Title: ATOD Specific Series
Format: Virtual via Zoom
Dates: May 20-22, 2026 & December 1-3, 2026
Time: 9 am- 4:00 pm CST
Continuing Education Hours: 18 in IC&RC Domain 6: Professional Growth and Responsibility, ATOD Specific
Price: $375 before May 15th, $450 after
Registration Link: Click here to register
Schedule
May 20
1) 9:00-12:00 Substance Use Disorder: It’s what we are preventing.
2) 1:00-4:00 Alcohol Effects on the Brain & Body
May 21
3) 9:00-12:00 Wires Crossed: How the Nervous System Adapts to ATOD and How Prevention Rewires It
4) 1:00-4:00 tbd by the DEA
May 22
5) 9:00-12:00 When Use Feels Normal: Prevention in an Era of Socially Acceptable Drugs
6) 1:00-4:00 Old Drugs, New Threats®
All virtual workshops are scheduled in Central Time. Use the time zone converter , then enter Texas, Houston
Course Descriptions
May 20
1) Substance Use Disorder: It’s what we are preventing. This workshop will provide information on the classifications of drugs, there effects on the brain and body, and distinguish between use, misuse, addiction & substance use disorders.
Upon completion of this training the participant will be able to: 1) List the 5 drug classifications. 2) Distinguish between use, abuse, addiction and substance use disorder.
Presenter: Mitchell Moore
2) Alcohol Effects on the Brain & Body. Alcohol use and abuse affects the brain by changing blood flow patterns. Small doses of alcohol incite cerebral activation, while higher doses decrease brain activity by constricting blood flow. This workshop discusses the possible retrograde amnesia, anterograde amnesia, confabulation, and other effects on the brain resulting from excessive alcohol use. Upon completion of this training the participant will be able to:
- Examine the effect of alcohol on the human brain
- Examine the effect of alcohol on the human body
- Discuss the difference between alcohol’s effect on adolescents and adults
- Discuss statistics related to adolescents and adults
- Discuss alcoholism as a disability.
Presenter: Julie Stevens
May 21
3) Wires Crossed: How the Nervous System Adapts to ATOD and How Prevention Rewires It When the nervous system is repeatedly overwhelmed through substance exposure, cumulative stress load, or chronic adversity…it adapts. These adaptations influence stress response patterns, reward circuitry, impulse control, emotional regulation, pain perception, and decision-making. Over time, substance use can become intertwined with the body’s attempts to self-regulate.
While ATOD use can temporarily soothe, stimulate, or stabilize a dysregulated nervous system, reinforcing patterns that are difficult to shift without addressing the nervous system. What is often labeled resistance, relapse, lack of motivation, or noncompliance may reflect survival system at work. Similarly, prevention and health promotion builds resilience at the nervous system level.
Grounded in prevention science and trauma-informed practice, this presentation introduces practical nervous system mapping tools and everyday regulation strategies that can be applied immediately in prevention, outreach, and treatment settings. By understanding how the nervous system adapts under pressure (wires crossed), professionals can reduce stigma, improve engagement, and strengthen prevention outcomes while supporting burnout prevention for the peer/professional model steady presence for fellow staff, clients and community. Upon completion of this training the participant will be able to: 1) Explain how nervous system dysregulation contributes to vulnerability, escalation, and relapse in ATOD and SUD. 2) Apply basic nervous system mapping concepts to strengthen prevention messaging, early intervention efforts, and engagement strategies. 3) Practice fivepractical regulation strategies that support sustainable recovery and upstream prevention outcomes.
Presenter: Jen Schneeman
4)
Presenter:
May 22
5) When Use Feels Normal: Prevention in an Era of Socially Acceptable Drugs. Alcohol, tobacco, prescription medications, and marijuana often occupy a unique place in prevention conversations—not because they are harmless, but because they are socially accepted, legally regulated, or increasingly framed as wellness tools. At the same time, emerging conversations around psychedelic-assisted therapy and the quiet persistence of illegal drugs like cocaine complicate traditional prevention narratives.
This three-hour training invites prevention professionals to move beyond substance-specific messaging and examine social acceptability, legality, and cultural framing as key conditions that influence risk, perception, and behavior. Participants will explore how normalization shapes beliefs, use patterns, and community response—and how prevention strategies must adapt when “danger” no longer looks dangerous.
Using case examples, facilitated dialogue, and reflective activities, this session equips participants to address substance use in ways that are credible, culturally responsive, and grounded in prevention science—without resorting to fear-based or outdated messaging.
