December 2025

Introducing the Opioid Learning and

Response Collaborative

The Opioid Learning and Response Collaborative (ORLC) exists to replace isolation with connection. Our mission is to provide technical assistance, training, and resources, informed by subject matter experts and community feedback, that address opioid use disorder and related behavioral health challenges.

The OLRC is dedicated to supporting communities through evidence-based and trauma-informed approaches that promote recovery, resilience, and systems-level change. Our goal is to build sustainable, recovery-oriented systems of care across Illinois, rooted in cultural humility and empathy that stem from a personal understanding of the unique challenges each region faces. To learn more about the Opioid Learning and Response Collaborative, consider attending a Regional Networking Event on December 4, 2025, in Springfield, IL (Click on the flyer above to learn more and register). Additionally, you can join our interactive learning community. We use GroupSite as our professional networking platform. When you visit GroupSite, you will find:

Community Dashboard: Stay connected with the pulse of the community.
Discussion Forums: Engage in meaningful, topic-driven conversations.
Knowledge Exchange: A shared library of resources, powered by our members.
Expert Spotlights: Learn from thought leaders and innovators.
Networking Features: Build lasting professional relationships.

Ready to turn insight into impact? Your voice matters. Your experience counts.

Welcome, Claire Volkert!

Claire Volkert (she/her) recently joined Prevention First as the new Chicago Strategic Action Council Program Specialist. In this role, Claire serves as a liaison between external partners and the organizational network, strengthening collaboration, aligning shared goals, and helping build capacity for effective prevention across Chicago. She is excited to be part of a project that advances community-driven strategies.

With a background in public health, program coordination, and sexual and relationship violence prevention, she has spent most of her career thus far supporting primary prevention efforts. Her roles have centered on promoting equity, fostering community engagement, and creating conditions that enable all youth to thrive.

Originally from West Michigan, Claire spent the last four years in Madison, Wisconsin, before making Chicago her home in June 2025. We are excited to welcome Claire to our Prevention First team!

Why the Illinois Youth Survey Matters

Registration for the 2026 Illinois Youth Survey (IYS) is now open, and surveying will take place from January through May. While it may seem like just another student questionnaire, the IYS is much more than that. It’s one of the most critical tools we have for understanding the experiences, behaviors, and needs of Illinois youth—and for translating that understanding into effective, data-informed action at both the local and state levels. But the value of this data depends on one key factor: participation. The more schools that participate, the more accurate and useful the data becomes—not just at the state level, but in each community.

Why is the IYS important for statewide data?

The IYS provides one of the most comprehensive sources of behavioral health data for adolescents in Illinois. This data is essential for state agencies, policymakers, and researchers to:

Track trends over time, such as rising or declining rates of youth substance use or mental health challenges
Identify emerging public health concerns across the state
Inform statewide policies and prevention strategies
Secure funding for youth support services by demonstrating need through credible data

Why does the IYS matter for local planning?

One of the most powerful aspects of the IYS is that local communities get access to their own data in a ready-made report. When schools participate, local public health departments, prevention coalitions, school districts, and youth-serving organizations can:

Evaluate how students in their area compare to state averages
Identify specific areas of concern—whether it’s vaping, anxiety, or bullying
Measure the impact of local programs over time
Use real data to guide funding proposals and strategic planning

You can help recruit schools to participate!

As someone vested in prevention in your community, you can play an active role in recruiting schools to participate in the IYS. You can learn more by taking the online, self-paced training, Promoting the Illinois Youth Survey to Schools. The training will build your knowledge and skills to promote the IYS to schools in your community.

If you need help, please contact Prevention First at providerservices@prevention.org, and we can connect you with the right person to learn more about the survey's benefits and develop a recruitment strategy. You can learn more about the IYS on the IYS website.

National Impaired Driving Prevention Month: Building Safer Choices Through Positive Youth Development

December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month - a reminder that the holiday season brings not only celebration but also a rise in impaired driving-related crashes. It’s a necessary time to reinforce healthy decision-making with the young people in our lives. Prevention efforts emphasize that any amount of alcohol or drugs can impair driving, and that there are no shortcuts to sobering up. Helping young people build confidence and skills to make informed, safe choices is essential.

