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Great Lakes PTTC

University of Wisconsin–Madison
1513 University Avenue
Madison,
WI
53706
HHS Region 5
IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI
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The Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center (Great Lakes PTTC) is located at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies (CHESS).

We are funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to provide evidence-based technical assistance, training, and resources addressing the needs of prevention professionals/pre-professionals, organizations, coalitions, and others in the prevention workforce in Health and Human Services (HHS) Region 5:  Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Our partner in this project is Educational Development Center (EDC), a global nonprofit that advances lasting solutions to improve education, promote health, and expand economic opportunity.

We work closely with the Great Lakes ATTC and the Great Lakes MHTTC, both of which are also based out of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, CHESS.

Recent News

From the Great Lakes PTTC
Jan. 12, 2024
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), Office on Women’s Health (OWH) is seeking innovative ways to address human trafficking prevention among women and girls in the United States through the  HHS Innovation Challenge to Prevent Human Trafficking Among Women and Girls. The goal of this national competition is to identify and award existing […]
Dec. 08, 2023
Preventionists working in HHS Region 5 (MN, MI, IL, IN, OH, WI) are encouraged to apply for the NIATx Change Leader Academy for Prevention Practitioners!   The NIATx Change Leader Academy (CLA) for Prevention Practitioners is a highly interactive 4-part training series that teaches individuals how to facilitate change using the tools and philosophies of […]
Dec. 04, 2023
The newly released infographic Prevention and the Basics of Social Media Management is now available! This document was created to help guide substance misuse prevention professionals in using social media to maximize their prevention efforts. Visit the Great Lakes PTTC product page to download this valuable resource and learn about the basics of social media management, including definitions, tools, […]

