2023 Partners in Prevention Conference: Full Schedule

9:00am CDT

Registration & Day 1 Sign-In

Be sure to stop by the registration table in the conference center lobby on each day to sign in for CEUs and pick up your conference materials!

Wednesday May 17, 2023 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
Conference Center Lobby

10:00am CDT

Session 1 Plenary: Cultivating Healthy Campuses and Communities Through Connection with Nature

The opening plenary for the 2023 Partners in Prevention Conference will expound on the idea of grounding ourselves in best practices by providing a framework for the intersection of mental health and nature in our prevention efforts. Our speakers will give an overview of the state of our overall mental health based on both national and state statistics. Current trends and research will illustrate the many benefits to our health and wellbeing spending time in nature and natural settings can provide. Examples from community, campus and statewide resources will help participants see how they can get started with creating a prevention connection to the great outdoors. See why Tennesseans need nature NOW more than ever.

Speakers

Ashley Hinton, MPH, M.S.

Director of Health Promotion, Centre College

Ashley Hinton, M.S., MPH currently serves as the Director of Health Promotion at Centre College working to build a sustainable model for a health promoting campus that empowers students while promoting skills and competency development toward lifelong wellbeing and academic success... Read More →

Stacey Levine

Director, Healthy Parks Healthy Person

Stacey Levine practiced as an architect for fifteen years before transitioning to community development with a focus on strengthened communities through assets-based health initiatives. She is currently the Director of Healthy Parks Healthy Person, a non-profit organization that... Read More →

Wednesday May 17, 2023 10:00am - 11:30am CDT
Ballroom B/C

11:30am CDT

Session 2A: Lunch CHASCo Meeting

Lunch and CHASCo meeting.

Wednesday May 17, 2023 11:30am - 1:00pm CDT
Ballroom A

11:30am CDT

Session 2B: Lunch Coalition and TPN Meeting

Join us for a delicious working lunch and connect with prevention coalitions from across Tennessee. Discussion topics will include:

The 2023 Tennessee legislative session will have recently ended on May 4, 2023. A review of the key activities will be presented by PAT CEO Stephanie Strutner for review and discussion. There will also be conversations with Lacey Hartigan from EMT Associates and Dave Walker with the Tennessee National Guard.

Speakers

Dave Walker

Tennessee National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, Drug Demand Reduction and Outreach Program Manager

Master Sergeant Dave Walker is the Program Manager for the Drug Demand Reduction and Outreach team for the TN National Guard. With more than 23 years of service, 13 with his current organization, and deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan as a communications and operations professional... Read More →

Stephanie Strutner, MPH, CPS II

CEO, Prevention Alliance of Tennessee

A retired substance use prevention coalition director, Stephanie Strutner, MPH owns and operates an independent consulting firm, Catalyst Evaluation Group, through which she provides support to clients through measuring impact and conducting biostatistical and epidemiological analyses... Read More →

Lacey Hartigan

Research Director, EMT Associates, Inc.

Dr. Lacey Hartigan serves as the Research Director for EMT Associates, Inc. Her work focuses on prevention science and behavioral health in school and community settings and includes work on numerous state- and federally funded projects such as the TN Together Student Survey and Higher... Read More →

Wednesday May 17, 2023 11:30am - 1:00pm CDT
Ballroom B/C

1:00pm CDT

Break

Wednesday May 17, 2023 1:00pm - 1:15pm CDT
Conference Center Lobby

1:15pm CDT

Session 3A: Nature Rx: Leveraging Outdoor Spaces and Partnerships for Holistic Well-being

Experiencing nature, even just a look outside, is healing and restorative in many ways. Public and campus greenspaces represent preventative resources that can help combat historic inequities in access to health resources. There is a growing body of research that demonstrates the benefits of prescribing time in nature as a wellness intervention and introduces a myriad of helpful sustainable mindsets.

Speakers

Ashley Hinton, MPH, M.S.