This aligns closely with the principles taught in the Foundations of Positive Youth Development (PYD) training. PYD emphasizes equipping youth with the strengths, environments, and supportive relationships they need to thrive. When adults are trained in PYD approaches, they become better equipped to guide young people toward responsible choices, including decisions related to substance use and transportation safety. Below are key safe-driving practices that reflect the core competencies promoted in PYD:

Safe Practices to Share with Youth

Refuse to ride with an impaired driver: Alcohol and other drugs slow reaction time and judgment, even before obvious signs appear.
Have a plan and a backup plan: Decide ahead of time how you’ll get home if an adult or young person you are with is driving impaired—identify a designated driver, set up a rideshare, or check public transportation routes. Reach out to a trusted adult.
Speak up: Encourage friends to make healthy, responsible choices. Refusing to ride with an impaired driver is a powerful act of leadership.

By engaging with the Foundations of Positive Youth Development training, staff and community members can strengthen their ability to foster these protective factors and healthy behaviors. Together, we can help youth build decision-making skills, confidence, and supportive networks that keep them—and our communities—safe.

To learn more about ways to positively impact youth, please click the button below and register to join us in Springfield on December 16-17 for our Foundations of Positive Youth Development Series: "Everyone's an Asset Builder" and "Sharing the Asset Message."

Training Opportunities!

Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) — 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, in a short timeframe, how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help.

QPR – Suicide Prevention, Mental Health, & the Holidays

Wednesday, December 10th @ 1:00-2:30 PM

QPR – New Year, New Challenges

Wednesday, January 28th @ 1:00-2:30 PM

POWER HOUR: New Year, New Challenges

Thursday, January 22nd @ 12:00-1:00 PM

Join Prevention First's Mental Health Training & Technical Assistance team for a Power Hour Session during the first month of 2026. In this session, we will have an interactive discussion on ways to navigate the stress and negative emotions that may arise with the start of a new year, how winter and a new year may impact the youth we work with, and strategies for managing your own life challenges while still supporting your clients.

Introduction to Youth Suicide Prevention

Online Asynchronous Training

This course focuses on youth suicide prevention using innovative, evidence-based practices to inform your work. During this training, you will learn how to:

Identify warning signs in youth ages 10-24
Explore risk and protective factors that impact suicide prevention and mental health
Learn suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention strategies
Practice communication skills for supporting youth at-risk for suicide or in crisis
Apply appropriate intervention techniques

Alcohol and Cannabis Prevention Policy Summit

Two opportunities to attend one great event!

The Alcohol Policy Resource Center and the Cannabis Policy Resource Center are hosting an Alcohol & Cannabis Prevention Policy Summit. We’re excited to feature our keynote speakers, Dr. Matthew Rossheim and Amy Miles, and a range of topics such as:

alcohol, cannabis, and suicide
retail availability of high ABV and hemp-based beverages
alcohol and cannabis marketing
enforcement strategies and coalition collaboration
and prevention of impaired driving.

This Summit is designed for Illinois law enforcement, prevention professionals, and members of prevention coalitions. What is most exciting is that this Summit is offered twice, at different locations each day. Each day will feature the same agenda and speakers, allowing participants from all over the state to choose the location that best suits their needs. On April 13, the Summit will take place at Harper College in Palatine, and on April 14, it will be held at the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System in Urbana. Register for this event on the date/location below.

April 13, 2026 in Palatine, IL

April 14, 2026 in Urbana, IL

Winter Break Survival Guide

For many young people, winter break is more complicated than cozy sweaters and holiday movies. Time away from school can mean disrupted routines, increased isolation, financial stress at home, and heightened family conflict. To help, the Youth Prevention Resource Center has created a Winter Break Survival Guide that youth-serving adults can easily share with students before they head into break.

This survival guide identifies common challenges (such as loneliness, academic pressure, and family stress), provides practical self-care tips, and reminds young people that it’s okay to reach out for help. The resource also highlights key supports, making it a practical tool for promoting safety and connection during a vulnerable time of year.

We encourage coalitions, schools, and youth-serving programs to:

Share the digital guide through newsletters, classroom platforms, and social media
Print copies to send home before winter break
Use the content to start conversations about coping skills and support options

You can find other youth-focused resources at: prevention.org/yprc.

NOW AVAILABLE: GUIDE FROM THE SURGEON GENERAL

The U.S. Surgeon General has released a new guide addressing the ongoing youth vaping epidemic, which saw e-cigarette use among high school students surge from 220,000 in 2011 to over 3 million by 2018. Despite declines from the 2019 peak when nearly 1 in 3 high school students reported vaping, it remains the most commonly used tobacco product among youth, with more than 1.6 million U.S. youth currently vaping as of 2024.

These battery-operated devices—known by various names including vapes, e-cigarettes, mods, and ENDS—deliver nicotine, flavoring, or other substances through inhaled aerosols, posing significant health risks to developing brains and bodies. Access the complete Surgeon General’s guide and youth vaping prevention resources, including facts, risks, consequences, and additional materials.