Porter County Substance Abuse Council to Hone Substance Abuse Prevention Skills at CADCA 2015 Mid-Year Training Institute

porter-county-substance-abuse-councilTo Learn New Strategies to Prevent and Reduce Youth Drug Use

Leaders from the Porter County Substance Abuse Coalition will join more than 1,500 substance abuse prevention specialists from across the country at Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)’s 2015 Mid-Year Training Institute in Indianapolis Aug. 2-6. The week-long training will take place at the JW Marriott.

CADCA’s Mid-Year Training Institute is a one-of-a-kind intensive training opportunity, offering more than 70 half-day and two-day courses geared towards helping participants find solutions to their community’s toughest substance abuse problems. Attendees participate in a variety of lecture and hands-on sessions to expand their knowledge in prevention science and improve their skills in implementing evidence-based strategies to reduce drug and alcohol use.

This year’s Mid-Year will feature a number of renowned experts in the field of substance abuse prevention, with keynote remarks by Michael Botticelli, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy; Kana Enomoto, Deputy Principal Administrator for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); and Karla Sneegas, Branch Chief for the CDC’s Office of Smoking and Health.

“We are fortunate to be able to spend a week with other similar organizations from across the country, learning and honing our skills so we can more effectively prevent drug and alcohol abuse,” Jaime Bauer. “Out of the 9 youth that are attending the training from Indiana, 3 are from Porter County, and attend Chesterton, Portage and Valparaiso schools. We are truly excited about this. We hope to return reenergized with new strategies under our belt to tackle drug use and its associated problems in our County.”

CADCA’s Mid-Year will cover a wide range of topics – everything from how to prevent prescription drug abuse and reduce heroin use to how to create tobacco-free environments, reduce impaired driving and develop policies to reduce marijuana use and underage drinking.

The coalition is currently working on Awareness Matters, a free community event scheduled for August 29th at the Porter County Expo Center. Anyone working with youth is invited to attend this informative event focusing on drug trends, recognizing child drug use, and learning how drugs are hidden and used by our youth. Contact 219-462-0946 to register or receive more information.

Dedicated to reducing substance abuse in Porter County, the Substance Abuse Council is the county’s founding coalition working together to battle substance abuse. A member of the Governor’s Commission for a Drug Free Indiana, the Council is in its 27th year providing funding to the community.