News & Events
Check out our recent newsletters and view our upcoming events.
Newsletters
September 2024
Request for your wishlist of Professional Development topics, PW!VT’s Prevention Hub is LIVE, Policy Education and Advocacy: What’s new at PW!VT, PW!VT attends the National Prevention Network Conference, Certified Prevention Specialist Update, Updates from Traci Sawyers of the Vermont Department of Health, Prevention Spotlight -Desiree Kepper, PW’s Calendar of Events, Workgroup Updates, Coalition News From Across The State, Appreciation of Steering Committee Member, Will Eberle
December 2024
| Workforce Development Accomplishments, Preparing for the 2025 Legislative Session, Certified Prevention Specialist Update, Updates from Traci Sawyers of the Vermont Department of Health, Prevention Spotlight – Katie Niebuhr, State of Vermont, DSU, PW’s Calendar of Events, Workgroup Updates, Coalition News From Across The State, Welcoming of New Steering Committee Members |
Vermont Prevention Day 2025
Thank you for your interest in Prevention Day 2025 on April 3, 2025, organized by Prevention Works! VT. We encourage you to join your prevention colleagues, youth, and community partners at the Capitol Plaza and Vermont Statehouse for this important day.
Prevention Day has a long history in Montpelier, where prevention staff and community partners advocate and raise awareness about the impact of substance misuse prevention on the health and well-being of Vermont youth and communities.
This year, we have provided two options for Prevention Day with Youth and Adults in mind! You can do Prevention Day Your Way! There is a menu of activities to choose from.
First, you may choose Advocacy All the Way! This self-designed day starts with the Legislative Breakfast. It continues at the Statehouse with attending committee meetings, visiting with your legislators, a self-guided Statehouse tour, and/or visiting the full House and Senate (1 pm on Thursdays). Prevention Works! VT will share information about the committee meeting and updates as the time gets closer. Legislators love meeting youth and hearing from them what is important. Be sure to include youth in planning your day and reach out to legislators in advance. At lunch, reconvene at the Capitol Plaza for lunch with Sue Thau, motivating youth and adults to engage in prevention advocacy. Choose again from a self-designed afternoon, which can include a self-care workshop or participate in an afternoon workshop with Vive 18 on “Hosting Successful Substance-Free Community Events”. We like to call this Advocacy All The Way, but it is up to you!
Another option, designed with youth and adults in mind, is a day of youth engagement workshops! Start by attending the Legislative Breakfast. After engaging with your legislative representatives at breakfast, join Jake White and Vive18 for a morning workshop on “Youth Leadership and Recruitment.” This hands-on action packet workshop works for teams or individuals with any prevention experience. Encourage youth to participate! After lunch with Sue Thau, motivating youth and adults to engage in prevention advocacy, join the afternoon workshop with Vive 18 on “Hosting Successful Substance-Free Community Events.” Or consider an afternoon at the Statehouse attending committee meetings, taking the time to meet with your legislators, or taking a Statehouse tour. Consider including the Self Care workshop in your afternoon.
But wait, there’s MORE!! Day Two:
Are you looking to address student vaping, alcohol, THC, and other substance use in your community? Do the resources you have seem outdated and uninteresting?
Vive18’s curriculum is jam-packed with fun, engaging, and impactful lessons on prevention. It’s not just some surface-level facts and activities. We dive into real strategies like coping skills, goal setting, resilience, boundaries, and decision-making skills.
Registration begins at 9:00 am. Light cold breakfast will be served.
A Classic Caesar Salad Buffet lunch will be provided
Participants will receive a copy of the “Drug, Alcohol, and Vaping Prevention Curriculum”
Involving Youth in Prevention Day
- Create and send letters to legislators inviting them to Legislative Breakfast, to schedule a meeting or see their committees at work
- Design and share a letter about an important issue on Prevention Day
- Share the workshop description and encourage them to create a team or group to participate
- Check out the resource on how youth can become better advocates at https://vermontafterschool.org/youthvoice/ for advocacy information
- Prepare for the visit with PW’s The Vermont Legislature: What You Need To Know, which includes information on building a relationship with your legislators
Prevention Day 2025 – Schedule of Events
April 3, 2025 – Capitol Plaza & Vermont Statehouse, Montpelier, VT
7:30 AM – 9:30 AM: Legislative Breakfast: Capitol Plaza Ballroom
Featuring Sue Thau, National Policy Consultant, discussing how policymakers and prevention advocates can work together as partners.