Director of Health Promotion, Centre College

Wednesday May 17, 2023 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT
Ballroom A

1:15pm CDT

Session 3B: Parks & Prevention Partnerships - Creating the Conduit to Nature for Improved Health

Part I: Parks & Prevention Partnerships
One of Carter County Drug Prevention's most valuable partners is Elizabethton Parks and Recreation. Since 2010, the organizations have worked together on dozens of community events and activities each year. They also implemented a community mentorship program for at-risk youth and the coalition offers support to the parks and rec department through provision of ACEs, trauma informed care, harm reduction and safe needle pick-up and Narcan trainings. Jilian and Kelly have spoken at National Recreation and Parks Association conferences and other national events about their partnership and its successes and are hopeful that prevention partners will gain strategies for creating similar parks and rec partnerships in their own communities through this presentation.

Part II: Creating the Conduit to Nature for Improved Health
How can we make the outdoors, as a resource for improved health and well-being, more accessible? This is the question that Healthy Parks Healthy Person (HPHP) seeks to address. And we believe the answer fits in the palm of your hand. HPHP is an app-based program created to increase Tennessee residents’ overall health through incentivized outdoor activity. It is through this simply designed, free app that HPHP is making the outdoors, and its benefits, more equitable for all residents of Tennessee, regardless of who they are, where they live in the state, or how much money they make. It is also helping to equip them with basic outdoor gear so they can continue to get outdoors for improved health.

Speakers

Jilian Reece

Executive Director, Carter County Drug Prevention (CCDP)

Jilian Reece has a bachelor's degree in communication from ETSU and is a Certified Prevention Specialist II. Before taking on CCDP, she spent many years as a Tobacco Health Educator for the Carter County Health Department. Her favorite part of her job is working with teenagers on... Read More →

Kelly Kitchens

Program & Special Events Coordinator, City of Elizabethton Parks and Recreation

Employed by the City of Elizabethton Parks and Recreation for the last twenty-two years, Kelly has served in her current role of Programming and Special Events for the last five. This job fits her outgoing personality well, as she loves being in the community forming friendships and... Read More →

Stacey Levine

Director, Healthy Parks Healthy Person

Wednesday May 17, 2023 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT
Ballroom B/C

2:30pm CDT

Sponsor and Exhibit Tables

Between sessions be sure to stop by tables set up by prevention coalitions, campuses, Tennessee Prevention Network agencies, and sponsors to see the great work going on across our state and spark ideas of activities that could be taken back to your community!

Wednesday May 17, 2023 2:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Conference Center Lobby

3:00pm CDT

Session 4A: Rethinking Prevention: Expanding Our Understanding of Best Practice and the Value of Our Work

Using current demographic and generational shifts as a backdrop, this session will provide a critical but thoughtful examination of prevention best practice. It will attempt to answer the question of whether our current understanding of “what works” remains the standard or whether a paradigm shift is needed to effectively address the challenges of the modern university. Attendees will learn about the trends that are challenging conventional practice and ways we can reframe our work to demonstrate how a culture of social-emotional wellness is directly tied to critical institutional outcomes from enrollment and academic performance to retention and career readiness.

Speakers

Kimberley Timpf

Education Strategy and Impact Lead, Vector Solutions

Kimberley works with Vector's higher education and K12 strategy teams, supporting customers in implementing and assessing the effectiveness of their prevention training. She is Vector's subject matter expert on alcohol and other drug misuse prevention and recovery, prescription drug... Read More →

Wednesday May 17, 2023 3:00pm - 4:15pm CDT
Ballroom A

3:00pm CDT

Session 4B: The Intersection of Substance Use & Suicide

Those who have been treated for substance misuse often have co-occurring mental health problems including depression, PTSD, anxiety disorders, and some personality disorders. Additionally, people with substance use disorders are at elevated risk for suicidal ideation and attempts. In fact, suicide is a leading cause of death among people who misuse alcohol and drugs. This session will explore the dual dynamics of substance use disorder and suicide and increase participants’ knowledge of warning signs and who is most at risk for suicide.

