Prevention: Moving Beyond Just Say No

Episode Transcript

Isabel Byon (00:00):
The New York State Office of Addiction Services and
Supports, or OASAS, providesthis podcast as a public service
.
Thoughts and opinions expresseddo not necessarily represent or
reflect those of the agency orstate.

This is Addiction (00:13):
The Next Step .

Jerry Gretzinger (00:19):
Jerry Gretzinger here, your host for

Addiction (00:21):
The Next Step, the podcast brought to you by the
New York State Offices ofAddiction Services and Supports.
Today's episode.
Thanks for checking it out.
By the way, we're going to betalking about prevention and we
are joined by someone who isjoining us here from the
Chautauqua County area.
This is Melanie Witkowski.
She's the Executive Directorfrom Prevention Works and you

(00:41):
know I'm talking about.
We say prevention, right, so Iwant to start by you introducing
us to your organization andwhat the prevention picture is
on your end.

Melanie Witkowski (00:56):
Yeah, so first of all, thank you so much
for having me today.
Prevention Works really we'vebeen around 50 years, we're
celebrating our 50th anniversaryestablished in 1974 and really
what prevention is?
It's about preventing earlyonset of use of alcohol and
other substances.
You know, oftentimes when youlook at individuals that are
struggling with substance use,it typically is somebody that

(01:17):
started when they were 12, 13,14, and 15 years old.
Because of that, brain is stilldeveloping.
So really, prevention is aboutpreventing long-term substance
use concerns and otherproblematic behaviors that may
exist.

Jerry Gretzinger (01:31):
So I think if we have parents or caregivers of
any kind out there who arehearing this, they're like well,
yeah, obviously prevention iswhat we want to keep kids from
at first.
Experimentation right, but howchallenging that must be, and
how much more challenging itseems like it must be today, you
know, with the legalization ofrecreational cannabis and you

(01:53):
know how easily accessiblealcohol can be.
What are some suggestions orsome things that you've
discovered that are helpful forpeople who have that direct
contact with young people tohelp them, you know, encourage
that kind of prevention?

Melanie Witkowski (02:05):
So I think the first thing that is
important for parents and alsoindividuals that work with youth
is really to focus on socialemotional learning skills.
You know, I think oftentimespeer pressure is a huge reason
why individuals start using inthe first place.
But if we can teach our kids toone, have, you know, the

(02:27):
strength to be verbal andassertive with saying no to
different substances, but alsothe courage to understand what
their self-image is, you know, alot of times individuals will
start using because of a lowself-esteem, a low self, you
know image of themselves.
And that's where a lot of ourprogramming focuses on

(02:47):
social-emotional learning andsubstance use prevention.
So oftentimes people thinkwe're just going in and saying
just say no to drugs, and that'snot really it.
It's teaching them the skillsets to make good decisions.
How do I communicate?
How do I communicate with someindividual on saying no to a
substance?
Like, what are the skill sets?
We do a lot of role playing inour programming.

(03:09):
It's actually practicing.
It's putting them into asetting, giving them a scenario
and having them practice.
Like practice makes perfect.
You know, programming alsofocuses on conflict resolution.
You know, how do I handle theseconflicts that I might be
having at home, how do I handlea conflict that I'm having with
a friend?
So they're really life skillsthat can be utilized not only

(03:33):
during the adolescent age or inelementary, but also throughout
their adulthood.
These are skill sets that weall need.

Jerry Gretzinger (03:40):
And so you're talking about this and I'm
thinking, you know, when peoplehear prevention especially when
you know OASAS is hosting thispodcast about prevention we're
talking about skills that can beacquired people will
automatically think, oh, it'sabout being able to resist, you
know, using substances.
But, like, the things you'retalking about go far beyond that
.
But all I'm assuming play arole in that moment when someone

(04:01):
says, hey, you want to try this?

Melanie Witkowski (04:03):
Right, and it's not just for substance use.
It might be an individualthat's.
You know we deal a lot withbullying in the school districts
.
We deal a lot with the mediaand social media and how much
kids are confronted withdifferent things, like things
they see on TikTok, andencouraging individuals to
participate in differentactivities.
So really the skills areutilized to help them be

(04:26):
resilient in any situation thatthey may be confronted with.

Jerry Gretzinger (04:30):
Melanie, I want to ask you this too.
I have here that you're one ofthe providers participating in
the Comprehensive YouthEducation and Prevention Pilot,
so it's a long name, but I wantyou to explain to us what that's
about and what the hopefuloutcome of it is.

Melanie Witkowski (04:46):
Yeah, so we are extremely fortunate to be a
part of this pilot program.
We're working with BrocktonCentral School District, which
is one of the third highestoverdose deaths in a rural
community in our area, andreally what the goal is of this
we call it the CPIP or CPIPproject and really what the goal
is of this we call it the CPIPor CYPIP project and really what
this is is making sure thatevery single youth has access to

(05:11):
the programs and services thatwe have.
So we're actually working withpre-K all the way through 12th
grade so that every singlestudent is receiving some
evidence-based preventionprogramming.
So we have pre-K programworking with incredible years
using puppets and making not sothreatening atmosphere for the

(05:31):
kids and the youth that we'reworking with.
Then we have the PAX GoodBehavior Game, which is one of
my absolute favorite programs.
It's a program that helpsincrease self-regulation and
co-regulation and those are thetwo key factors of a student
being successful and, you know,preventing suicide ideation.