9:45 AM – 12:30 PM – Options are:
Advocacy All The Way: Vermont Statehouse
- Meet with legislators
- Attend committee meetings
- Tour the Statehouse
Ignite Your Influence – Recruiting Peers Into Prevention: Montpelier Room at The Capital Plaza
Does it feel intimidating to approach your peers with a topic like drug prevention? Do you feel like they won’t listen or take you seriously? Jake White started a movement doing something people said was impossible… hosting giant events in college without any drugs or alcohol. Not only did he attract hundreds of students, creating a positive safe environment for people to connect, he even attracted nationally known sponsors to fund his events. Today he teaches students and youth coalition members across the U.S. how to engage their peers in prevention lessons, activities and events. Now it’s your turn! Come learn how to ignite your influence with strategies to engage your peers and community in the important work you’re doing.
This session will cover…
- Inviting your peers to coalition meetings and events
- Attracting new partners to support your work
- Building an inclusive community that’s primed to make an impact
Participants will be to:
- Participants will be able to recruit peers into coalition meetings, activities and events.
- Participants will be able to develop partnerships with other student groups and community organizations.
- Participants will be able to communicate persuasively to individuals and groups to further the coalition’s goals and objectives.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Networking Lunch & Advocacy Presentation: Capitol Plaza Ballroom
Join Sue Thau for an engaging discussion on effective advocacy strategies, or enjoy lunch on your own or with legislators.
1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Advocacy All The Way (Continued): Vermont Statehouse
- Meet with legislators
- Attend committee meetings
- Tour the Statehouse
Afternoon Workshop Options (Held concurrently)
Event Innovation – Crafting Unforgettable Prevention Experiences: Montpelier Room, Capitol Plaza
How do you get people to show up for your prevention events? And how can you make it so great that they ask when the next one is? Vive18 started as a movement of young people hosting giant events in college without any substances or alcohol. Today they teach students and youth coalition members how to make their events full of purpose, excitement and learning. Come learn how to craft unforgettable prevention experiences with event innovation!
This session will cover…
- Efficiently planning events for prevention purposes
- Facilitating activities that are engaging and attractive to your audience
- Maximizing your event potential for content, volunteers, and future marketing
Participants will be to:
- Participants can market prevention events to their peers and community.
- Participants will be able to plan events to achieve prevention outcomes.
- Participants will be able to lead prevention activities for engagement confidently.
Join Katie Niebuhr, who will facilitate an interactive and engaging space to support the well-being of prevention professionals,
“Understanding and Managing Stress, Burnout, and Compassion Fatigue”.
Working with others can often lead to stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue. In this workshop, you will learn the signs of these common stressors and how to relieve them. This interactive session will help you better understand why these stressors occur and how we can care for ourselves while continuing to care for others. Gain universal tools to help reduce these stressors (both physiological and emotional) that you can share with your colleagues.
About our Speakers
Sue Thau, Public Policy Consultant
Sue Thau is a Public Policy Consultant representing Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA). She is nationally recognized for her advocacy and legislative accomplishments on behalf of the substance abuse prevention field. She has an extensive background in public policy and has held high positions at the federal, state, and local levels. She was a Budget Examiner and Legislative Analyst at the Office of Management and Budget in the Executive Office of the President for over ten years. Sue was a driving force behind the passage, reauthorization, and full funding of the Drug-Free Communities Act. In addition, Sue has worked to save and enhance funding for all federal substance abuse prevention and treatment programs over the last two decades. She is highly respected as an expert on demand reduction issues by members of Congress and staff on both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill. Sue has an undergraduate degree from Cornell University in Human Development and Family Studies and a Master’s Degree from Rutgers University in City and Regional Planning.