Speakers

Catherine Brunson

Consultant & Trainer

Catherine Thatcher Brunson has worked in the field of prevention for over 20 years and has served as a consultant and trainer with the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) for twenty years supporting community coalitions in all aspects of the Strategic Prevention Framework... Read More →

Wednesday May 17, 2023 3:00pm - 4:15pm CDT
Ballroom B/C

4:15pm CDT

Break

Enjoy fresh popped popcorn in the conference center lobby between afternoon sessions!

Wednesday May 17, 2023 4:15pm - 4:30pm CDT
Conference Center Lobby

4:30pm CDT

Session 5A: Bigger Than Me: Reflecting on Lived Experience and the Power of Mindfulness in Nature

This session will explore the benefits of combining meditation and nature to relieve stress and anxiety. Spending time in nature can have a positive impact on mental health and meditation can help individuals develop a sense of inner peace and mindfulness. Utilizing the speaker's lived experience, the presentation will also discuss how meditation can be used as a tool to help individuals of all backgrounds connect with nature and feel more comfortable in outdoor spaces, regardless of race or ability. It will address the barriers that minority communities may face in accessing outdoor spaces and provide strategies for overcoming these obstacles.

Speakers

Clark Brewer, Jr.

Huemans Outdoors

Clark Brewer Jr. and his partner created Huemans Outdoors, a non- profit organization with the vision and drive to improve upon the inclusive, & awareness of the therapeutic benefits that outdoor experiences can give the inner city communities of Chattanooga, TN. Clark has dedicated... Read More →

Wednesday May 17, 2023 4:30pm - 5:30pm CDT
Ballroom A

4:30pm CDT

Session 5B: The Benefits of Mindfulness, Painting, and Succulent Plant Nurturing

This session offers participants a meditative and soothing experience by combining mindfulness and creative expression through painting terra cotta pots. Participants will learn about the calming effects of plants and the importance of self-care for mental wellness. At the end of the session, participants will take home a completed terra cotta pot painted in their own style, along with a succulent plant of their choosing to nurture and grow. This session also encourages participants to facilitate future sessions themselves, providing guidance and resources to replicate the experience in their own campus or community.

Speakers

Rosa Cantu

Program Coordinator, CHASCo

Rosa Cantu is an alumna of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), where she earned both her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and her Master's degree in Public Health. While at UTC, Cantu was actively involved in environmental health causes and served as the President for... Read More →

Wednesday May 17, 2023 4:30pm - 5:30pm CDT
Ballroom B/C

8:00am CDT

Registration & Day 2 Sign-In

Be sure to stop by the registration table on each day in the conference center lobby to sign in for CEUs and pick up your conference materials!

Thursday May 18, 2023 8:00am - 8:30am CDT
Conference Center Lobby

8:00am CDT

Sponsor and Exhibit Tables

Thursday May 18, 2023 8:00am - 8:30am CDT
Conference Center Lobby

8:30am CDT

Session 6 Plenary: 21st Century Marijuana: Products and Impacts

This plenary will fast walk attendees away from Woodstock Weed to 21st Century Marijuana. The presentation will explore new high THC products, their marketing strategies, and the impacts to use. There will be a specific emphasis on the impacts to mental health, especially in adolescents and young adults as well as insight into the environmental impacts of marijuana cultivation and commercialization. The session will close with a call to action on focused prevention strategies aimed at decreasing access and availability to youth and other vulnerable populations.

Speakers

Amy Ronshausen

Executive Director, Drug-Free America Foundation

Amy Ronshausen is the Executive Director of both Drug Free America Foundation, Inc. and Save Our Society From Drugs (S.O.S.), national nonprofit organizations that work prevent substance abuse, increase access to evidence based treatment, and promote sustained recovery.Mrs. Ronshausen... Read More →

Thursday May 18, 2023 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Ballroom B/C

9:30am CDT

Break

Thursday May 18, 2023 9:30am - 9:45am CDT
Conference Center Lobby

9:45am CDT

Session 7A: Nurturing a Sense of Belonging

Dr. Kelly-Ann Allen writes that a sense of belonging, “is a fundamental human need that predicts numerous mental, physical, social, economic and behavior outcomes”. If this is true, do we have a responsibility to make sure everyone in our communities feel like they belong? What’s the individual community member’s responsibility? This interactive session will explore these questions and how forms of exclusion can lead to substance use/misuse. Finally, attendees will be placed in groups to discuss and brainstorm strategies to recruit and retain diverse community members to lead prevention initiatives.

