When people think of Las Vegas, several images and monikers might come to mind, and many of them originate from the tourist industry commercials. When Nevada Prevention Network\u2019s representative Martie Washington thinks about the city, however, she thinks of the \u2018Monumental Impact\u2019 of prevention.<\/p>\n
Washington, Health Program Manager II, Behavioral Health Prevention and Treatment Division of Public and Behavioral Health, has an office several hours away in the state\u2019s capital of Carson City. As part of her job, she\u00a0works directly with local community prevention\u00a0coalitions and direct service agencies\u00a0doing Yeoman\u2019s work to prevent substance abuse.<\/p>\n
There are a lot of artificial and natural attractions in Nevada, including Las Vegas, Reno and the Hoover Dam, but, Washington said, \u201cThe crowning jewel of Nevada is our Nevada Statewide Coalition Partnership.\u00a0Member coalitions\u00a0really have their finger on the pulse of their communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Washington will welcome coalition leaders from all over Nevada and the world\u00a0July 17\u00ba<\/sup>\u00a0at CADCA\u2019s 15\u00ba<\/sup>\u00a0annual Mid-Year Training Institute at The Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. She will kick\u00a0off the week of intensive training at the event\u2019s official welcome reception at\u00a05 p.m.<\/p>\n Washington is a former coalition leader herself and is involved in this field to keep primary prevention in the forefront. Nevada is no. 4 in the nation for prescription drug overdoses, she said, and recreational marijuana will probably be on their November ballots. With the help of CADCA\u2019s Mid-Year Training Institute, coalition leaders will return to their homes with new strategies to reduce medicine abuse and increase the perception of marijuana\u2019s harm.<\/p>\n \u201cRecovery is so hard. If we can avoid going down that route in the first place, we have a better chance at having a healthy childhood. If you are drug involved, you don\u2019t make true connections,\u00a0and connections are important to a healthy lifestyle,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Washington said she is thrilled to have CADCA\u2019s event in her state and will also participate in CADCA\u2019s on-site service project at The Shade Tree, a shelter for abused women and children.<\/p>\n She plans to point out in her welcome reception remarks about the family-friendly activities in which visiting coalition leaders can participate after the training has concluded each day.<\/p>\n \u201cBut Las Vegas, even though it\u2019s a huge urban city,\u00a0actually consists of many distinct communities. It\u2019s like any other\u00a0area\u00a0where coalitions are\u00a0found;\u00a0collections of people connected and working together,\u201d she concludes.<\/p>\n Participants can take training in one of eight tracks and there are special youth sessions, too, through CADCA\u2019s National Youth Leadership Initiative. Register by the early-bird registration deadline of\u00a0June 3\u00a0and save $100. For more information, visit\u00a0CADCA’s event website.\u00a0Engage with us on social media using hashtag #CADCAMidYear.
\n\u00a0<\/p>\n