PRIDE heads

for conference

PUTNAM — Leaders from the Putnam PRIDE Drug Free Community Coalition will join approximately 2,000 substance abuse prevention and treatment specialists from across the country in Las Vegas July 17-21 for CADCA’s (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) 2016 Mid-Year Training Institute. The week-long training, held at The Mirage, will teach participants how to address one of our nation’s biggest public health challenges – youth drug use. 

CADCA’s Mid-Year Training Institute is a one-of-a-kind intensive training opportunity, offering more than 70 half-day and two-day courses geared towards helping participants find solutions to their community’s toughest substance abuse problems.

PRIDE Coalition Chairman, Deputy Police Chief Lee Konicki, Director Doug Cutler and Coordinator Romeo Blackmar will represent the Coalition at the Mid-Year Conference.  This will be Chairman DC Konicki’s first time attending the Mid-Year CADCA Conference and said, “I am looking forward to networking with the many law enforcement coalition representatives at this conference and learning about their strategies for reducing and eliminating substance abuse in their communities.”  

Currently, Putnam PRIDE is the Mentor Coalition of Griswold PRIDE and is the recipient of two Federal Drug Free Community Grants in addition to the 10 year Drug Free Community Grant; Putnam has a two-year Mentoring Grant and a four-year STOP ACT Grant.

“The Mid-Year is a unique professional development opportunity for anyone trying to prevent and reduce drug abuse, and its related problems, in their community,” said General Arthur T. Dean, CADCA’s chairman and CEO. 

“After four days of intensive training, participants will return to their communities with new skills and strategies, and a clearer roadmap to create environments where young people can thrive.”

This year’s Mid-Year will feature a number of renowned experts in the field of substance abuse and prevention, with keynote remarks by Dr. Moira O’Neil, senior researcher and director of interpretation at the Frameworks Institute. The training event will cover a wide range of topics – everything from how to prevent prescription drug abuse and reduce heroin use to how to create tobacco-free environments, reduce impaired driving and develop policies to reduce marijuana use, synthetic drug use and underage drinking.

The Mid-Year also welcomes nearly 200 youth from around the country who will take part in CADCA’s youth-led, adult-guided civic engagement training, the National Youth Leadership Initiative (NYLI), where they’ll learn how to become drug prevention advocates and powerful community leaders.