Creating sustainable prevention happens every day, in every step of the SPF process. This online course explores how to build sustainability into each step of the SPF process through our daily prevention work.
The course consists of an interactive content module and a completion quiz. It is estimated that the course may take up to 2 hours to complete.
This course was developed by the Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center, which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and covers the HHS Region 5 (IN, IL, MI, MN, OH, WI).
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Introduction to Building Culturally Proficient Organizations
This introductory 1 hour video course will empower prevention professionals to enhance their cultural proficiency to guide organizational operations. Participants will delve into key concepts and tasks to foster a more inclusive and culturally sensitive organizational environment, using the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF). By course completion, participants will confidently integrate cultural proficiency into their organizations through the SPF, significantly boosting their effectiveness and inclusivity in serving diverse communities.
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
Articulate the difference between cultural competence and cultural proficiency
Identify key tasks that direct focus towards cultural proficiency within an organization
Describe how organizations can use SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) to guide culturally proficient practices within their organization
This course was developed by the Pacific Southwest Prevention Technology Transfer Center, which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration through Cooperative Agreement #6H79SP081015-05M006 and covers the HHS Region 9 (AZ, CA, HI, NV, AS, FM, MP, GU, MH, PW).
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Applying Continuous Quality Improvement to Prevention to Achieve Optimum Results
In this interactive course, you will learn how the principles, tools, and approaches to continuous quality improvement (CQI) can optimize their prevention work. The course explores how to incorporate the key tools of CQI – including the Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle– into all phases of your prevention work to ensure your programs are efficient and effective.
The course consists of an interactive content module and a completion quiz. It is estimated that the course may take up to 2 hours to complete.
This course was developed by the Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center, which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and covers the HHS Region 5 (IN, IL, MI, MN, OH, WI).
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Is Evaluation the Missing Ingredient in Your Recipe for Success?
In this engaging 1-hour course, professionals in substance misuse prevention, treatment, and recovery will gain a comprehensive understanding of evaluation practices and their crucial role in planning and success. We will demystify evaluation, making it accessible and encouraging its integration into your work. You’ll learn how planning and evaluation complement each other and discover the importance of monitoring as a distinct yet integral part of evaluation. The course will provide practical ideas on what and how to measure, along with sense-making guidelines. Additionally, you’ll explore the differences and similarities between impact evaluation and contribution analysis, understand the steps involved in contribution analysis, and see real-world examples of its application. Join us to enhance your evaluation skills and ensure your programs achieve their desired impact.
This course was developed by the Mid-America Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
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Coalitions are essential to substance misuse prevention efforts. It is important to understand and implement research-based best practices for coalition functioning, structure, membership, and leadership. Take this course to uncover
a deeper understanding of how and why we use coalitions and to increase knowledge about research-based best practices for coalitions.
The course consists of an interactive content module and a completion quiz. It is estimated that the course may take up to 2 hours to complete.
This course was developed by the Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center, which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and covers the HHS Region 5 (IN, IL, MI, MN, OH, WI).
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Grounded in Data: Gathering, Analyzing, and Using Information
In this comprehensive 1-hour course, professionals in substance misuse prevention, treatment, and recovery will gain essential skills in finding, analyzing, and utilizing data to inform decision-making and create impactful stories. We'll explore various data sources, including public health databases and community surveys, and teach you practical strategies for collecting and organizing data. You'll learn to interpret data accurately and draw meaningful conclusions to assess prevention programs, identify trends, and evaluate treatment outcomes. Additionally, we'll focus on presenting data clearly and engagingly, making it accessible to stakeholders and the broader community. By the end of this course, you'll be equipped to leverage data to enhance your work and advocate for evidence-based approaches in substance misuse prevention and recovery.
This course was developed by the Mid-America Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
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Prevention Science Foundation: Shared Risk and Protective Factors
Welcome to Prevention Science Foundation: Shared Risk and Protective Factors. This course is a 7 hour, self-paced course for working in the field of prevention and healthy youth development. Learners will watch videos, read information from the
surgeon general, and reflect on their learning using journaling techniques. Participants will apply and test their knowledge through quizzes following each module. The goal of this course is to help participants understand prevention science.
Join Kevin Haggerty, the Director of the Northwest Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC), and John Briney, Research Scientist and Data Manager, for a deeper dive into risk and protective factors for healthy youth development – what they are,
why they’re important, and how to measure them at the community level.
This product was funded under a cooperative agreement from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (Grant Number: H79SP080995). All material, except that taken directly from copyrighted sources, is in the public domain and may be used and reprinted for training purposes without special permission. However, any content used should be attributed to the Northwest Prevention Technology Transfer Center. This product should be used for educational purposes only.
