May 2023

National Prevention Week is coming: May 7-13!

National Prevention Week is a national public education platform showcasing the work of communities and organizations across the country dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of substance misuse prevention and positive mental health.

As part of this year's National Prevention Week, SAMHSA is introducing a brand new logo for National Prevention Week. Also this year, SAMHSA is relaunching the Talk. They Hear You. campaign and a success stories webinar from Communities Talk to Prevent Alcohol and Other Drug Misuse.

A day by day schedule of events is available here. There are a wide variety of opportunities planned.

You can register here for the free National Prevention Week virtual events.

There are many ways to get involved: Host a community event, share your #MyPreventionStory personal experience, use the NPW Planning Toolkit, and subscribe to SAMHSA email newsletters to stay up to date on prevention news and resources.

Prevention First is excited to amplify the cause of National Prevention Week. When organizations work together, progress is made in the important cause of prevention.

Legislation and

Cocktails-To-Go

The Illinois 103rd General Assembly 2023 Spring Session is set to adjourn on May 19. You can track their daily calendar here. The ILGA Dashboard highlights who is in session and the Senate and House committee hearings.

The APRC has created an Action Alert on Cocktails-To-Go, set to sunset in January 2024. However, SB0043 has proposed to remove the sunset provision. Prevention coalitions can submit evidence to the Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC). If you witness a violation of the temporary Cocktails-To-Go rules, you can report it via the ILCC website – Submit an Online Tip located at the bottom of the home page. Citizens can also create a legislative witness slip to support or oppose any bill. The FAQs for witness slips can be found here. Your voice or photos/photographic evidence can help legislators make a more informed and educated decision.

The Alcohol Policy Resource Center can assist with how to analyze your data, scan your community, and match policy/strategy to assessment findings. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Jody Heavilin.

SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION TRAINING & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

SAMHSA’s National Prevention Week is taking place May 7-13, 2023.

A new National Prevention Week tagline, “A Celebration of Possibility,” is about communities coming together to celebrate the possibilities and brighter futures that exist thanks to the ongoing work of prevention happening across the country. Communities across the country will be celebrating the week with events and activities to raise awareness of substance misuse and mental health issues. Learn more about National Prevention Week by taking the Planning for National Prevention Week online self-paced course at Prevention First. This training will give you tips and tools for planning and implementing activities honoring National Prevention Week.

Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the Youth Prevention Resource Center wants to support you in supporting the mental health and well-being of young people in your life! Host a training in your community and get certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid or QPR at no cost!

QPR Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention

QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — the 3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Just as people trained in CPR help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. QPR can be learned in our Gatekeeper course (virtual or in person) in as little as one hour, or we can tailor the training to your specific audience (1.5-2 hours).

Youth Mental Health First Aid

Youth Mental Health First Aid is a course that teaches participants how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges or crises in young people. Courses can be held in person, virtually, or in a blended format.

Virtual and blended Youth MHFA courses consist of about 2 hours of self-paced pre-work and a 5-hour instructor-led training. The Youth MHFA in-person course may be taught in a single 7.5-hour segment or broken into two sessions and delivered over two days. Please keep in mind these are actual instruction times; sessions will be longer to accommodate breaks/lunch.

To learn more about bringing QPR or Youth MHFA to your school or community, contact Randyl Wilkins.

Stay Tuned!

The YPRC will be announcing the members of our 2023-24 Student Advisory Board soon! Join our mailing list to get notified!

The CPRC invites you to view two training opportunities!

On Tuesday, May 23rd at 9:00 am CST, Jake Levinson will present “Prevention Strategies for Vaping Marijuana” in conjunction with the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association. This webinar will examine youth vaping trends, risk and protective factors, and consequences of youth vaping. We’ll explore evidence-based prevention strategies to address youth vaping, including use of the Strategic Prevention Framework, environmental strategies such as policy change, and individual strategies.

Click here to register for the webinar.

The CPRC has posted a recorded webinar, “Cannabis Impaired Driving, Prevention and Policy,” presented by Dr. Ashley Brooks-Russell on March 23, 2023. In this webinar, Dr. Ashley Brooks-Russell examines the association of cannabis impairment with injury prevention policy.

Click here to view this archived webinar.

Click It or Ticket Campaign Reminds Drivers: Buckle Up May 22 - June 4, and Every Day

Seat belts save lives every day. They can only save lives, however, if they’re used, and there are still many people who don’t buckle up. Wearing a seat belt can reduce the risk of a fatal injury by 45%. This is why your community needs to know that wearing a seat belt can make the difference between life and death.

Illinois passed a primary seat belt law in 2003 and in 2021 the Illinois seat belt usage rate was 93.5%.

In Illinois the primary seat belt law states that all vehicle occupants, regardless of seating position, are required to use a properly adjusted and fastened seat belt.

From May 22 - June 4, 2023, state and local law enforcement agencies across the nation will work together to enforce seat belts laws. "Click It or Ticket" isn’t about citations; it’s about saving lives. In 2021, there were 11,813 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States, which is why it’s important for everyone to buckle up every trip every time.

The Prevention First’s Traffic Safety Resource Center is excited to kick off their Employer Traffic Safety Program.

Every 12 minutes, someone dies in a motor vehicle crash. Every 10 seconds, an injury occurs. Every 5 seconds, a crash occurs. Many of these incidents occur during the workday or during the commute to and from work. Employers bear the cost of injuries that occur both on and off the job.

Do you know the cost to your business when an employee is involved in a crash?

To find out and request a free toolkit to promote traffic safety within your business and reduce the risk of traffic crashes among employees, visit the Prevention First Traffic Safety Resource Center, email Kathy Murphy, or call 217.494.1383.

The Leadership Center is offering two free webinars in May!

The Prevention First Leadership Center is hosting a free virtual QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training on May 30th, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — the 3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Just as people trained in CPR help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. CEUs are available! Space is limited, so if you are interested, please contact Megan Edmondson.

In another free webinar opportunity, the Prevention First Leadership Center welcomes Nick Szubiak with NSI Strategies to facilitate the webinar "Utilizing Change Management Skills to Support and Integrate Harm Reduction Approaches" on May 15th from

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

The philosophy and implementation of harm reduction strategies is an emerging approach that is effective in engaging people who use drugs. This webinar will begin to explore how we can utilize change management approaches to support the implementation of harm reduction strategies to support people who use drugs, reduce overdose death, and more effectively address and treat addiction. We will discuss the wide spectrum of harm reduction strategies that support the mantra of meeting people “where they are” with compassion and humility. We will discuss and provide specific skills and approaches that communities can take to implement harm reduction strategies into existing practices. CEUs application has been submitted! Click here to register.