WEST CHESTER, PA — The Commonwealth Prevention Alliance (CPA), a private non-profit whose mission is to reimagine prevention, advocate for equity and critical resources, and share best and promising practices, will collaborate with Compass Mark, West Chester Communities that Care, and the Chester County Department of Drug and Alcohol Services, in support of the National Prevention Week (NPW) initiative, hosted by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). NPW is an annual public education platform bringing together communities and organizations to raise awareness about the importance of substance use prevention and positive mental health.
“PA Prevention Week aims to promote prevention year-round,” says Jeff Hanley, CPA Executive Director. “Prevention happens in all of our communities, and we are asking prevention professionals, organizations, and coalitions to use this week to advocate for their programming, recognize local prevention partners and champions, and use social media to highlight their prevention successes.”
The scheduled Prevention Week events and resources will encourage and equip individuals and prevention specialists to advocate in their communities for the importance of primary prevention programs, the PA Youth Survey (PAYS), policies, and practices to prevent substance use and mental health issues. Organizations and coalitions will be provided with tools and resources to plan and implement local advocacy or community events in-person or virtually.
To help promote and prioritize local prevention programs Compass Mark, the West Chester CTC, Chester County Department of Drug and Alcohol Services, and CPA will host a press conference on Thursday, May 12, 2022, from 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m., at the West Chester Area School District, Spellman Education Center, 782 Springdale Drive, Exton, PA.
The press conference speakers include:
- Jeff Hanley, Executive Director, Commonwealth Prevention Alliance
- Teri Miller-Landon, Director of Programs, Compass Mark
- Laura Wiechecki, Program Manager, Compass Mark
- Loretta Cohen, Mobilizer, West Chester Communities That Care
- Robert Sokolowski, Superintendent, West Chester Area School District
- Ariana Zablah, Senior, Rustin High School, THRIVE Youth Leadership Club
- Reagan Weldon-Peri, Senior, Rustin High School, THRIVE Youth Leadership Club
- Kathy Collier, Prevention Program Director, Chester County Department of Drug and Alcohol Services
CPA will host its 32nd annual statewide prevention conference from June 21 to 24, 2022. The conference aims to support all of the professionals and advocates in the field as they continue to work diligently to improve the public health of all our communities. Additional details can be found here: https://commonwealthpreventionalliance.org/2022-conference/.
To learn more about Prevention Week and access the resources to assist prevention professionals in representing PA Prevention, please visit https://commonwealthpreventionalliance.org/pa-prevention-week-2022/.
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