County-level California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) reports are now available through 2017. CHKS Reports include data on school climate and student wellbeing, including youth tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use. They can be useful for local and countywide prevention planning.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) released the National Drug Control Strategy, which establishes the Trump Administration’s priorities for addressing the challenge of drug trafficking and use. The overarching goal of the Strategy is a comprehensive approach that includes preventing initiates to drug use, promoting treatment services leading to long-term recovery, and aggressively reducing the availability of illicit drugs in America’s communities.

Several new mental health contact lists and tools have been added to the Interagency Prevention Advisory Council (IPAC) Strategic Partnering Opportunities Resources page on the CPI website. These resources also include a mental health guide written specifically for faith leaders.

The CPI Team is pleased to announce a new publication developed in response to requests from the field: “Focus Groups – Helpful Tools for Strategic Prevention Planning.” This document includes guidance, facilitation tips, sample questions, and further resources.

The President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, established in March 2017, released its final report on November 1, 2017. The report outlines a series of recommendations to the federal government for opioid prevention, treatment, overdose reversal, recovery, and research and development.

Research presented this month at the American Public Health Association’s 2017 Annual Meeting and Expo examined the effect of marijuana use and dependence on life achievement in young adults. The study found that young adults dependent on marijuana and alcohol were less likely to achieve adult life goals, defined by the study as educational achievement, full-time employment, marriage, and social economic potential.

If you currently use the CPI Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Consequence Data Toolkit in your work, this 35-video tutorial series will help you deepen your understanding and skills. The tutorial series is designed to support county Prevention Coordinators and others who use the toolkit.

DHCS released several resources to facilitate the field’s transition from CalOMS to PPSDS (Primary Prevention SUD Data Service). These new supports include an Annual Progress Report Template, Frequently Asked Questions about PPSDS, and information about the PPSDS Onsite Trainings held throughout the month.

We are pleased to share the training materials from the 2017 CPI Regional Trainings, held in Long Beach and Sacramento this summer. Hundreds of SUD professionals and community agency representatives attend the no-cost Regional Trainings each year to focus on core prevention topics.