Katie Niebuhr, DSU Prevention Consultant
Katie Niebuhr, MS (She/ Her) is the Prevention Consultant for the Bennington District with the State of Vermont. While she is new to substance use prevention, Katie was a clinician in prevention and chronic disease management before making her way to Vermont and public health. Katie has over 10 years of curriculum development and teaching experience in prevention medicine and wellness. Katie has a passion for mindful movement and its impact on health and well-being. She is certified through the American College of Sports Medicine and is also a certified Pilates instructor.
Jake has spoken to tens of thousands of high school and college students and been featured on news outlets like USA Today and ABC News. He created Party.0, a national movement, while still in school and has dedicated his life to helping students create the life they want while helping others.
Prevention Day Countdown
Want to learn more about advocacy?
The Vermont Legislature, and talking with decision makers? Check out PW’s Advocacy page on our website
View last year’s webinar on Prevention Advocacy
Learn How A Bill Becomes a Law
What is Prevention?
Upcoming Webinars and events
We’re excited to invite you to PW!VTs quarterly Lunch & Learn. For March, we are featuring Jake White of Vive18 and Lauren Ingersoll of BRACC!
Jake will share insights on his engaging prevention workshops at Vermont Prevention Day on April 3rd and introduce his powerful Prevention Toolkit, which he’ll unveil on April 4th.
Lauren will discuss BRACC’s work in engaging youth in the planning and operating of the new Chester Teen Center, a vital resource for local teens.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, connect, and get inspired! Please see the attached flyer for details.
We hope to see you there!
Join us on Wednesday, March 19th, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM for an insightful session on Supervision of the Prevention Specialist with Julie Stevens.
This session will explore the key roles and responsibilities of an effective prevention supervisor, including:
- Ensuring the delivery of high-quality interventions
- Fostering a positive work environment
- Developing professional and administrative skills
- Understanding supervision tools and ethical considerations
Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your supervision skills and support the success of prevention specialists.
We look forward to seeing you there!
EMPOWERMENT WITH PREVENTION Vermont School-Based Prevention Conference May 7th, 2025 - Lake Morey Resort
Empowerment with Prevention is a central theme for our day-long conference, focusing on how proactive strategies can empower individuals and communities to reduce risks and enhance well-being. By emphasizing the importance of prevention in various contexts—whether in health, safety, or social challenges—this conference aims to provide SAPs, school personnel, Prevention Consultants, and Prevention Partners with tools, knowledge, and resources to increase comprehensive programs.
Through expert speakers and interactive workshops, we will explore effective prevention practices, discuss how empowerment can lead to positive change, and highlight the critical role that Prevention plays in our work together.
Please note that sessions at this event will not be recorded.
Audience: SAPs, School Personnel, Prevention Consultants and Prevention Partners
Click here for more information and registration information
in case you missed it.......
Prevention Works!VT PL4 Workshop: The Intersect Between Substance Misuse Prevention and Suicide Prevention In Youth with Debby Haskins – February 13, 2025
The goal of the workshop was to equip participants with a comprehensive understanding of the intersection between substance misuse and youth suicide and to support them in their work with youth.
NEW ASSOCIATE PREVENTION SPECIALIST CREDENTIAL!
If the thought of applying for the Certified Prevention Specialist credential has felt too overwhelming or you need more time to prepare, we have great news for you. The Vermont Prevention Certification Board is launching the Associate Prevention Specialist (APS) Credential starting January 10th, 2025.
This new credential provides a manageable entry point for those working in the substance use prevention field who want to begin the certification process. The APS credential allows you to gain valuable hands-on experience in prevention, building both your confidence and competence. This prepares you for more complex responsibilities as you progress toward the full CPS certification.
Take the next step in your professional development—apply for the APS or CPS credential today!
Prevention Works!VT PL4 Workshop: Integrating AI into Youth Substance Use Prevention – Leveraging AI in Youth Substance Use Prevention: Tools, Strategies, and Best Practices facilitated by Tony Moulton
The goal of the workshop is to equip professionals in youth substance misuse and use prevention with practical knowledge and hands-on experience in using AI, specifically ChatGPT, to enhance their work in prevention.
Prevention Works!VT WFD Professional Development Opportunity: Internship Panel Winter 2025 –Effectively Utilizing Internships in Your Prevention Organization
