The annual Kansas Prevention Collaborative (KPC) Conference took place in mid-October, bringing together prevention professionals, coalition leaders, and community partners from across the state of Kansas for two days of learning, connection, and collaboration.
This year’s theme, “Voices of Prevention,” set the stage for thought-provoking discussions about the value of lived experience and storytelling. Four engaging speakers, Monica Forrest, Monica Kurz, Kimberly Freese, and Dave Sotelo, opened the conference by sharing their individual and professional experiences in prevention. Their collective narratives exemplified the state’s common goals of reducing substance misuse, fostering mental health, and creating more resilient communities throughout the state.
Throughout the event, attendees had the opportunity to choose from more than 35 breakout sessions covering a wide range of topics, including substance misuse prevention, suicide prevention, tobacco prevention, youth leadership, coalition capacity building, and more. Sessions offered practical tools, current research, and new strategies that attendees could use to support prevention efforts at both the local and state levels.
The conference wrapped up with an engaging keynote by corporate lawyer, advocate, and multimedia storyteller Justin G. Maffett. He shared his experience of living with bipolar disorder and the process of rebuilding in crisis, rediscovering his purpose, and finding power in vulnerability. Maffett challenged attendees to reflect on what it really means to “build back better,” both personally and within systems of care, and to embrace the idea that “the only way out is through.”
Funded by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) and managed by the Prevention Initiatives team at Wichita State University’s Community Engagement Institute, the conference was planned by a dedicated committee representing every part of the prevention continuum. The KPC Conference continues to be a cornerstone gathering for advancing prevention and strengthening communities across Kansas.
CADCA partners with KDADS to administer the Upstream Kansas program, a community-driven initiative aimed at increasing opportunities for youth leadership in substance use prevention efforts across Kansas. We extend a warm thank you to KDADS, Wichita State University’s Community Engagement Institute, and everyone who helped make this year’s conference such a success.
