Community Presentations
Community presentations are my opportunity to educate parents, teachers, students and groups of all sort with regards to substance use and its impact, prevention basics, resilience, growth mindset, systems of support, the opiate crisis, overdose prevention, and much more.
Looking at your specific needs we can create an experience in which we engage participants in a valuable conversation, weaving complex content into easily understandable terms.
Here are some building blocks to start our collaboration.
Supporting Whole-child Development: Getting Kids Ready to Take on the World!
Historically, we have seen swings in education between support for academic success and social emotional well-being as opposing focal points. It is easy to consider that the most productive approaches live somewhere in the middle. That is, creating an environment where students can succeed in their academic pursuits while having all the necessary skill sets to take that success into their futures.
Being successful, in whichever endeavors our youth engage, is predicated by the development of social-emotional skills, resilience, and a growth-mindset.
Let’s explore how academic and social/emotional successes are simply two sides of the same coin and how we might support our students’ journeys.
Sharing the Healthy Youth Survey Results with your Community: Turning analysis into ACTION!
The insights provided by the Healthy Youth Survey can be a powerful tool in identifying both maladaptive patterns of behavior as well as community strengths and assets. Pulling together community advocates, we can create the opportunity to evaluate your current needs and call to action effective resources for change. This presentation has the advantage of discussing and supporting your students and as such can considerably motivate the community to take ACTION.
A Guidebook to Navigation: Keeping Kids Drug-Free
This presentation serves as a conversation with parents, teacher and others who are invested in the health of young people. Together we will explore the impact of substance use, learn to recognize signs of concern and discuss effective strategies for increasing protective factors and reducing those factors that put kids a risk.
Data! There I said it. Understanding and Using the Health Youth Survey to Inform Our Work.
Data sources like the HYS can be a bit daunting. But at the same time, understanding the behavioral health challenges and other experiences our youth are having is paramount to both effective engagement strategies and evaluating success. Our comfort with and use of data can ultimately support the health of our young people, the financial stability of our organization regarding grant application and donor communication and ultimately make us a stronger more productive source for change.
Managing Risk and Protective Factors as Universal Precautions in Youth Engagement
For years, those in the substance use prevention field have focused on managing risk and protective factors as a method of engagement. Overtime, research has given us insight into the overarching positive outcomes produced by this model for a variety of unhealth behaviors. Couple this with strategies like a Positive Community Norms campaign, or other Evidence-based community outreach or incorporate it intentionally in a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) model and transformation is inevitable.
The Neurological/Developmental Impact of Substance Use
This presentation is designed to allow youth, parents and the community at large to understand the impact substances of abuse have on the brain. In a science oriented, age appropriate fashion, we will work to discuss basic reward/pleasure center function and the physiological process of learning in light of the progressive loss of control someone might experience as a result of their drug use.
This content is a great complement to both the science and health & wellness curriculum as well as a vital area of exploration to support the transitions to middle school and high school.
Embracing Adversity: Employing Resilience and a Growth Mindset in Complex Times.
All too often our young people are engaged and invested in structures that run counter to the development of resilience and a growth mindset. This reality has made itself very apparent as our youth look to manage the adversity brought on by the pandemic response.
Resilience is the ability to achieve in the face of adversity: the ability to bend, rather than break. A growth mindset, allows us to persevere and embrace our strengths. These attributes are fostered in rather common location such as the larger community and the classroom, as long as the founding perspectives are embraced. They involve community, healthy connections and the development of character and confidence. They help young people to become gracious participants in a complex world.
The Physiological/Developmental Impact of Marijuana Use
The recent legalization of marijuana for adult recreational use and the varying perceptions on medical use has had a signification impact on youth access and increased consumption. Let’s explore the impact marijuana use has on both the cognitive and physiological development of our young people.
Please take the opportunity to view this fun and informative video I had the good fortune to be a part of.
Marijuana & Teens After I-502: Mixed Messages?
An educational/PSA for The Washington State Dept. of Social and Health Services in partnership with Mercer Island Youth & Family Services on the dangers of early marijuana use by teens. The producers have graciously placed no copyright restriction on this film so please share and use this valuable content.
Substance use and the Family
The impact of living with an individual who is using substances can be profound. As a substance user progresses in their condition so to do those in proximity as they develop holistic defense systems in an attempt to compensate and tolerate the unacceptable reality they are managing. Together, we can take the first step of acknowledging this progression and begin the process of healing.
Supporting our Community in Complex Times: Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis
A crisis can take many forms, one unusual aspect of the Coronavirus Pandemic response is its longevity. As is common with crisis it is often met with a period of confusion, discomfort, and high-risk emotions. However, systems then adapt by accessing resources and support and become better equipped to cope with the next complex event. Unique to this unprecedented global crisis again is the sheer size, scope, and need for a profound response. We simply have yet to be able to reorganize and recover. Let’s explore strategies we can employ to care for ourselves in these unusual times as well as care for those around us.