Speakers

Colber Prosper

Founder & Senior Consultant, Propser & Partners

Mr. Colber Prosper is the founder and senior consultant for Prosper & Partners, an international consulting firm that specializes in professional and organizational development. He is also the author of the book No Entry: Examining the powers that undermine our full potential. Mr... Read More →

Thursday May 18, 2023 9:45am - 10:45am CDT
Ballroom A

9:45am CDT

Session 7B: Prevention Policies in a Changing Marijuana Landscape

Prevention in a changing marijuana landscape can be challenging but is not impossible. This presentation will give an overview of federal and state marijuana policies and highlight strategies to mitigate community harms.

Speakers

Amy Ronshausen

Executive Director, Drug-Free America Foundation

Thursday May 18, 2023 9:45am - 10:45am CDT
Ballroom B/C

10:45am CDT

Break

Thursday May 18, 2023 10:45am - 11:00am CDT
Conference Center Lobby

11:00am CDT

Session 8 Plenary: Combating Mental and Behavioral Health Problems in Youth — How Innovative Digital Media Strategies Can Increase Positive Outcomes

By nearly every metric, youth mental health and behavioral health is worsening. During the 2020–2021 school year, over 60% of college students met the criteria for at least one mental health problem, according to the Healthy Minds Study, which collects data from 373 campuses nationwide. As most health practitioners and community leaders are aware, mental health is often interlinked with substance use disorders, and vice versa. These numbers continue to rise and serve as a national call to all specialists — in every discipline — to become equipped to battle this growing youth crisis. Today’s youth must gain heightened sensitivity of unhealthy behaviors, and be supplied with the resources and support to overcome challenging odds. This session explores the rise in digital media, and its increasing effectiveness in spreading awareness and delivering health messaging to Millennials, Gen Z, and generations beyond. Over 98% of college students currently use social media, some spending more than six hours per week doing so. By leveraging digital media strategies and tools to reach these audiences, we’ll be meeting youth right where they are with positive messaging for healthier outcomes nationwide.

Speakers

Chelsea MN Thomas, M.S.

Scholarly Assistant Professor, The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication Washington State University

Chelsea Thomas, M.S., is a professional communicator with more than 15 years of strategic communication experience in both the academic and industry realms. Her expertise centers in social media and health promotion, with a focus on enhancing the two-way communication of health-related... Read More →

Thursday May 18, 2023 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Ballroom B/C

12:00pm CDT

Lunch

Thursday May 18, 2023 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT
Ballroom A

1:00pm CDT

Session 9A: Health Promotion and You — How to Craft Your Own Digital Health Campaign and Effectively Reach Your Audience

From demographic research analysis to health campaign evaluation, this session equips practitioners with the strategies and tools to successfully execute a health communication campaign to increase positive behaviors. This workshop will provide an overview of health theory, campaign plan development, use of digital tools and proper post-campaign evaluation. If you’re looking to design and run an evidence-based, comprehensive health campaign, this is the workshop for you!

Speakers

Chelsea MN Thomas, M.S.

Scholarly Assistant Professor, The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication Washington State University

Thursday May 18, 2023 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Ballroom B/C

1:00pm CDT

Session 9B: Field Testing of Cannabis Products

This session will provide an overview of how the TN Dangerous Drugs Task Force assists Law Enforcement and Community Coalitions in the presumptive testing of cannabis products and the dangers associated with use of commercial cannabis products.

Speakers

James Hixson

Field Operations Coordinator, Tennessee Dangerous Drugs Task Force

Thursday May 18, 2023 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Ballroom A