Upcoming Events

Hosted by the Great Lakes PTTC
Webinar/Virtual Training
Social media can be a powerful tool in our substance misuse prevention work. The number of digital platforms continues to grow and the way they deliver content is ever-changing. Often, we have limited resources to implement social media plans. Competing priorities, minimal staff time, and an inability to keep up with the technology can make social media planning feel overwhelming.   This 90-minute webinar will address ways to navigate these challenges. Join us to learn how to develop and implement manageable and effective social media plans. The session will introduce tools to help broaden reach and enhance engagement.  We will share tips for curating and creating engaging, original content for a variety of platforms. Additionally, we will explore ways to use social media advertising, scheduling, and insights.     LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Select practical tools, resources, and strategies to create social media content. Identify strategies to increase social media engagement and reach. Integrate social media plans as part of information dissemination, event promotion, and storytelling.     CERTIFICATES: Registrants who fully attend this event or training will receive a certificate of attendance via email within two weeks after the event or training.      PRESENTER:  Jennifer Bierer, BA Jennifer Bierer is the Director of Communications at PreventionFIRST!  At PreventionFIRST! Jennifer leads social media, public relations, and marketing strategies and coordinates problem gambling prevention strategies. Additionally, she provides training and technical assistance on sustainable, realistic communication strategies for community organizations and prevention professionals. She serves as a board member for the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio.    Jennifer is passionate about public health and has extensive health promotion experience in the areas of chronic diseases, obesity, traffic-related deaths/injuries, mental health, and substance use/misuse. She has also developed marketing strategies and branding for several worker-owned businesses.   She has a Bachelor of Arts in communication and public relations from Xavier University and is currently working on her Ohio Certified Prevention Specialist credential. Her life outside of work is filled with houseplants, home improvements, furry friends, human friends, family, and three college-age sons.           The Great Lakes A/MH/PTTC is offering this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training is being provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders. 
Webinar/Virtual Training
This is the fourth of six highly interactive sessions focused on taking a deep dive into principles of the code of ethics for substance misuse prevention specialists. The focus of this session will be on the principle of Nature of Services and how to apply it to the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF). After a short presentation participants will work together in small groups to look at how this principle can be applied to the SPF.   This prevention ethics series is for substance misuse prevention practitioners that have already completed a Foundations in Prevention Ethics training. If you would like to attend this series but have not yet completed the prevention ethics foundation course, complete the free, self-paced, online prevention ethics course on HealtheKnowledge before attending this ethics series. Important notes: In order to receive a certificate of attendance for this training, participants are required to actively participate and be on camera. Participants will be allowed into trainings up to 10 minutes after the start of the session. After that time, no new attendees will be accepted into the session because the group will have moved into breakout rooms. Visit the series landing page for information and registration links for the other sessions in the series.     LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Heighten understanding and daily implementation of the code of ethics for prevention specialists Better understand how the prevention code of ethics applies to the Strategic Prevention Framework     CERTIFICATES: Registrants who fully attend this event or training will receive a certificate of attendance via email within two weeks after the event or training.     PRESENTER:  Kris Gabrielsen, MPH, CPS  Kris Gabrielsen is the co-director of the Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center. She has worked in the substance misuse prevention field for over 30 years. Kris co-authored the first Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Training curriculum, and co-authored the textbook, Substance Abuse Prevention: The Intersection of Science and Practice. As a consultant, she has worked with states and communities across the nation to bridge the gap between research and practice, assisting prevention professionals in maximizing their effectiveness.     The Great Lakes PTTC is offering this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training is being provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.
Webinar/Virtual Training
Registration has closed for this intensive training course.  This 7-session intensive training course offers an interactive experience for participants to learn how to develop a sustainability plan. Sustainability planning is an intentional process of looking critically at your current prevention infrastructure, strategic planning process, and strategies to sustain meaningful prevention outcomes beyond current funding. Additional steps in sustainability planning include priority setting, resource and feasibility analysis, communication planning, and resource and grant development.   The facilitator will demonstrate how to use a set of tools to facilitate sustainability planning with community partners and will coach participants to set actionable steps and timelines to complete a plan over the next year. This course offers structured, skill-based learning opportunities, readings, and learning assignments to complete between sessions, along with group activities and discussions to enhance application of the new skills.   Important Note: This is not a webinar series. It is a highly interactive virtual training series and full participation during all sessions is required.     LEARNING OBJECTIVES: By the end of this course, participants will be able to: Define sustainability and summarize key findings from research on sustainability Explain the value of sustainability planning to key community stakeholders Identify and recruit key stakeholders to participate on a Sustainability Planning Team (SPT) Complete four tasks necessary for effective sustainability planning Share and use a set of tools with their SPT to create a sustainability plan     AUDIENCE: Substance misuse prevention practitioners working in HHS Region 5: Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. If you work outside Region 5, you are welcome to complete the application and will be placed on a waiting list. Individuals from outside Region 5 will be accepted if space is available after all Region 5 applicants have been accepted into the training.     PARTICIPANT REQUIREMENTS: Please only apply if you can commit to the following: Must attend all seven virtual training sessions on April 9, 16, 23, 30, May 7, 14, 21 from 9:30 AM–11:00 AM CT. Download and complete the Session 1 prep packet before the April 9 session. Complete 1-2 hours of homework between each session. All homework must be submitted via Google Forms. Have access to the appropriate technology and work environment necessary to join the Zoom sessions. All participants must have a working microphone and camera and must have their full face visible throughout each session—must be on camera at least 90% of the time.     HOW TO APPLY: Please click the “REGISTER” button at the top of the page to apply.     CERTIFICATES: Participants who fully attend all sessions and satisfy all course requirements will receive a certificate of attendance for 17 contact hours. No partial credit is given for this course. Participants will need to confirm with their certification board to determine if these contact hours are accepted towards their specific certification requirements.     PRESENTERS: Erin Ficker, MPAff, CSPS Erin Ficker serves as a prevention manager for the Great Lakes PTTC. For more than 16 years, Erin has worked in substance abuse prevention supporting communities to use evidence-based strategies and data-driven processes in substance abuse prevention planning and implementation.  She works with community level prevention practitioners and schools in the development, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of prevention interventions.   Michelle Majeres, CPS Michelle Majeres is a senior prevention specialist with over 18 years in the field and lives in South Dakota. She is an experienced trainer in substance misuse prevention, suicide prevention and mental health promotion. Michelle is trained to deliver several evidence-based prevention programs.  She brings extensive experience as a trainer and technical assistance (T/TA) provider. Michelle holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology with an emphasis on Social Work and Human Resources from South Dakota State University. She is also a Certified Prevention Specialist.     The Great Lakes A/MH/PTTC is offering this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training is being provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.