Community presentations are my opportunity to educate parents, teachers, students and groups of all sort with regards to substance use and its impact, prevention basics, resilience, growth mindset, systems of support, the opiate crisis, overdose prevention, and much more.
Looking at your specific needs we can create an experience in which we engage participants in a valuable conversation, weaving complex content into easily understandable terms.
Here are some building blocks to start our collaboration.
Supporting Whole-child Development: Getting Kids Ready to Take on the World!
Historically, we have seen swings in education between support for academic success and social emotional well-being as opposing focal points. It is easy to consider that the most productive approaches live somewhere in the middle. That is, creating an environment where students can succeed in their academic pursuits while having all the necessary skill sets to take that success into their futures.
Being successful, in whichever endeavors our youth engage, is predicated by the development of social-emotional skills, resilience, and a growth-mindset.
Let’s explore how academic and social/emotional successes are simply two sides of the same coin and how we might support our students’ journeys.
Sharing the Healthy Youth Survey Results with your Community: Turning analysis into ACTION!
The insights provided by the Healthy Youth Survey can be a powerful tool in identifying both maladaptive patterns of behavior as well as community strengths and assets. Pulling together community advocates, we can create the opportunity to evaluate your current needs and call to action effective resources for change. This presentation has the advantage of discussing and supporting your students and as such can considerably motivate the community to take ACTION.
A Guidebook to Navigation: Keeping Kids Drug-Free
This presentation serves as a conversation with parents, teacher and others who are invested in the health of young people. Together we will explore the impact of substance use, learn to recognize signs of concern and discuss effective strategies for increasing protective factors and reducing those factors that put kids a risk.
Data! There I said it. Understanding and Using the Health Youth Survey to Inform Our Work.
Data sources like the HYS can be a bit daunting. But at the same time, understanding the behavioral health challenges and other experiences our youth are having is paramount to both effective engagement strategies and evaluating success. Our comfort with and use of data can ultimately support the health of our young people, the financial stability of our organization regarding grant application and donor communication and ultimately make us a stronger more productive source for change.
Managing Risk and Protective Factors as Universal Precautions in Youth Engagement
For years, those in the substance use prevention field have focused on managing risk and protective factors as a method of engagement. Overtime, research has given us insight into the overarching positive outcomes produced by this model for a variety of unhealth behaviors. Couple this with strategies like a Positive Community Norms campaign, or other Evidence-based community outreach or incorporate it intentionally in a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) model and transformation is inevitable.
The Neurological/Developmental Impact of Substance Use
This presentation is designed to allow youth, parents and the community at large to understand the impact substances of abuse have on the brain. In a science oriented, age appropriate fashion, we will work to discuss basic reward/pleasure center function and the physiological process of learning in light of the progressive loss of control someone might experience as a result of their drug use.
This content is a great complement to both the science and health & wellness curriculum as well as a vital area of exploration to support the transitions to middle school and high school.
Embracing Adversity: Employing Resilience and a Growth Mindset in Complex Times.
All too often our young people are engaged and invested in structures that run counter to the development of resilience and a growth mindset. This reality has made itself very apparent as our youth look to manage the adversity brought on by the pandemic response.
Resilience is the ability to achieve in the face of adversity: the ability to bend, rather than break. A growth mindset, allows us to persevere and embrace our strengths. These attributes are fostered in rather common location such as the larger community and the classroom, as long as the founding perspectives are embraced. They involve community, healthy connections and the development of character and confidence. They help young people to become gracious participants in a complex world.
The Physiological/Developmental Impact of Marijuana Use
The recent legalization of marijuana for adult recreational use and the varying perceptions on medical use has had a signification impact on youth access and increased consumption. Let’s explore the impact marijuana use has on both the cognitive and physiological development of our young people.
Please take the opportunity to view this fun and informative video I had the good fortune to be a part of.
Marijuana & Teens After I-502: Mixed Messages?
An educational/PSA for The Washington State Dept. of Social and Health Services in partnership with Mercer Island Youth & Family Services on the dangers of early marijuana use by teens. The producers have graciously placed no copyright restriction on this film so please share and use this valuable content.
Substance use and the Family
The impact of living with an individual who is using substances can be profound. As a substance user progresses in their condition so to do those in proximity as they develop holistic defense systems in an attempt to compensate and tolerate the unacceptable reality they are managing. Together, we can take the first step of acknowledging this progression and begin the process of healing.
Supporting our Community in Complex Times: Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis
A crisis can take many forms, one unusual aspect of the Coronavirus Pandemic response is its longevity. As is common with crisis it is often met with a period of confusion, discomfort, and high-risk emotions. However, systems then adapt by accessing resources and support and become better equipped to cope with the next complex event. Unique to this unprecedented global crisis again is the sheer size, scope, and need for a profound response. We simply have yet to be able to reorganize and recover. Let’s explore strategies we can employ to care for ourselves in these unusual times as well as care for those around us.