Reimagine Youth Development Training

The Convening Coalitions and Community Collaborations virtual classroom training series introduces participants to foundational strategies for convening and facilitating collaborative prevention groups, including community coalitions and advisory boards/groups (primarily comprised of adults or adults and youth, but not youth-only groups). The three courses in the series include:

Convening Coalitions and Community Collaborations 1: Collaborative Purpose and Participation Search below for upcoming dates.

Convening Coalitions and Community Collaborations 2: Structuring for Success Search below for upcoming dates.

Convening Coalitions and Community Collaborations 3: Productive Group Processes and Facilitation Search below for upcoming dates.

During this course, participants will discuss how to establish the function and purpose of community coalitions and collaborations and identify strategies for recruiting a diverse group of stakeholders. To maximize learning opportunities, participants should have a specific collaboration in mind when completing training activities.

*This course is 3 hours with an additional 30 minutes of prework required.*

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During this course, participants will discuss how to structure and organize a community coalition or collaboration for success and infuse cultural respect and responsiveness into their processes. To maximize learning opportunities, participants should have a specific collaboration in mind when completing training activities.

*This course is 3 hours with an additional 30 minutes of prework required.*

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During this course, participants will discuss best practices for coordinating and facilitating community coalition or collaboration meetings, keeping stakeholders engaged, and evaluating the group’s effectiveness in making improvements. To maximize learning opportunities, participants should have a specific collaboration in mind when completing training activities.

*This course is 3 hours with an additional 30 minutes of prework required.*

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During this course, you will learn how to support young people in your life and engage the families and communities of the youth connected to your work.

Everyone’s an Asset Builder (Part I)

Developmental Assets are listed under all prevention-focused, youth development service areas around which the RYD program will be designed. These include improving academic performance, life skills education, caregiver involvement, recreation, sports, cultural and artistic activities, positive adult mentors, service learning, and STEM Learning.

The first day of the two-day training introduces the Developmental Assets® framework and the powerful role of individual asset builders in the lives of youth. This workshop will help participants:

• identify the characteristics of effective asset builders and their own personal strengths and challenges
• understand “circles of influence” and identify those circles in which there is potential for asset-building
• make and share a personal commitment to asset-building action 

Sharing the Asset Message (Part II)

The second training day will prepare community members and groups to deliver various asset-building messages to multiple audiences. This workshop will help participants:

• discuss how the assets relate to other positive youth development efforts
• develop engaging presentation strategies to meet the unique needs of any audience
• download free curriculum materials to use in their program presentations

 * Note: This is a two-day training; participants must attend both training days to receive credit.

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Award-winning TEDx speaker De’Amon Harges is a highly sought-after speaker and trainer for the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) Institute of DePaul University. DeAmon became nationally and internationally recognized after his ten-minute TEDx Indianapolis speech about his experience as “The Roving Listener.”

Decades ago, The Broadway Church Summer Program Director employed DeAmon Harges to discover the gifts and talents of four thousand residents living within a four-block radius and labeled as low-income and low-achieving. Deamon was further empowered to make the invisible visible by finding a place for the gifts and celebrating the gifts in ways that built community, economy, and mutual delight. This position earned DeAmon the title of The Roving Listener. This title has now been conferred upon many others, including those that will facilitate this training. During the session, participants will learn the history and practice of deep listening and paying attention to what is already present when sharing and telling intergenerational stories.

After the training sessions, participants will know:

• How to help younger and older people discover their respective gifts
• How to guide younger and older people in activating their respective gifts
• How to help younger and older people discover and develop their potential

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Understanding Complex Trauma and Chronic Stress {Part 1}
Responding to Complex Trauma and Chronic Stress {Part 2}

Complex trauma can affect young people in a multitude of ways. During this training, participants will learn how trauma impacts behavior, cognition, self-concept, future orientation, and long-term health consequences. Participants will also discuss the effects of living with chronic community violence. An overview of the stress and anxiety young people experience when public health emergencies occur will be provided. Participants will learn about service delivery rooted in understanding a trauma-informed care approach. Participants will learn how cultural awareness, responsiveness, and knowledge need to be infused throughout every level of an organization to effectively address the needs of young people who have experienced trauma. Lastly, participants will discuss the intersection between culture and trauma, racial injustice and trauma, historical trauma, and trauma in LGBTQIA+ youth. 

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Trauma-Informed Supervision: Core Components and Competencies

Trauma-informed supervision is important for youth violence prevention programs to succeed. This presentation covers trauma-informed leadership and supervision, the supervisory relationship as a mirror of trauma-informed care, the 6 features of trauma-informed supervision, and the supervisor's role in promoting self-care in a trauma-informed system of care.

By the end of this presentation, you will be able to:

• Articulate aspects or components of a trauma-informed system of care.
• Be a more effective supervisor in a trauma-informed system of care.
• Recognize how the supervisory relationship can be a catalyst for improved competencies and direct practice in a youth violence prevention program.
• Help staff with self-care practices.