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Selecting Prevention Programming and Interventions
This 4 hour self-paced course was created through the National PTTC Implementation Science (IS) Work Group which exists to promote the effective selection and implementation of evidence-based interventions for prevention professionals
and stakeholders, in order to provide services with fidelity that are culturally intelligent and result in positive outcomes. Specific to this course is a step wise process for selecting prevention programming and interventions utilizing
prevention science. The first module describes the application of prevention science. The second module discusses environmental strategies. The third module discusses behavioral strategies. The forth module covers conceptual and practical
fit that aligns the intervention to the community/local issue.
This training was developed under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Prevention Technology Transfer Center task order. Reference # 1H79SP081018. For training use only.
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Substance Use Prevention for Community Health Workers: Foundations and Practice
This 4 hour course is intended to provide Community Health workers with an understanding of substance use prevention and the role of Community Health Workers in substance use prevention.
Training Objectives:
Understand the foundations of substance use prevention utilizing the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF).
Identify a minimum of 3 shared Risk and Protective factors for substance use and mental health prevention.
Identify a minimum of 2 strategies for substance use prevention that I can implement in my work as a community health worker.
This course was developed by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center, which is funded by cooperative agreement 6H79SP081020-05M005 from the Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and covers the HHS Region 1 (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT).
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Data collection is a critical and ongoing component of prevention, especially when following a data- informedevidence-based process like SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF). Data are relevant in some way to every step of the SPF. The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency created many challenges in implementing effective prevention, including data collection. While much of our work in prevention has returned to pre-pandemic approaches, there are some advantages to online data collectionmethodsand it is worth considering whencollecting data virtuallymight bettermeetdata collection needs. This 1.5 hour self-paced online course willprovide a general overview of evaluationand best practices for collectingprimarydata virtually,focusing on both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The course will review online surveys, including surveys with youth and ethical considerations; focus groups and listening sessions; interviews; and other methods. The course willusecase study examples andprovide additionalresources.
The Pacific Southwest Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) developed this course with support from SAMHSA of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through SAMHSA Cooperative Agreement #H79SP081015-01.
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As we plan and work toward improving the overall wellness of the communities we serve, it is important that we understand the social determinants of health (SDOH). The SDOH are the conditions in the environments where people are born,
live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. Understanding SDOH and how prevention work intersects with them is essential to providing a comprehensive
approach in your community. In this course you will have the opportunity to examine the SDOH and how prevention professionals can use this framework in developing innovative prevention strategies and build partnerships across multiple
disciplines in your community.
The course consists of an interactive content module and a completion quiz. It is estimated that the course may take up to 1 hour to complete.
This course was developed by the Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center, which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and covers the HHS Region 5(IN, IL, MI, MN, OH, WI).
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Harm reduction is increasingly emphasized as an important approach when working across the continuum of care. While many in the prevention field remain focused on primary prevention, opportunities exist for preventionists to support and
augment local harm reduction efforts. This online course focuses on steps prevention practitioners can take to support harm reduction efforts, including promoting community readiness, addressing stigma, and linking harm reduction to
more traditional “upstream” prevention efforts.
The course consists of an interactive content module and a completion quiz. It is estimated that the course may take up to 2 hours to complete.
This course was developed by the Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center, which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and covers the HHS Region 5 (IN, IL, MI, MN, OH, WI).
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Health equity matters in prevention and has always mattered. It is and should always be at the core of everything we do. This means understanding the role of structural and institutional inequality in creating disparities. With health
equity in the front of mind we can ensure that we are providing the best prevention interventions possible to meet community needs. Take this course to uncover why health equity matters and how we can prioritize equity in action.
The course consists of an interactive content module and a completion quiz. It is estimated that the course may take up to 2 hours to complete.
This course was developed by the Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center, which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and covers the HHS Region 5 (IN, IL, MI, MN, OH, WI).
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Evidence Based Practices: Implementation with Fidelity and Sustainability
This 1- hour course is part three of a 3-part series found in category Special Topics in Prevention of Substance Misuse. Other courses are titled (part 1)
Evidence-Based Programs (EBPs) Overview, and (part 2) Identifying & Selecting Evidence Based Practices for the Local Community: A Closer Look.
In the capstone segment we'll bring all our learning from the previous sessions, with emphasis on fidelity (how to plan against pitfalls), sustainability, and learn how to monitor our EBP implementation for maximum impact on your identified
substance use/misuse prevention efforts.
In this course we will cover:
What are some fidelity pitfalls?
