Summary: This one-hour webinar equips caregivers with essential knowledge and tools to help prevent underage drinking. After a brief introduction, the session dives into the reality of underage drinking, exploring current statistics and the common reasons young people start drinking, influenced by social and peer pressures.

The next section details the risks associated with underage drinking, including health, academic, and social impacts, as well as the potential for long-term consequences. Caregivers gain insight into how early alcohol use affects mental and physical development, academic performance, and increases the risk of accidents and future substance misuse.

A key component of the webinar emphasizes the role caregivers play in prevention through open, honest communication. Supported by research, this section highlights how caregiver conversations can significantly impact youth behavior, helping them make informed, safer choices.

In the practical segment, attendees receive guidance on initiating age-appropriate discussions about alcohol with their children. Strategies include effective ways to bring up the topic, handling challenging questions, and fostering trust. Real-life examples offer additional context for navigating these conversations successfully.

The webinar concludes with a Q&A, providing resources and encouraging caregivers to take proactive steps by having meaningful discussions with their kids about alcohol. This session empowers caregivers to make a positive impact on their children’s choices and overall well-being.

Presenter Bio: Rodney began his prevention education career with FCD / Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, gaining unparalleled experience in the drug prevention education space, while also establishing himself as a respected Prevention Specialist. Currently working as a Program Coordinator for the State of North Carolina’s Alcoholic Beverage control Commission, Rodney is widely known for his ability to connect with his audience, subject knowledge, and thought provoking presentations. While his speaking engagements have taken him to some of the top schools in the United States, Dubai, Qatar, Thailand, Mumbai, Singapore and Nairobi, Rodney is proud to call the North Carolina home.

Rodney’s style is one-of-a-kind. As a seasoned speaker, he combines education, information, and humor to ensure that his presentations are both entertaining and enlightening. Rodney knows how to engage with the audience, making potentially boring information interesting and fun. Students and parents absolutely love his ability to deliver crucial information in a way that sticks. Schools invite him back year after year.

Rodney is a Shaw University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a former collegiate track and field athlete. He is a former middle school special education teacher, and middle school track and field coach. Rodney is a devoted and loving husband, a fitness enthusiast and enjoys teaching, traveling with his wife and experiencing the many cultures of the world.

Rodney is extremely passionate about positively impacting the lives of young people and their families.

Prevención es la solución. Comprender los factores de riesgo y de protección asociados con los problemas de uso de sustancias en los adolescentes es un paso vital en el desarrollo de estrategias dirigidas a esos problemas. Este seminario web examinará los factores de riesgo y protectores culturalmente relevantes para el uso de sustancias durante la adolescencia para permitir a los padres latinos dar el primer paso hacia la prevención.

Many teens struggle with alcohol misuse and addiction. In seeking recovery, they’re not alone, and neither are their families and loved ones. Join our roundtable discussion about underage drinking challenges and prevention and treatment resources with students and parents representing Wake Monarch Academy, a school in Raleigh that provides a recovery-based environment for students to successfully pursue academic, personal, and professional goals. Using their first-hand experiences, our participants will reflect on issues like peer pressure, impaired driving, asking for help, and lessons learned that are valuable for both teens and parents.

During this Talk it Out NC virtual presentation, we will:

• Discuss coping together as a family unit
• Tips on how to deal with parent child stressors
• Finding JOY in parenting

Presenter Description

Dr. Wanda Boone founded Together for Resilient Youth (TRY) in 2000 after 20 years in the corporate sector. TRY, based in Durham, now has a presence across NC, the US and internationally in Kenya, the UK and Australia. TRY connects the dots linking the public health model, trauma informed care and transformative prevention.

Dr. Boone is a forerunner and recognized as an expert in the field of Resilience/Adverse Childhood Experiences and trauma. She believes that children thrive when the adults that surround them are well and do well. She has been a guest speaker and technical advisor on Prevention structures 25 years including Trauma, Resilience, Racial Inequities, Social Determinants of Health, Behavioral Health Disparities, at the individual, interpersonal, community and societal for 10 years.

Dr. Boone is a member of the NC Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience Advisory Board, Health and Safety Chair of the Durham City/County Task Force and served as the Co-Chair of the National Institute of Medicine Healthy NC 2030 Social and Economic Factors work group focusing on the impact of trauma and the importance of resilience. She is a RN, Sr. RA, Duke University Medical Center and holds a PhD in Theology/Public Health.

Studies show that posting alcohol-related content on social media is associated with high rates of alcohol consumption, cravings, and alcohol addiction. A growing body of research also suggests that these messages may be powerful enough to influence a person’s drinking habits. Students who view their friends’ alcohol-infused posts are likely to drink more themselves and to post more alcohol-related content, which, in turn, causes others in their network to do the same. We can reverse these trends through education and effective conversations. Talk it Out NC Program Coordinator, Rodney Poole will take a look at the influence that social media messages have on underage drinking and the current trends that it appears to be driving. Rodney will also highlight ways adults can have effective conversations with young people to prevent unhealthy behavior.

