National Prevention Week (NPW) is here! NPW is an annual health observance dedicated to increasing public awareness of, and action around, substance abuse and mental health issues. NPW is held each year during the third week of May to coincide with the start of summer, an important time for youth prevention.

Visit the California Cannabis Portal for information about cannabis laws and safety in California. The Portal contains an FAQ section, news, and resources. The California Department of Public Health, California Department of Food and Agriculture and the Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation support and maintain the website.

Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), Policy and Prevention Branch (PPB) is excited to introduce its new primary prevention data collection and reporting service (PPSDS) that will replace the existing CalOMS Pv. The PPB looks forward to working with its stakeholders as they transition from the old service to the new.

Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment approaches are utilized in a variety of care settings. The 2017 SARC no-cost training series seeks to increase the number of primary care providers to broaden the effective use and implementation of SBIRT throughout California. This training is co-sponsored by DHCS and fulfills the 4-hour SBIRT training requirement. Pre-registration is required.

• Wednesday, May 3 – Sacramento County/Northern California
• Tuesday, May 9 – Ventura County/ Southern California
• Wednesday, May 24 – Los Angeles County/Southern California
• Tuesday, June 6 – Humboldt County/Northern California

The purpose of this no-cost, interactive daylong CATES training is to provide participants with a detailed overview of CBT and RP strategies, describe the available resources, and encourage use of these strategies in daily clinical practice. This training series is co-sponsored by DHCS. Pre-registration is required, and six CEUs are available.

• Thursday, May 2 – Riverside County/Southern California
• Thursday, May 23 – Siskiyou County/Northern California
• Thursday, May 25 – Contra Costa County/Bay Area
• Wednesday, June 7 – Kern County/Central California

The 2016 Regional Trainings showcased the County Indicator Toolkit and the accompanying instructional document. The purpose of the Toolkit is to provide a simplified resource to allow for the easy collection and assessment of SUD data indicators.

CPI developed an SPP Guide to help counties write their Strategic Prevention Plans (SPPs). The SPP Guide is a condensed version of the SPP Workbook and is organized into an introduction, five sections, and an appendix that contains samples and data resources.

In response to popular demand from the field, CPI developed a new brochure that counties can customize and distribute as part of their cannabis use prevention activities.

During the month of August, the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP) offered a special application period for the Prevention Specialist Certification. CPI supported this process by helping requestors document the CPI trainings they had completed.