2024 National Prevention Network (NPN) Conference

The substance use epidemic is continuing to spread, with more than a million individuals in the U.S. initiating drug use each year. The most effective strategy for addressing the ongoing epidemic is to prevent substance use initiation, especially among at-risk populations—like adolescents and young adults. At the National Prevention Network (NPN) Conference in Phoenix, AZ, nearly 1,000 experts will gather to highlight the latest research, best practices, and evaluation results across the substance use prevention field. The 3-day conference will feature a variety of workshops and oral presentations focused on the theme of “Shining a Light on Prevention: Connecting Research, Innovation, and Equity."

RTI’s substance use prevention experts are excited to attend this year’s NPN Conference to network with prevention providers, federal and state government policymakers, coalition leaders and members, health education specialists, and more. Mark your calendar for a presentation on the impact of the substance use prevention infrastructure on the implementation of evidence-based interventions by the prevention workforce, featuring RTI experts Feker Wondimagegnehu, Elvira Elek, PhD, and Phillip W. Graham, DrPH. 

Learn more about RTI’s research on substance use prevention.

How Does the Substance Use Prevention Infrastructure Influence the Adoption of Evidence-Based Interventions (EBIs)? Tips and Resources for the Prevention Workforce 
Thu, August 15 | 10:30 – 11:30 AM MT 
Presenters: Feker Wondimagegnehu; Elvira Elek, PhD; Phillip W. Graham, DrPH
Authors: Natalie A. Blackburn, PhD; Shirley Liu; Parissa Ballard (Wake Forest University School of Medicine) 

While there are many evidence-based interventions (EBIs) that focus on preventing substance use, substance misuse, and substance use disorders, scaling these programs remains challenging (Jones et al., 2020). Prevention is not one-size-fits-all. Intervention developers have limited insight into the needs of the prevention workforce, hindering the design of EBIs that can be readily adopted and adapted to diverse contexts and populations. Additionally, members of the prevention workforce must understand the priorities of their funders to best select and propose EBIs for their communities. This presentation will focus on results of a study that examined how the state- and community-level prevention workforce views their infrastructure for supporting substance use prevention activities, and how funding and other factors influence decision-making around adopting and implementing EBIs.

Read more about our research on evidence-based strategies for preventing substance use initiation  

• NIH HEAL Prevention Coordinating Center
• Engaging Communities to Reduce Opioid Misuse
• RTI to Evaluate Intervention Designed to Mitigate Harms of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Prevent Substance Use as Part of CDC Award
• The Opioid Response Network
• Using Real-Time Twitter Data to Track Trends in the Opioid Crisis
• New Paper Evaluates Communication Campaign Strategies to Address the Opioid Crisis
• National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)