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Prevention Insights
A South Southwest PTTC eNewsletter
| | In the September 2026 Issue | |
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Title: Five-Year Retrospective Reveals Campus Climate Shapes Substance Use Behavior
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Epi Corner: Suicide, Mental Health, Drug Use, and Overdose: A Confluence of Risk Factors
- What's Happening Around the Region?
- Spotlight on Additional Resources
| | Five-Year Retrospective Reveals Campus Climate Shapes Substance Use Behavior | | |
By Darla J. Kelsay, Certified Prevention Consultant
A five-year retrospective of the Arkansas Collegiate Substance Use Assessment (ACSUA) will be released this month, giving participating colleges and universities invaluable insights and trend data on student use of alcohol/binge drinking, tobacco/nicotine vaping, and marijuana/marijuana vaping. The study also examines the impact of family substance use, campus environment, and campus drug policies on behavior, as well as student mental health.
Read the full article to learn more.
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Epi Corner:
Suicide, Mental Health, Drug Use, and Overdose: A Confluence of Risk Factors
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By Iris Smith, Ph.D.
In 2024, 14.3 million people in the U.S. experienced suicidal ideation, 4.6 million planned a suicide attempt, and 48,824 died by suicide. In 2024 the rate of suicide deaths among U.S. adolescents and teens 15-19 years old was 9.4%. State rates vary considerably from 5.67% in the District of Columbia to 29.78% in Alaska.1
At the individual level, mental health problems, particularly depression and anxiety, are often precursors to suicidal ideation and attempts in young people. Data from the National Center for Health Statistics National Health Survey indicated that between 2021 and 2023, 19.7% of youth 12-17 reported symptoms of anxiety in the past two weeks, 17.8% reported symptoms of depression, and 19.5 % reported that they needed mental health services or counseling in the past year but were unable to obtain it.2 Youth with a previous psychiatric history, diagnosis of psychosis, admission to a mental health treatment program, prior suicidal behavior, or a family history of fatal suicide attempts may be at elevated risk.3
Read the full article to learn more.
| | What's Happening Around the Region | | |
Farewell to Trevor McCane
Please join us in saying goodbye to Trevor McCane, PTTC Prevention Fellow. Trevor joined the South Southwest (SSW) PTTC team in January 2025. While working with the SSW PTTC, Trevor participated in national conferences, supported the team on multiple initiatives, and collaborated with other PTTC Prevention Fellows to provide research which led to the creation of the 2025 SAMHSA Prevention Fellows report, “Measuring and Monitoring Fidelity and Adaptation of Evidence-Based Community Prevention Programs.”
Trevor has accepted a position with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. We are proud of Trevor’s work with the PTTC and know that Trevor will be an asset to this new team. The SSW PTTC wishes Trevor great happiness and success. We will miss you.
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We're Hiring
The PTTC Prevention Fellowship Program increases the number of prevention scientists working in the field. This is done by developing and sustaining a well-trained and knowledgeable cadre of prevention professionals who understand and exemplify the principles and best practices of substance misuse prevention and prepare fellows to achieve certification from the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS) exam.
Each fellow will be assigned to a prevention placement site, where they will be exposed to the day-to-day workings of the site for 26 hours/week. Fellows will also receive training from the PTTC the learning and capacity development activities will be coordinated by the Prevention Science Mentor and Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) network staff.
This is a field position based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The program starts September 30, 2026 - September 29, 2027, with an option to continue with fellow for one additional year.
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Funding News:
SAMHSA Awards $77 Million to Strengthen Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, Crisis Services, and Mental Health Services
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced on Overdose Awareness Day that it has awarded $77 million in new grant funding to strengthen substance use prevention, treatment and recovery, community mental health, suicide prevention, and crisis services. The announcement comes as National Substance Use Primary Prevention Month draws to a close, with more than $22 million of the funding supporting critical substance use prevention efforts in communities.
Learn more
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Common Ground National Faith and Community Based Behavioral Health Conference
Lewisville, TX
September 24 - 25, 2026
The Inaugural Common Ground National Faith and Community Based Behavioral Health Conference brings together faith communities, healthcare and behavioral health professionals, educators, nonprofits, and community leaders to improve behavioral health through collaboration. Participants will gain practical tools, meaningful connections, and proven strategies to reduce stigma, expand access to care, and strengthen individuals, families, and communities. Continuing Education (CE) credits available.
Register
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2026 National Prevention Network (NPN) Conference
Join professionals from the substance use prevention field and related disciplines in exploring the latest research, best practices, and promising evaluation results to create a collaborative forum where prevention professionals work together to integrate research into effective prevention policies, programs and strategies.
Register
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The PTTC Network Coordinating Office (NCO) is sponsoring the Fall 2026 Prevention Professional Conference
Virtual via Zoom
October 13 - 15, 2026
This three-day virtual professional development opportunity provides 18 hours of continuing education across multiple IC&RC prevention competency domains. The PTTC NCO is providing registration scholarships that reduce the conference registration cost to $125, helping make high-quality prevention education more accessible to professionals across the field.
To receive the PTTC NCO-sponsored registration rate, use the discount code PTTC350 during registration.
Register
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Spotlight on Additional Resources | | Substance Misuse on College Campus | | |
Equipping College Students: An introduction to First Years Away from Home, a Resource to Support Transitions to College
Part three in the Prevention and Parenting Across the Lifespan series delves into the theoretical grounding, evidence base, and core elements and activities of the Letting Go and Staying Connected handbook for caregivers of first-year college students, explores caregiver-student activities, and describes best practices for community engagement.
Watch the recording
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Addressing Substance Misuse on Campus Together
This Campus Drug Prevention page provides access to resources and tools available through SAMHSA to help communities and universities address diverse substance misuse issues, understand the importance of prevention, and mitigate the impact of these substances on transition-aged youth.
Learn more
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Strategic Planning Guide for Preventing Drug Misuse Among College Students
This guide provides a roadmap for college and university based prevention professionals to collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders, from students to administrators, to address campus-wide drug misuse issues.
View the guide
| | “The place where we live, the things we have around us, and the people we are with, all shape who we are.” - bell hooks. | | | | |