Upon completion of this training the participant will be able to: 1) Analyze how social acceptability, legality, and cultural narratives influence substance-related risk across alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs, marijuana, and emerging therapeutic substances. 2) Identify and respond to social, cultural, and legal conditions that increase substance-related risk, rather than relying solely on drug-specific education or awareness campaigns.
Presenter: Steve Miller
6) Old Drugs, New Threats® One of the most dangerous public perceptions is, “I did it when I was a kid and I turned out fine.” Fast forward a few decades, and today’s youth drug landscape looks very different. Many of the trends filling headlines and flooding social media are in classes all their own. Novel and re-imagined products and devices now pose new and evolving threats to teens and young adults. While awareness is only part of the solution, addressing these trends requires an informed and engaged community response. This session will explore the latest youth drug trends, emerging products and devices, and the ways industry practices and social media are fueling these risks.
Upon completion of this training the participant will be able to: 1) Identify current and emerging youth drug trends, including novel and re-imagined products and devices impacting teens and young adults. 2) Describe how drug culture, industry tactics, concealment strategies, and social media marketing influence youth substance use
Presenter: Melissa Moore
Presenters:
Julie Stevens MPS, ACPS, ICPS. Julie is an Advanced Certified Prevention Specialist and was a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor for 20 years. She has served as Director of Prevention for the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, and Training Specialist for the University of Oklahoma’s Southwest Prevention Center, and most recently as Executive Director of LifeSteps Council on Alcohol and Drugs. She is currently Member At Large of the Board of the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium. Ms. Stevens serves on the Texas Certification Board of Addiction Professionals and is chair of the Prevention Subcommittee. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Baylor University and a Masters of Prevention Science from the University of Oklahoma. In addition, Ms. Stevens is an adjunct professor for the University Of Oklahoma College Of Liberal Studies.
Mitchell Moore BAT, LCDC, ACPS, ADC. Mitchell is a dynamic educator who has a passion for training people and serves those who serve by designing and delivering training and across America. He is an advanced certified prevention specialist and licensed chemical dependency counselor who has extensive experience working with youth and families in both prevention and recovery settings. He has served as a counselor, prevention specialist and executive director of a charitable organization. In 2019, he was awarded the Texas Prevention Specialist of the Year.
Jen Schneeman MBA, C-IAYT, CMHC, CDCA Jen is a soul-driven scientist with 23 years in health & human performance. She is chronic fatigue and trauma-informed nervous system resilience specialist, board-certified holistic mental health coach and co-founder of REAL Human Performance. Early in her career, Jen served as a science + tech advisor at DARPA/Defense Sciences Office and the Air Force Research Lab, Human Performance Wing, studying how trauma, nutrition, disease impact human resilience uniquely at the individual level and informed future determinants of health. She translated those actionable insights into real-time resilience training and has coached two NFL teams, four military branches, dozens of corporations, hundreds of health-conscious leaders, peers and professionals and thousands of other real humans just like us, looking to optimize their personal energy for more flow and less drag.
In 2016, Jen successfully authored Self Care and Resilience™ (SCAR) – a personalized nervous system-based burnout resilience program that guides people unlock their stuck stress patterns, expand their capacity for life and become burnout proof. Jen doesn’t just coach real-time resilience, she lives it, having navigated burnout and addiction in a post-9/11 culture of constant go-go-go-collapse. Her motto is to serve those that serve others and is the conscious coach for the empathic leader.
Jen uses humor, lived experience and science-backed methods that guide real humans to live with more awareness, self-trust and peace to thrive amidst the everyday stressors. Jen holds the steady belief that when we manage our personal energy, we increase sustainability for ourselves, for our communities and for our planet.
Steve Miller BA, CRPS Steve is a leader in substance use prevention and mental health promotion, who bridges technical training with real-world application. Recognizing the people-centered nature of behavioral health, Steve bridges creativity and science to strengthen the workforce and individuals. His mission is to destigmatize substance use disorder and mental health by simplifying the professional language into a kitchen-table type conversational approach that fosters hope, healing, and connection.
Melissa Moore MS, CPS, Melissa has worked in Public Health for over 25 years, leading prevention and coalition efforts in multiple diverse communities. Emphasizing the need to go beyond education to address the factors that contribute to substance abuse, Ms. Moore has helped lead assessment, planning, implementation and grant writing efforts to transform the way communities tackle this daunting burden. An expert in engagement and communication, Ms. Moore is always looking for opportunities to take great ideas and move them into tangible actions answering the age-old question…We recognize this is an issue, now what can we do about it?