Northeast > Services > Audioconferences > Community Econimic Development

The Relationship Between Substance Abuse Prevention and Community Economic Development Principles

Date: July 14, 2005, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

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I. Overview:
This audio conference is for community organizers, prevention practitioners, law enforcement, community economic development practitioners, and substance abuse treatment providers who are interested in learning about the relationship between Community Economic Development (CED) and substance abuse prevention.

Traditionally, CED has focused on comprehensive strategies and techniques such as local economic analysis, community organizing, affordable housing, employment, and other quality of life issues. As state agencies and local prevention providers create prevention strategies that are responsive to the unique needs of communities—particularly those that are disadvantaged--it will become increasingly important to determine how CED relates to prevention. By building on the strengths and resources of both prevention and CED, community leaders can maximize the impact of community revitalization and substance abuse prevention efforts.

This audio conference is an interactive learning event that provides participants with the opportunity to ask questions and learn from prevention experts as well as other individuals in the field of prevention. Through this event, participants will have the opportunity to explore the role of prevention within the community economic development process.

II. Objectives:

Participants will:

• Better understand the relationship between prevention theory and community economic development.
  
  
• Become familiar with strategies for engaging “nontraditional” partners in their efforts, e.g. community residents concerned about and/or directly impacted by substance abuse, public health and prevention practitioners.
  
  
• Be introduced to prevention and CED resources that can support future efforts.
  
  
• Learn about successful and promising practices in the field and contribute their experiences.

III. Agenda:

• Welcome and Introductions - Carlos Pavao, Technical Assistance and Training Manager of CSAP's Northeast CAPT
  
  
• Roundtable Discussion - Deborah Mclean Leow, Associate Director, CSAP's Northeast CAPT; Michelle Keenan, Director of the Regional vCenter for Healthy Communities (Metrowest), Cambridge, MA; Vicente Sanabria, Director of Somerville Cares About Prevention, Somerville, MA
  
  
• Closure - Carlos Pavao

IV. Presenters:

Michelle Keenan, MA

Michelle Keenan, Director of the Regional Center for Healthy Communities (RCHC), has over 20 years of experience in roles managing health and human service programs and the provision of technical assistance to substance abuse and other health programs. In her current role as director, she manages a team providing technical assistance to community coalitions to prevent substance abuse. The RCHC also works closely with the five-community health networks areas (CHNAs) throughout the Metrowest region.

Ms. Keenan has particular expertise and enthusiasm for community-based approaches to substance abuse and other social health issues. Having lived and worked for many years in Australia, she managed HIV/AIDS prevention programs, was commissioned to provide policy analysis and co-manage the redevelopment of statewide alcohol and drug treatment services and has worked extensively training both in non-profit and academic settings. Her cross cultural work has been in substance abuse prevention and intervention strategies with both Vietnamese-Australian and indigenous communities.

In addition to her management expertise and passion for developing community capacity to address health issues, Ms. Keenan was the lead author of a resource kit on community coalition approaches to the prevention and reduction of substance abuse. One of these publications, The Community Partnerships Kit was distributed nationally in Australia and was the basis of numerous training programs delivered to health care and law enforcement staff. Michelle’s most recent publication is a chapter on the ‘Social Context of Drug Use’ in a recently released book from Oxford University Press.

Ms. Keenan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science, as well as a Graduate Diploma in Community Psychology and a Master of Art’s degree in Social Policy.

Vicente Sanabria, MS

Vicente Sanabria holds an MS in Community Economic Development and has worked in the field of community economic development for over 15 years as president of Community Development Corporation, and as an employee of Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, and is an experienced community organizer.

Mr. Sanabria started in the field of prevention in the early 1990s as a CSAP partnership director in Lawrence, Massachusetts and has conducted coalition development for HUD and DOL-funded sites in the south of Massachusetts.

In addition, Mr. Sanabria was assistant director for a male residential AOD treatment facility in the mid 1970's, as well as deputy director for a large mental health organization in Massachusetts during the 1990s.
Mr. Sanabria’s practical work experience brings together treatment, prevention, and CED in a very unique manner. Mr. Sanabria’s unique, practical work experience brings together treatment, prevention and CED.

Deborah McLean Leow, MSW

Deborah McLean Leow is an associate director for CSAP’s Northeast Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT). She has worked with state and community service providers and leaders for the last 8 years to make evidence-based substance abuse prevention programs and practices available and accessible to local communities. Ms. McLean Leow is a social worker by profession and has worked in the prevention field for over 12 years in service delivery, program development and coordination, training and technical assistance, and workforce development in both substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention.

Ms. McLean Leow earned her MSW from Syracuse University and her BA in sociology from Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Prior to her work with EDC, Ms. McLean Leow served as special assistant to the Vice President of Student Affairs at Syracuse University coordinating a federally-funded grant to reduce substance abuse among college students. She was instrumental in developing a comprehensive program including a university-wide policy on alcohol, other drugs and tobacco, a referral and intervention program for students-at-risk, and a campus-community coalition. During her 6 years at Syracuse, Ms. McLean Leow ran peer-based HIV/AIDS prevention programs, conducted HIV/AIDS testing counseling, and coordinated a community-based HIV/AIDS prevention research project for socially/economically disadvantaged women. She is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Substance Abuse Leadership Fellow and a Guyanese immigrant living in Montclair, New Jersey.

Carlos Pavão, MPA

Carlos A. O. Pavão is training & technical assistance manager with CSAP's Northeast CAPT. Mr. Pavão is responsible for delivering technical assistance and training services to CAPT clients within the New England and Mid-Atlantic states.

Mr. Pavão has over 8 years of coalition development, community organizing, school reform, youth development, governmental relations, program analysis, and systems building with a particular interest in providing outreach strategies to multicultural populations and to new comers. Mr. Pavão has also worked extensively on public health promotion and outreach efforts (tobacco, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, cardiovascular, pediatric obesity and nutrition).

Before joining the CAPT staff, Mr. Pavão was active in community planning, particularly building school/community partnerships and systems building within urban schools. Mr. Pavão received an MPA from Bridgewater State College and a BA in anthropology and history with a concentration in non-western cultures from Brandeis University.

V. Registration Instructions:

Register for the audio conference at https://ww4.premconf.com/webrsvp/ using confirmation code 5503435 or by calling 800-289-0579.

VI. Resources:

Handouts:
Risk and Protective Factor Sheet
http://www.captus.samhsa.gov/northeast/pdf/weed_seed/r_p_list.pdf

Validated Archival Indicators
http://www.captus.samhsa.gov/northeast/pdf/weed_seed/validated_archival_indicators.pdf

Background Information
http://www.captus.samhsa.gov/northeast/pdf/ced_background_reading.pdf

Useful Websites:
Workforce Investment Act, U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration:
http://www.doleta.gov/usworkforce/

Community Re-investment Act (local banks that have FDIC)
CRA website
http://www.ffiec.gov/cra/

http://www.federalreserve.gov/dcca/cra/ (About CRA info)

Housing and Urban Development
http://www.hud.gov/ (click on grants)

Department of Labor
http://www.dol.gov
http://www.doleta.gov/youth_services/yog.cfm

Rural LISC
http://www.ruralisc.org/ (website and general info)

Community Foundations
http://www.communityfoundationlocator.org/search/index.cfm (click on Massachusetts to see listing of all foundations in MA)

VII. Contact Information:

If you have questions or need additional information about this audio conference please contact Valda Grinbergs at VGrinbergs@edc.org or 617-618-2949.