PRACC participates in ‘Prevention Training 101’

SWACH’s Prevention and Recovery Alliance Clark County (PRACC), formerly known as the Clark County Opioid Taskforce, met March 22 for its quarterly in-person meeting.

With a group made-up of community members, advocates, specialists in recovery and law enforcement, the main discussion of the meeting was “Prevention 101 Training.”

“Prevention 101 Training,” was presented by Tabby Stokes, School Based Mental Health Program Supervisor at Vancouver Public Schools. Training content was prepared by Alizz Quarles, Prevention/Intervention Specialist, Fort Vancouver High School.

Discussions involved the three levels of prevention:

• Primary Prevention: measures that prevent the onset of illness/injury before it begins.

• Secondary: measures that lead to early diagnosis and prompt treatment to prevent more severe problems from developing.

• Tertiary: Preventative measures aimed at rehabilitation following significant illness.

During a large discussion, PRACC members and first-time attendees engaged in discussions of not only what it takes to reach zero opioid deaths in Clark County, but how we as a community help get there.

Topics also included facts about counterproductive prevention efforts like being “Scared Straight” to dissuade youth from drugs and mock car crashes.

Effective strategies in contrast to these were brought up including:

• Skill Building.

• Education of immediate consequences rather than long term consequences.

• Engaging youth in interactive learning approaches that help practice skills being learned rather than just classroom lectures.

• Giving youth the opportunity to lead education components.

• Communicating Positive Norms and supporting standards of not using.

Continuing the overall goal of bringing together diverse partners to address the substance use crisis in our community, PRACC will meet next month

Meetings occur on the fourth Friday of the month, 2 to 4 p.m. To get involved, message nicole.hamberger@southwestach.org.