Making Environmental Strategies Work in Alaska

Online course opens: March 24, 2014 

This online training is for people who have been planning and implementing substance abuse prevention and are familiar with theories and planning processes. The training will provide an overview of the importance of environment, review various environmental strategies that have been used, and will guide participants through the development of an environmental strategy plan for their community. This interactive training will take participants 6 hours to complete over a 12 day period. Various teaching techniques will be used including video analysis, group discussions, document development, and brief lectures.

This online course will open on March 24, 2014 and will be available for 12 days. A link to the online registration will be included in the training invitation and will also be posted on the SPF SIG website under “Training Opportunities” when it becomes available. After the online course closes there will be a follow-up teleconference on April 8, 2014. This call will be an opportunity for participants to ask questions and to debrief the course.

Evaluation Expectations: The knowledge, skills and considerations needed when working with an evaluator

Webinar: 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., April 1, 2014

Click here to access the Adobe Connect link which will give you the audio-visual connection. After clicking this link, you will be directed to a registration survey for your name and affiliation. Once completed, you will be redirected to the Adobe Connect site. Enter as a guest and type your name; then click on “enter room.”

To see a list of additional upcoming trainings, check out the SPF SIG website. 

Part Two of the Sustainability Series, “Determining What to Sustain,” originally scheduled for February 18th, has been rescheduled for April 22nd. Additional information on how to participate in this training will be posted in the April newsletter.

Past training materials and presentations are available online at the Training Opportunities page of the SPF website.

The Petersburg/Wrangell team launched the Green Dot strategy this month by distributing 50 "red dots" around the communities. The initiative has received a positive response by community members. Over the coming weeks, local media will inform people about what the dots symbolize and to share information about the strategy.

The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) is sponsoring the 28th Annual Alcohol Awareness month. The program’s goal is to increase public awareness and understanding, reduce stigma and encourage local communities to focus on alcoholism and alcohol-related issues. This year the theme is “Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow,” which focuses on underage drinking. NCADD released an Organizer’s Guide that includes background information on this year’s theme, sample materials to distribute to the media, suggested activities and other resources.

Members of the Fairbanks coalition attended the 24th National Leadership Forum in Washington D.C., a conference sponsored by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA). While in Washington, the coalition members were able to meet with Legislative Assistants from the offices of Senator Begich, Senator Murkowski and Representative Don Young to discuss the current and future prevention efforts that are underway in Fairbanks.

As a part of National Drug Facts Week, the Lathrop chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) coordinated a drug facts assembly to share information on drug abuse and to discuss many of the myths about drugs. Fairbanks Prevention Coalition Coordinator Amy Bollaert presented at the assembly and conducted a question-and-answer session for the 100 students who attended the assembly.

During its quarterly in-person meeting with its supporting coalition, the Southeast Suicide Prevention Task Force, the SEARHC team elicited support from the Agnew::Beck SPF SIG team to lead a discussion focused on sustaining efforts toward reducing suicide (including through alcohol prevention efforts) in Southeast after the funding from two grants ends this summer. Many great ideas were discussed and will be followed up on during upcoming monthly coalition teleconferences. 

Thank you to the Homer and Nome grantees for their thoughtful presentations to both the advisory committee and to fellow grantees. These presentations highlighted the hard work, creative efforts and successful outcomes that are occurring in Homer and in Nome.

• Alcohol & Me: “My goal in life is to give her the best life she can have”
• What you don’t know about drinking and pregnancy: Four mothers tell their stories
• 4 families seek to confront, understand FASD
• Addressing suicide among seemingly successful college students
• Our View: Break silence about FASD, make awareness universal
• Compass: Clear message, effective screening help against FASD
• Alaska families try to sever the link between sexual abuse and FASD

From time to time funding opportunities come to our attention that may be relevant for grantee communities. Please feel free to pass these along to others in your community who might be interested.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - 2014 Native American Service to Science Initiative

• Description: The program is intended for innovative prevention programs developed by and for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. Established in 2008, the initiative’s long-range purpose is two-fold: to support innovative tribal interventions seeking to demonstrate and document evidence of effectiveness, and to increase the number and array of evidence-based interventions from which tribal communities can select to address substance abuse. Through a combination of training events and customized technical assistance, this national initiative assists tribal program developers, implementers, and evaluators in applying more rigorous and culturally-grounded evaluation methodologies to their work. 
• Eligibility: Eligible participants include practitioners or local evaluators who represent innovative tribal substance abuse prevention programs interested in demonstrating their program’s effectiveness using more rigorous evaluation methods. These programs must serve AI/AN populations.
• Deadline: 8 p.m. EST, March 21, 2014
• Contact Information: Seprieono Locario, 301-257-2762, slocario@tribalechllc.com

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration - Minority Serving Institutions Partnerships with Community Based Organizations

• Description: The purpose of this substance abuse prevention education and testing program is to equip and empower Minority Serving Institutions located in communities at the highest risk of substance abuse, HIV and Hepatitis-C (HCV) infections with evidence-based methodologies to increase access to comprehensive, integrated substance abuse, HIV and HCV prevention services on their campuses/institutions and surrounding community. The aim is to achieve normative and environmental changes to prevent and/or reduce substance abuse problems as risk factors for the transmission of HIV/AIDS among African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaska Native young adult  populations (ages 18- 24) on campus.
• Eligibility: SAMHSA is limiting eligibility to minority serving institutions (historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Institutions, and tribal colleges and universities).
• Award Information: SAMHSA anticipates $6,800,000 will be made available for a total of 23 awards. Up to $300,000 will be awarded per year of the project. The project length is up to three years. Proposed budgets cannot exceed $300,000 in total costs (direct or indirect) in any year of the proposed project.
• Deadline: April 16, 2014
• Contact Information: Eileen Bermudez, 240-276-1412, eileen.bermudez@samhsa.hhs.gov