Overview:
This workshop is geared toward prevention
professionals and community coalition
partners new to the substance abuse field, or
anyone who wants an update on current
frameworks used in this evolving field. The
session will include presentation and handouts
summarizing an overview of substance abuse,
discussion of prevention across the lifespan,
using data to target outcomes/strategies and
discussion of effective prevention strategies,
as well as interactive exercises to put these concepts into practice.
The Presenters: Erica Schmitz is Director of MESAP, Maine's Environmental Substance Abuse Prevention Center at Medical Care Development. MESAP provides hands-on training and technical assistance for communities to translate into practice the latest research in environmental prevention. Erica's trainings are grounded in her day-to-day experience as Director of 21 Reasons, a Drug-Free Communities Coalition in Portland. She has ten years of experience in community organizing and coalition-building for prevention, and five years of experience in environmental prevention. Erica has a BA in Sociology from Williams College and a Master's in Public Policy from the University of Southern Maine.
Bill Lowenstein is the Executive Director of the New England Institute of Addiction Studies and the Director of Maine Projects for AdCare Maine. He was the former Associate Director of the Maine Office of Substance Abuse for six years prior to leaving that position in June 2006. Bill has worked in the substance abuse field for over 24 years as a trainer, consultant, and administrator and was the Prevention Team Leader at the Office of Substance Abuse prior to becoming the Associate Director. He is the past president of the National Prevention Network and Vice President for Prevention of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD). He was the recipient of the national Prevention Network Alumni Award in 2007. He is a former child protective supervisor and caseworker, medical social worker, day care administrator and emergency room technician. Bill is also a founding board member of the Sexual Assault Crisis Center in Lewiston and has facilitated support groups for adult male sexual assault survivors. He is also on the Advisory Board of the Maine Alliance of Addition Recovery (MAAR) and has been in long term recovery for 26 years.