Products & Resources

Developed by the Great Lakes PTTC
Multimedia
Social media can be a powerful tool in our substance misuse prevention work. The number of digital platforms continues to grow and the way they deliver content is ever-changing. Often, we have limited resources to implement social media plans. Competing priorities, minimal staff time, and an inability to keep up with the technology can make social media planning feel overwhelming. This 90-minute webinar will address ways to navigate these challenges. Join us to learn how to develop and implement manageable and effective social media plans. The session will introduce tools to help broaden reach and enhance engagement.  We will share tips for curating and creating engaging, original content for a variety of platforms. Additionally, we will explore ways to use social media advertising, scheduling, and insights.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Select practical tools, resources, and strategies to create social media content. Identify strategies to increase social media engagement and reach. Integrate social media plans as part of information dissemination, event promotion, and storytelling.   ACCESS OR DOWNLOAD SUPPORTING MATERIALS Presentation Recording, March 28, 2024 - To be added post event Presentation Slides, March 28, 2024 PreventionFIRST! Canva Content Creation handout  PreventionFIRST! Making Content Creation Easier handout PreventionFIRST! Social Media content planning template handout PreventionFIRST! Thought Questions/Social Media Planning Strategies handout   PRESENTER:  Jennifer Bierer, BA Jennifer Bierer is the Director of Communications at PreventionFIRST!  At PreventionFIRST! Jennifer leads social media, public relations, and marketing strategies and coordinates problem gambling prevention strategies. Additionally, she provides training and technical assistance on sustainable, realistic communication strategies for community organizations and prevention professionals. She serves as a board member for the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio. Jennifer is passionate about public health and has extensive health promotion experience in the areas of chronic diseases, obesity, traffic-related deaths/injuries, mental health, and substance use/misuse. She has also developed marketing strategies and branding for several worker-owned businesses. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Arts in communication and public relations from Xavier University and is currently working on her Ohio Certified Prevention Specialist credential. Her life outside of work is filled with houseplants, home improvements, furry friends, human friends, family, and three college-age sons.   The Great Lakes A/MH/PTTC is offering this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training is being provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.
Interactive Resource
This 90-minute webinar will explore national and state level data points from middle and high school youth to make the case that Prevention Works!  We will discuss the need to maintain, expand, and sustain our efforts of implementing tested and effective substance misuse prevention programs. The session will also focus on areas where we have not seen prevention success and a call for action to improve prevention among 18-25-year-old young adults.     LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Explore Monitoring the Future and some state trend data that have demonstrated decreasing overall trends in substance use among high school age youth. Identify three websites that provide information on the tested and effective prevention programs Identify areas of focus for the prevention field that need attention based on state and national data points   ACCESS OR DOWNLOAD SUPPORTING MATERIALS Presentation Recording, March 20, 2024 Presentation Slides, March 20, 2024   PRESENTER Kevin P. Haggerty, MSW, PhD, is an emeritus Professor of Prevention at the University of Washington School of Social Work. He is the former director of the Social Development Research Group where he specialized in the delivery of prevention programs at the community, school and family level. For over three decades, he has focused on developing innovative ways to organize the scientific knowledge base for prevention so that parents, communities and schools can better identify, assess, and prioritize customized approaches that meet their needs. He has served as principal investigator on a variety of intervention-focused federally funded grants.   The Great Lakes A/MH/PTTC is offering this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training is being provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.
eNewsletter or Blog
The Great Lakes Current is the e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC. The March 2024 issue spotlights content celebrating Women's History Month and National Social Work Month. It also features updated versions of the Sustainability Planning in Prevention Guidebook and Sustainability Planning in Prevention Toolkit, as well as upcoming trainings focused on provider well-being and culturally responsive services for Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) clients. As always, you will also find links to all scheduled events and trainings hosted by the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC! Make sure you're subscribed to our email contact list so you never miss a month of The Great Lakes Current newsletter, and thank you for reading!
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