Trauma-Informed Supervision I: Safety and Support 

Trauma-informed supervision is important if youth development and violence prevention programs are to achieve success. Topics covered in this presentation include trauma-informed leadership and trauma-informed supervision; the supervisory relationship as a mirror of trauma-informed care; the 6 features of trauma-informed supervision; and the role of the supervisor in promoting safety and support in a trauma-informed system of care.

By the end of this presentation, you will be able to:

• Articulate aspects or components of a trauma-informed system of care.
• Be a more effective supervisor in a trauma-informed system of care.
• Recognize how the supervisory relationship can be a catalyst for improved competencies and direct practice in a youth development and violence prevention program.
• Help staff with self-care practices.

Trauma-Informed Supervision II: Empathy and Equity 

Trauma-informed supervision is important if youth development and violence prevention programs are to achieve success. Topics covered in this presentation include trauma-informed leadership and trauma-informed supervision using an equity lens; encouraging training and development opportunities that raise awareness of and address secondary trauma; and the role of the supervisor in promoting empathy and equity in a trauma-informed system of care.

By the end of this presentation, you will be able to:

• Promote open communication and concern among staff, students, and clients
• Provide information and insight to clinical as well as non-clinical staff
• Prioritize employee well-being as well as your own well-being
• Prevent retraumatization, recognize resilience, and celebrate compassion among employees
• Practice and elevate empathy and equity in your role as a team leader

Trauma-Informed Supervision II: Cultural Competence and Responsiveness

Trauma-informed supervision is essential if youth development and violence prevention programs are to achieve success. Topics covered in this presentation include trauma-informed leadership and trauma-informed supervision using an equity lens, encouraging training and development opportunities that promote cultural competence; and the supervisor's role in establishing an environment of cultural responsiveness.

By the end of this presentation, you will be able to:

• Check and correct their own unconscious biases and encourage employees to do the same
• Communicate regularly with staff, students, and families in a culturally-responsive manner
• Create an environment where cultural beliefs and behaviors are validated and valued
• Connect families with trusted community resources

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This course teaches you how to support young people in your life and your work.

Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adolescents ages 12-18. You will build the skills and confidence you need to reach out and provide initial support to young people who are struggling. You will also learn how to help connect them to appropriate support.

After the course, you will be able to:

• Recognize common signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD).

• Recognize common signs and symptoms of substance use challenges.

• Understand how to interact with a young person in crisis.

• Know how to connect a young person with help.

• Better understand trauma, substance use, self-care, and the impact of social media and bullying

Bonus OEND Training

Immediately after the Youth Mental Health First Aid training, we will offer a 30-minute bonus training session on “How to use Naloxone, also known as “Narcan,” the medicine that reverses an opioid overdose. This training is open to anyone who attends the Youth Mental Health First Aid Training.  You will be trained on how to use the Naloxone Nasal Spray during a crisis and given a kit for your organization. 

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Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can impact a child’s immediate and lifelong health as well as the well-being of their families, communities, and even society. Thankfully, ACEs are preventable, and with the right support, children can develop the resilience necessary to heal from the ACEs they’ve endured. This online training will not only help you understand and recognize ACEs but will also provide useful strategies for trauma-informed care. Get the insights you need to create positive childhood experiences for kids today, leading to bright futures for adults tomorrow.

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This online training provides general information about substance use disorder and the impact of substance use on the brain and adolescent development. The training introduces drug classifications and types. Participants will further explore the effects and trends of the most widely used substances by teens - alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and prescription drugs. Participants will learn about the effects of each drug on the brain and body, signs and symptoms of use and state and national rates and trends of use. The training includes information and resources for IDHS SUPP providers to make referrals for early intervention or treatment services. It also provides strategies for applying this information to their work. Participants will obtain additional resources to learn more about the effects and trends of alcohol and other drugs (AOD).

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Youth are critical partners in developing and implementing programs and strategies that impact them. This course gives learners the knowledge and skills to authentically engage youth in prevention and youth development programs. Topics include adolescent development, the advantages of youth involvement, phases of authentic engagement, combating stereotypes and discrimination, adultism's impact, and effective youth recruitment and retention strategies. Participants will explore the importance of equitable power-sharing, recognize misconceptions, and understand how to engage youth effectively while navigating complexities in engagement practices.

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This training was originally delivered as a live webinar in March 2023. After identifying the need for both live and self-study training opportunities, Prevention First partnered with Dr. Lance Williams, Professor of Educational Inquiry and Curriculum Studies at Northeastern Illinois University, to offer the training in an asynchronous format. Dr. Lance Williams, known for his keen intellect and fierce determination to uplift youth at risk, will share his extensive research related to inequities surrounding recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of young Black men and will share his vast experience of introducing youth to their inner strengths. By taking this course, participants will feel empowered to help prepare young Black men for college success. Participants will learn about historical points of view, examine data and prominent barriers that impede many urban youth’s educational and career aspirations, identify potential strategies to overcome barriers, and understand why Black and Brown males should consider enrolling in highly selective colleges and universities. This course will take approximately 90 minutes to complete.

