Forum Tracks & Workshops

CADCA is offering workshops in the following twelve tracks that address a number of key issues for community coalition professionals. Read workshop descriptions on the grid.

The Force Multipliers: Coalitions at Work

Coalitions Applying Science to Practice
Coalitions as Agents of Change
Coalitions Mobilizing Communities
Coalitions Passing the Torch
Coalitions Restoring Cities & Neighborhoods
Innovations from the Field
Hot Topics
Summit for Youth Leaders!
National Youth Leadership Initiative (NYLI)

The Partners: Coalition Partners Making a Difference

Meet the Funders
Meet the Media
Meet the Military
Meet the Researchers
Meet the States

Coalitions Applying Science to Practice

The track will feature coalitions and practitioners who have used theoretical concepts, prevention research conclusions and evaluation results to develop practical community-based initiatives.

Coalitions as Agents of Change

The workshops in this track will showcase coalitions that are the catalyst for improving the practices of institutions and systems in their state and community. Examples of topics include coalitions that created better substance abuse treatment case management systems, implemented SBIRT in local hospitals, changed school district policies to establish student assistance programs or created new funding streams for substance abuse prevention.

Coalitions Mobilizing Communities

This track will feature coalitions that successfully employed a community mobilization/community organizing framework. Because of their efforts, they mounted and sustained real changes in laws and/or policies that are primarily resident, youth and/or parent driven. Participants will be equipped with tips, tools and the knowledge to garner significant support from many sectors of their communities.

Coalitions Passing the Torch

An analysis of the coalition field supports the need for diversification and development of the future coalition workforce. This track will allow CADCA and coalitions to share strategies and new initiatives that are engineered to groom emerging leaders.

Coalitions Restoring Cities & Neighborhoods

Consistent with our conference theme, this track will highlight coalitions that are working at the neighborhood and grassroots levels to reduce drugs and crime. Neighborhood revitalization and restoration will be explored through “weed and seed,” “broken window” and other approaches.

Innovations from the Field

Are you interested in hearing directly from coalition leaders on how they achieved significant community change? If so, this track is right for you. Our coalition “change agents” will share cutting-edge strategies that have proven to be aligned with their mission and are effective in their area of influence. Workshops will be grouped by topics such as medicine abuse, treatment/SBIRT and underage drinking!

Hot Topics

This track will explore some of the emerging trends in coalition building and community mobilization. Coalitions presenting in this track have identified and engaged innovative partner organizations, have developed substance abuse prevention and support programs for new target populations, and have applied evidence-based strategies to the latest priority substances.

Summit for Youth Leaders!

Youth from across the country are working to keep their communities’ safe, healthy and drug free! Participants will have the opportunity to increase their skills and knowledge by attending a series of interactive workshops. They can also gain insights from progressive plenary speakers. This track is for young people and interested adults

National Youth Leadership Initiative (NYLI)

This intensive competency-based leadership training is a flagship CADCA workforce development program that teaches strategies to create and nurture the growth of committed young leaders through their work within coalitions. The NYLI helps youth and their adult coaches develop an action plan that clearly defines strategies that young leaders will carry out to address the problems and goals that the coalition is striving to affect. Join us for a leadership experience that reflects our motto: “Youth-led and adult-guided.”

Meet the Funders

Is your community beating the bushes for cash and other resources to sustain its work? During these workshops, governmental and private grantmakers will share relevant funding sources for support of coalition infrastructure and key coalition initiatives.

Meet the Media

Has your coalition been covered by the media lately? Let our traditional and social media experts give you the scoop on how to build a media strategy to get your message out, how to keep your coalition on the front page and at the top of Google results and how to move up on the “media subject matter expert” key informant list. Get connected to the social media phenomenon and learn how to be the media in your community.

Meet the Military

The need for local support for returning veterans and their families is at an all time high! As socially conscious citizens and coalition leaders, what can you and your communities do to contribute to the cause and promote stability? Our partners including the National Guard Bureau and the U.S. Commission Corps stand ready to come to the aid of their country and show you how we can all unite and make a difference.

Meet the Researchers

Systematic investigation and critical analysis are essential to long-term viability and validation of effectiveness. These workshops will increase the knowledge and capacity of “everyday community scientists” through a healthy dose of Research 101 and hearty interactions with some of the nation’s leading researchers in our field.

Meet the States

Every state has a key official responsible for directing the state’s prevention system who is a member of the National Prevention Network (NPN). Once again, these state leaders, the NPNs, developed a series of workshops designed to increase participants’ ability to navigate, work within and collaborate with state leaders to achieve population-level reductions in substance abuse rates.