(05:51):
And it's a program that's notonly a substance use prevention
program but it's a mental,emotional behavior program you
just said.

Jerry Gretzinger (05:57):
You said self-regulation and
co-regulation.
For people like me who arewondering what does that?

Melanie Witkowski (06:03):
mean.
So the ability to calmthemselves down, the ability to
self-regulate and control howthey're feeling when they're
confronted with a bigcatastrophe or trauma that they
might be confronted with.
We need to be able toself-regulate.
We realize, as we're going outthrough life, you're going to be
confronted with lots of sticksand stones that are confronted

(06:26):
with you, whether it's health,whether it's family conflict,
whether it's something in yourenvironment.
So that ability toself-regulate, so it doesn't get
to a point where you need tograb a substance use to feel
better, to escape, that's reallywhat it's about.

Jerry Gretzinger (06:39):
So I'm also thinking too, as you're talking
about the age groups that you'reworking with, and it sounds
like all of them, like you said,pre-k right through 12th grade
Is there.
I don't know.
People may ask what's theperfect?

Melanie Witkowski (06:55):
age to start these conversations or you know
these activities with youngpeople, early pre-K.
I mean I've, you know, Istarted in this field being a
prevention specialist andworking in school districts and
I can't tell you how many timesa five-year-old will bring up
marijuana.
They already know, they see intheir environment, especially
now with it legalized.
They smell it.
I have my teenage daughter.
What is that smell?

(07:16):
And if my teenager daughter issmelling it, that means other
kids are smelling it.
So it really is a conversationthat needs to start early.
You know we talk with pre-Kersand kindergartners about
medication safety.
You know you see a medication.
You don't take it just becauseit tastes good.
I mean we know medication canbe dangerous if taken
incorrectly.
So those messages start at ayoung age?

Jerry Gretzinger (07:39):
Do you get any you know pushback or concern
from parents who are saying ohwell, this is my six-year-old
child, they don't know thisstuff.
I don't want them hearing aboutit yet, and I'm assuming that's
got to be gotta be part of itOver the last probably 20 years
that I've been in the field.

Melanie Witkowski (07:54):
I can count on my hand how many people that
have said this is a concern.
Why are you having a discussionabout it?
And it's all age appropriate,the science.
Prevention is a science and youknow.
They have the data.
You know prevention, it's allabout the data.
We talk the data, then we walkthe data and it shows that these
kids know a lot at this age.

(08:15):
We don't go into a classroomand talk about marijuana.
We talk about alcohol.
We talk about medication safety.
We talk about tobacco and smoke.
And what can they do to preventthemselves from even smelling
smoke when they're in the area?
You know it might be go outside.
It might be go outside.
It might be going to anotherroom.
Even asking adult to go intoanother room.
We do what's in my mouth, notin my mouth.

(08:36):
You know.
Should alcohol be in your mouth?
Nope, it shouldn't, becauseyour brain's not developed yet,
you know.
So those conversations areimportant.

Jerry Gretzinger (08:45):
I think all the work that you're doing is
terrific.
It's so critically important.
I just remember you know mykids are all pretty much grown
now but also thinking when theywere very young.
You've got to have theseconversations with them because
if I don't do it or some trustedadult doesn't do it, someone
else might introduce it to them.
I'm not sure what they'll tellthem about it.

Melanie Witkowski (09:04):
I think having those conversations,
regular conversations, whetherit's around a dinner table while
you're taking somebody tosoccer or dance which is
typically what I was doing withmy kids um, you know it's use
teachable moments.
You know, you see a sign or alight or you see somebody that's
using where you smell thatsmell.
Have a conversation about it.

(09:25):
What is it?
What does it do?
How is it going to impact you?
So not just say no, but knowwhat you're getting involved
with.

Jerry Gretzinger (09:32):
You know K-N-O-W is what I say.

Melanie Witkowski (09:36):
It's so important.

Jerry Gretzinger (09:37):
I think the more we have those open
communications with families,the better off we'll be, and
when my kids were teenagers, Ialways anticipated the rolling
eyes, but it didn't stop us fromtrying yes.
Melanie, thank you so much fromthe Prevention Works in
Chautauqua County.
Good luck with the continuedwork and with the study.
I think this is again greatwork you're doing.

Melanie Witkowski (09:53):
Thank you so much, I appreciate it.

Jerry Gretzinger (09:55):
And thank you for joining us on this edition
of Addiction.
The Next Step brought to you byOASAS, if you have any
questions about you know,substance use or services or
supports that are available.
You can go to our website,oasas.
ny.
gov, our HOPEl ine 877-8-HOPE-NY, and if you have questions
about prevention works, we'llinclude all that information,

(10:15):
the links, the phone numbers foryou in this post.
Again, thanks for checking usout.
Until we talk to you again, bewell, thank you.