Unpack EBP adaptations.
How can we monitor implementation?
This course was developed by the Mid-America Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
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The aspects of life that influence a person’s health, including their likelihood of engaging in risky behavior such as substance use, are numerous and varied. They range from very immediate, personal characteristics to overarching societal
trends and conditions. The social determinants of health are these larger social or environmental aspects that influence us, such as the economic status of the neighborhoods in which we live, our access to quality health care services,
and the amount of discrimination we face. This three-part, 3 hour, self-paced course will provide a comprehensive overview of the social determinants of health and examine the influence they have on substance use. It will also discuss the impacts
a public health approach can have on them, review how to turn prevention knowledge into actionable processes, and provide recommendations on how to address them through the principles of prevention science and using environmental and
other strategies.
This course was developed by the Pacific Southwest Prevention Technology Transfer Center.
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Logic Models: Mapping Your Prevention Efforts is a course for prevention practitioners to help them understand logic models, and provide guidance for building a logic model for their prevention program.
The course consists of an interactive content module and a completion quiz. It is estimated that the course may take up to 2 hours to complete.
This course was developed by the Great Lakes Prevention Technology transfer, which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and covers the HHS Region 5 (IN, IL, MI, MN, OH, WI).
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Identifying & Selecting Evidence Based Practices for the Local Community: A Closer Look
This course is part two of a 3-part series found in category Special Topics in Prevention of Substance Misuse. Other courses are titled (part 1)
Evidence-Based Programs (EBPs) Overview, and (part 3) Evidence Based Practices: Implementation with Fidelity and Sustainability.
In our second segment on Evidence Based Practices we'll look at what must happen for intervention success and share how to select the best options, plus unpack the core elements of an intervention.
In this 1 hour course we will cover:
What must happen for intervention success?
What happens after searching for EBPs?
What parts of an intervention are the most important to deliver with fidelity?
This course was developed by the Mid-America Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
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Preventing Underage Cannabis Use: Risk/Protective Factors & Effective Communication
As the landscape of medicinal and adult personal use of cannabis change across the country, prevention practitioners are left with mixed messages about how to address youth cannabis use. Research is catching up to this changing landscape,
and new information about how perception of harm and related factors impact youth cannabis use are emerging. This two-module, 2.5 hour, webinar course will focus on the research behind those factors, as well as evidence-informed strategies for
addressing them.
This publication was prepared by the Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) Network under a cooperative agreement from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Award No. 3H79SP081006-04S1.
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What Does Not Work in Prevention is a course for prevention practitioners designed to help them identify interventions that have been shown through research to NOT be effective in preventing substance misuse, understand
evidence-based approaches that can be used as effective alternatives to the ineffective/counterproductive strategies, and engage in strategies to address resistance to discontinuing ineffective and/or counterproductive prevention strategies.
The course consists of an interactive content module and a completion quiz. It is estimated that the course may take up to 2 hours to complete.
This course was developed by the Great Lakes Prevention Technology transfer, which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and covers the HHS Region 5 (IN, IL, MI, MN, OH, WI).
Certificate of Completion available
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This course is part one of a 3-part series found in category Special Topics in Prevention of Substance Misuse. Other courses are titled (part
2) Identifying & Selecting Evidence Based Practices for the Local Community: A Closer Look, and (part 3) Evidence Based Practices: Implementation with Fidelity and Sustainability.
When it comes to Evidence Based Programs there are a lot of questions. What are EBP's? Why should we use them? When are they most effective? This introduction course to our series will answer these questions and more; plus we'll introduce
how to find the best fit for a community's prevention efforts.
In this 1 hour course we will cover:
What are Evidence-Based Programs (EBPs)?
Why are EBPs so desirable?
When are EBPs most effective?
What do we need to know before selecting EBPs?
How do you find EBPs?
This course was developed by the Mid-America Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
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The Social Determinants of Health
The aspects of life that influence a person’s health, including their likelihood of engaging in risky behavior such as substance use, are numerous and varied. They range from very immediate, personal characteristics to overarching societal trends and conditions. The social determinants of health are these larger social or environmental aspects that influence us, such as the economic status of the neighborhoods in which we live, our access to quality health care services, and the amount of discrimination we face. This three-part, 3 hour, self-paced course will provide a comprehensive overview of the social determinants of health and examine the influence they have on substance use. It will also discuss the impacts a public health approach can have on them, review how to turn prevention knowledge into actionable processes, and provide recommendations on how to address them through the principles of prevention science and using environmental and other strategies.
This course was developed by the Pacific Southwest Prevention Technology Transfer Center.
Certificate of Completion Available
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