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This online course will increase participants’ knowledge and skills in building relationships and collaborating with key community stakeholders. Participants will learn strategies for identifying and engaging key stakeholders, building relationships, getting stakeholders on board, and convening local coalitions.

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This online training will increase participants' knowledge of how the teen brain develops, how adolescent brain development differs throughout various stages, and how adolescent brain development influences adolescent thinking and behavior. The impact of early life trauma and racism will also be explored. Participants will examine their beliefs and attitudes about adolescence and how they affect their work with youth. This training will also highlight the value of authentically partnering with young people.

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This course will assist prevention education facilitators in strengthening their facilitation and classroom management skills. The course is designed for facilitators who implement prevention programs in schools, but who are not school staff. Participants will learn to identify and address facilitation-related challenges via three key strategies: building strong partnerships with classroom teachers, making minor curriculum adjustments to increase engagement and relevance to the audience, and applying effective facilitation techniques. Participants will also hear real-life tips from experienced classroom facilitators.

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This online course is designed to equip participants with a comprehensive understanding of health equity, emphasizing the urgent need for preventative measures in healthcare. Learners are invited to embark on a transformative journey from foundational knowledge to actionable strategies, ensuring that health equity is not just conceptualized but integrated into daily practices and organizational policies. Modules include: Health Equity 101, Health Equity 102, Exploring the Social Determinants of Health, Addressing Inequities, and Health Equity in Action. 

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In this course, participants will explore the complexities of loss and how to help adolescents cope with loss. Topics include grief and mourning, types of losses, stages of grief, finding meaning through loss, factors that complicate grief, characteristics of effective grief counselors, and signs of healing. By the end of this course, participants will be equipped to provide compassionate and effective support to grieving adolescents, fostering their emotional resilience and promoting healthy healing processes.

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This online training will provide an overview of youth engagement and best practices for working with youth committees/councils. Participants will learn about the benefits of engaging youth, levels of youth participation, strategies for addressing barriers to youth engagement, and best practices for youth/adult partnerships.

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Preventing Prescription and Opioid Drug Misuse is an online course designed for substance use prevention professionals who would like a better understanding of prescription drug and opioid misuse. During the course, participants will learn about the most commonly abused prescription drugs, including opioids, use rates and trends among U.S. and Illinois teens, factors that contribute to prescription drug and opioid misuse, and effective prevention strategies and applicable resources.

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This webinar was recorded on February 20, 2024. There are no CEUs available for recorded webinars.

Alcohol use and gun violence are leading causes of preventable injury and death in the United States. These issues are most deadly when they intersect with one another. This webinar will discuss research and policy recommendations from the report “Alcohol Misuse and Gun Violence: An Evidence-Based Approach,” pointing to alcohol misuse as a risk factor for all forms of gun violence, including homicides and suicides, confirming the urgent need to adopt evidence-based policies that address this troubling link.  

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Trauma and substance use disorders run in families across generations and are often fueled by dark family secrets. Topics covered in this presentation include the role of treatment and prevention specialists in breaking intergenerational patterns of trauma, substance use disorders, and dark family secrets; breaking Intergenerational patterns by focusing on the unique needs of children of parents with substance use disorders and children on the FASD spectrum; the role of parents and persons in recovery in breaking intergenerational patterns; mobilizing the entire community to help break intergenerational patterns of trauma and substance use disorders. You will learn about successful programs breaking intergenerational patterns in Iceland, Native American, Metropolitan, and rural communities. 

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The webinar was recorded on Tuesday, February 15, 2024.

Reimagine Conveners and Violence Prevention Coordinating Councils are expected to facilitate and engage in collective strategy planning by working closely with other RPSA-funded organizations and non-funded RPSA community groups to: 

1. Highlight high-impact and effective interventions and programs in the service area and from other communities/regions.
2. Encourage and assist RPSA providers to create linkage agreements with each other and other providers.
3. Organize community events/ forums/ panel discussions (in-person and virtual, per current COVID guidance) to provide space for community members to speak about their experiences; celebrate community pride by highlighting organizations, leaders, or advocates who support public safety; and keep the community informed around local and state gun violence prevention efforts.

Training Objectives:

• Explore how groups facilitate attitude and behavior changes
• Discuss how groups reach decisions around planning, organizing, and communicating efforts
• Receive a high-level overview of the Strategic Prevention Framework
• Discuss and share strategic plans

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During these complex times of change and transition within the healthcare environment, we need to know more about strategically building robust networks and measuring and evaluating our networks' effectiveness. In this webinar, Dr. Danielle Varda, Associate Professor at the University of Denver and Founder/CEO of Visible Network Labs, shares her expert knowledge on applied network science, with specific expertise in health, public health, and educational system approaches. 

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