Presenter Description

Rodney Poole comes to the Education Outreach Division of the ABC Commission with an extensive history of spreading the word about the dangers of underage substance abuse. He holds a B.A. degree in psychology from Shaw University and has been in long-term recovery for the past twenty-nine years. After college, he taught middle school and has worked with at-risk youth for the bulk of his career. Rodney has worked as an international substance abuse prevention speaker for the past ten years. His work with students, teachers, and parents has taken him to Dubai, Qatar, Singapore, Mumbai, New Delhi, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Nairobi, and all over the U.S. He is truly committed to reducing underage drinking in the state of North Carolina.

Are you expecting or planning for a family in the future? Do you have grandchildren or loved ones growing a family? You don’t want to miss this important talk about the impacts of drinking before and during pregnancy. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) can occur when an embryo is exposed to alcohol — even before a confirmed pregnancy. The life-altering effects can include physical, mental, behavioral, and/or learning disabilities with lifelong implications. As a community, we all hold a responsibility to the next generation, including making sure they grow up happy and healthy.

To help parents and loved ones give growing families the best and brightest future, our interactive session guided participants through the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure. We discussed the impact on the developing brain and the characteristics and prevalence of FASD. Plus, speakers went over the role we all can play in preventing alcohol-exposed pregnancies and FASD.

Infant Plan of Safe Care Resource
(North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services)

Presenter Description

Amy Hendricks, is the FASD Prevention and Training Coordinator for Proof Alliance NC, a program of The Arc of North Carolina. Amy has over 30 years of experience deeply rooted in the field of public health and prevention and is the recipient of the Alcohol and Drug Council of North Carolina’s Prevention Pioneer Award in 2021. Amy provides education to the professionals who work with individuals of child-bearing age about the importance of preventing alcohol-exposed pregnancies and understanding the lifelong impacts of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). In her spare time, Amy creates funky art for non-profit fundraisers, enjoys hearing live music with her husband and is the parent of two amazing sons!

Are you stressed out, worried about the future, or just not feeling like your best self for your kids and family? Join us for the Talkin’ it Out About Resilient and Thriving Adult Leader Communities workshop to learn ways to stay regulated to be the best you for the ones you love! This workshop will introduce participants to some simple, easy-to-learn wellness skills to better manage stress that can be shared with friends and family. Come learn how stress affects the mind, body, and spirit, and how the parenting community to create healthy and thriving environments where families can thrive and have engaging conversations like underage drinking prevention. Come ready to learn how to put the brakes on your nervous system and find a greater sense of well-being.

Presenter Descriptions

Tamra Church, MAEd, MCHES®, Certified CRM Teacher, is a faculty member at East Carolina University in the Department of Health Education and Promotion, and the Talk It Out NC Ambassador for Eastern NC. She is a Certified Community Resiliency Model (CRM)® Teacher, CATCH® My Breath Community Trainer, Community Action Poverty Simulation Facilitator, Youth Mental Health First Aider, and is trained in the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework. She serves as Board Chair and Executive Director for the Coastal Coalition for Substance Awareness & Prevention (CCSAP) and is the Principal Investigator for the Drug-Free Community Support Program overseeing grant activities. She leads the CCSAP Resilience Collaborative, co-chairs the Resilient North Carolina Collaborative Coalition (RNCCC), and is a member of BRACE and Colleges and Universities for Resilience (CURE).

Jennifer Matthews, Ph.D., MSPH, Certified CRM Teacher, earned her doctorate in Health Education and Health Promotion from the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health. Dr. Matthews is currently a professor in the Department of Health Education and Promotion at ECU. Her research focuses on the impact of trauma and resilience on substance use. Dr. Matthews’ current funding includes the Drug- Free Communities and the CARA grant from CDC providing support for the Pitt County Coalition on Substance Use (PCCSU) in preventing underage drinking and opioid misuse. Dr. Matthews was a founding member and currently serves on the leadership team for the local collaborative (BRACE) that seeks to address trauma and resilience in Pitt County. She also volunteers with PCCSU, serves on Pitt County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, and is a certified Community Resiliency Model (CRM)® Teacher.

April 19, 2023

Talkin’ it Out with NC Division of Health and Human Services & Department of Public Instruction

Talkin’ it Out about the implementation of the Unified School Behavioral Health Action Plan. North Carolina teachers are facing the growing challenge of supporting their students with social, emotional, and mental health needs, and in 2022, 68% reported that these needs had increased from a typical school year.

The North Carolina Unified School Behavioral Health Action Plan offers an opportunity to support these needs and address the gaps in existing resources. Through investment in schools and by strengthening the connection to community-based services, the Action Plan aims to prioritize investments with the greatest potential impact on North Carolina students. Studies have shown that youth are six times more likely to complete evidence-based treatment when offered in schools, and this initiative hopes to expand access to those opportunities.

April 11, 2023

Talkin’ it Out with Connections Academy Parents Just Don’t Understand

Join us to help bridge the gap of communication between young people and the parenting community of parents, teachers, guardians and trusted adults.

Hear from middle school students of what they believe parents/educators are not understanding. The educators of Connections Academy, Raleigh will join in the conversation to discuss their roles in having substance use prevention conversations with the students. These direct insights may assist with keeping the lines of communication open and provide information on how the parenting community can handle difficult situations.