Free Online Webinar: Substance Abuse Prevention

This a professional development opportunity provided by the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation titled: Keeping Healthy Kids Healthy: How Substance Abuse Prevention Can Really Work. This is a free online webinar taking place Wednesday, December 19th @12PM central standard time. This webinar has not been approved for CE credit, but you will receive a certificate of completion. The other added perk to this is that even if you sign up and cannot be present to listen at the scheduled time, you will receive a link where you can listen on your own time. 

Event Registration Link

Here is a summary of the session that was provided: 

It is a research-supported fact that most teens today are making healthy choices when it comes to substance use. Yet, opportunities for kids to remain free from substance use disorder are jeopardized when we as caring adults lack basic understanding about how our attitudes and behavior can protect them from early, risky use of alcohol and other drugs. 

This webinar will outline substance use prevention as a health science. FCD Prevention Works will share best practices, along with robust data from the international FCD Student Attitudes and Behavior Survey, to explore practical ways for you to positively impact the health of the teens in your life.  

I am also attaching a link to the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation site where they have a number of webinar options including, but not limited to, Flexibility of Programs Employing Evidence-based Practices, Bullying Prevention Practices, and Keeping Healthy Kids Healthy. The Foundation provides a number of resources related to substance use disorders, alcohol and drug prevention, violence prevention, and behavioral health issues. As an intern in a high school setting all of these topics are extremely relevant and useful. Substance issues are highly prevalent in this age group and early intervention and prevention measures can be crucial in combating this issue. The Betty Ford Treatment Center utilizes the twelve step practices of mutual support in their treatment in addition to multidisciplinary clinical care. One of the webinar topics is The Flexibility of Programs Employing Evidence - Based Practice! The center really emphasizes using individual evidence based practices combined to best fit for the individual client. This is a resource I would highly recommend! 

Site Link

Professional education workshops through AMITA health

https://www.amitahealth.org/behavioral-medicine/professional-education/workshops-programs

This is a list of professional education workshops and programs offered this fall through AMITA health. It came highly recommended by my supervisor who has attended many of their events in the past few years.  These programs are offered as part of a Back-To-School education series for mental health professionals and teachers who are interested in learning more about issues that affect adolescents. The programs range from a more medical focus to treatment techniques for particular groups of children. Some of the offerings would be extremely helpful for those who are going to be working with at-risk, self-injurious, and depressed and suicidal students.

The workshops and webinars are presented by professionals of the mental health field. They cover current relevant issues affecting our youth and offer CEU credits to help practitioners stay on top of current evidence-based practice. The majority of these classes would be placed under “providing evidence-based education, behavior, and mental health services” practice feature. They offer training in individual assessment and interventions for students. 

Just an additional note, the webinars are free!