Katie Turck, SAI Community Educator
Representatives from the Stone & Taney Counties Substance Abuse Initiative (SAI) and the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team (ADAPT), are headed to Orlando, Fla., to join nearly 2,000 substance use prevention and treatment specialists from around the world for CADCA’s (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) 17th annual Mid-Year Training Institute.
The weeklong training will teach participants how to address one of our nation’s biggest public health challenges – drug use and misuse. CADCA’s Mid-Year Training Institute is a one-of-a-kind intensive training opportunity, offering more than 95 courses geared towards helping participants find solutions to their community’s toughest substance use problems.
“The Mid-Year is a unique professional development opportunity for coalition leaders, key community stakeholders, and youth to learn about the latest research and effective strategies that will directly help them in their critical work of preventing substance use and misuse” said Pat Castillo, director, National Coalition Institute and vice president of training operations. “After four days of intensive training, leaders will return to their communities with new knowledge, skills, strategies, along with new ways to add to their existing roadmaps to continue to create environments where youth thrive – healthy and drug free.”
“I am excited to learn more about the current research being done around the country related to prevention,” says Katie Turck, community educator with the SAI and an active member of the ADAPT coalition. “I hope to learn more about being a strong advocate for safe, healthy, and drug-free communities with the help of local coalitions and programs.”
CADCA’s Mid-Year will cover a wide range of topics – everything from how to prevent prescription drug misuse and reduce heroin use to how to create tobacco-free environments, reduce impaired driving and develop policies to reduce marijuana use, synthetic drug use and underage drinking.
Local coalition members joining Turck in Florida include Stone and Taney Counties Substance Abuse Initiative Project Coordinator Marietta Hagan, of CoxHealth, and ADAPT Project Coordinator Alaina Williams.
Some of ADAPT coalition’s youth members will participate in CADCA’s Youth Leadership sessions and training events to help them become strong community leaders and change agents. Jennifer Onoh, Bailee Lee, Laura Badajoz and Daymiyana Rico are the inaugural members of the ADAPT Club at Branson High School and excited to bring what they learn at the conference back to strengthen the club’s prevention efforts.
The SAI and ADAPT coalition partnered in April to host a DEA National Drug Take Back event. The results – the collection and proper disposal of 433 pounds of medications in Stone and Taney counties.
CADCA’s Mid-Year Training Institute will take place at the Gaylord Palms in Orlando July 15 – 19. Visit the Mid-Year site for details about training sessions, speakers and special events at cadca.org/events/myti2018.
About ADAPT
The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team(ADAPT) promotes the reduction of substance use and misuse in youth through awareness, education, and programs that benefit the entire community. ADAPT is a community coalition dedicated to substance use prevention in Stone and Taney County in Missouri.
About SAI
The Stone and Taney Counties Substance Abuse Initiative (SAI) is a grant-funded project aimed at reducing and preventing substance use and misuse. It is led by CoxHealth and funded by a Skaggs Legacy Endowment grant.
About CADCA The mission of CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) is to strengthen the capacity of community coalitions to create and maintain safe, healthy and drug-free communities globally. This is accomplished by providing technical assistance and training, public policy advocacy, media strategies and marketing programs, training and special events.