Isabel Byon: 0:00

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, or OASAS, provides this podcast as a public service. Thoughts and opinions expressed do not necessarily represent or reflect those of the agency or state.

Isabel Byon: 0:13

This is Addiction: The Next Step.

Jerry Gretzinger: 0:19

Jerry Gretzinger here, your host for Addiction: The Next Step, the podcast brought to you by the New York State Offices of Addiction Services and Supports. Today's episode. Thanks for checking it out. By the way, we're going to be talking about prevention and we are joined by someone who is joining us here from the Chautauqua County area. This is Melanie Witkowski. She's the Executive Director from Prevention Works and you know I'm talking about. We say prevention, right, so I want to start by you introducing us to your organization and what the prevention picture is on your end.

Melanie Witkowski: 0:56

Yeah, so first of all, thank you so much for having me today. Prevention Works really we've been around 50 years, we're celebrating our 50th anniversary established in 1974 and really what prevention is? It's about preventing early onset of use of alcohol and other substances. You know, oftentimes when you look at individuals that are struggling with substance use, it typically is somebody that started when they were 12, 13, 14, and 15 years old. Because of that, brain is still developing. So really, prevention is about preventing long-term substance use concerns and other problematic behaviors that may exist.

Jerry Gretzinger: 1:31

So I think if we have parents or caregivers of any kind out there who are hearing this, they're like well, yeah, obviously prevention is what we want to keep kids from at first. Experimentation right, but how challenging that must be, and how much more challenging it seems like it must be today, you know, with the legalization of recreational cannabis and you know how easily accessible alcohol can be.

Jerry Gretzinger: 1:55

What are some suggestions or some things that you've discovered that are helpful for people who have that direct contact with young people to help them, you know, encourage that kind of prevention?

Melanie Witkowski: 2:05

So I think the first thing that is important for parents and also individuals that work with youth is really to focus on social emotional learning skills. You know, I think oftentimes peer pressure is a huge reason why individuals start using in the first place. But if we can teach our kids to one, have, you know, the strength to be verbal and assertive with saying no to different substances, but also the courage to understand what their self-image is, you know, a lot of times individuals will start using because of a low self-esteem, a low self, you know image of themselves. And that's where a lot of our programming focuses on social-emotional learning and substance use prevention. So oftentimes people think we're just going in and saying just say no to drugs, and that's not really it. It's teaching them the skill sets to make good decisions.

Melanie Witkowski: 3:00

How do I communicate? How do I communicate with some individual on saying no to a substance? Like, what are the skill sets? We do a lot of role playing in our programming. It's actually practicing. It's putting them into a setting, giving them a scenario and having them practice. Like practice makes perfect. You know, programming also focuses on conflict resolution. You know, how do I handle these conflicts that I might be having at home, how do I handle a conflict that I'm having with a friend? So they're really life skills that can be utilized not only during the adolescent age or in elementary, but also throughout their adulthood. These are skill sets that we all need.

Jerry Gretzinger: 3:40

And so you're talking about this and I'm thinking, you know, when people hear prevention especially when you know OASAS is hosting this podcast about prevention we're talking about skills that can be acquired people will automatically think, oh, it's about being able to resist, you know, using substances. But, like, the things you're talking about go far beyond that. But all I'm assuming play a role in that moment when someone says, hey, you want to try this?

Melanie Witkowski: 4:03

Right, and it's not just for substance use. It might be an individual that's. You know we deal a lot with bullying in the school districts. We deal a lot with the media and social media and how much kids are confronted with different things, like things they see on TikTok, and encouraging individuals to participate in different activities. So really the skills are utilized to help them be resilient in any situation that they may be confronted with.

Jerry Gretzinger: 4:30

Melanie, I want to ask you this too. I have here that you're one of the providers participating in the Comprehensive Youth Education and Prevention Pilot, so it's a long name, but I want you to explain to us what that's about and what the hopeful outcome of it is.

Melanie Witkowski: 4:46

Yeah, so we are extremely fortunate to be a part of this pilot program.

Melanie Witkowski: 4:50

We're working with Brockton Central School District, which is one of the third highest overdose deaths in a rural community in our area, and really what the goal is of this we call it the CPIP or CPIP project and really what the goal is of this we call it the CPIP or CYPIP project and really what this is is making sure that every single youth has access to the programs and services that we have. So we're actually working with pre-K all the way through 12th grade so that every single student is receiving some evidence-based prevention programming. So we have pre-K program working with incredible years using puppets and making not so threatening atmosphere for the kids and the youth that we're working with. Then we have the PAX Good Behavior Game, which is one of my absolute favorite programs. It's a program that helps increase self-regulation and co-regulation and those are the two key factors of a student being successful and, you know, preventing suicide ideation. And it's a program that's not only a substance use prevention program but it's a mental, emotional behavior program you just said.

Jerry Gretzinger: 5:57

You said self-regulation and co-regulation. For people like me who are wondering what does that?

Melanie Witkowski: 6:03

mean. So the ability to calm themselves down, the ability to self-regulate and control how they're feeling when they're confronted with a big catastrophe or trauma that they might be confronted with. We need to be able to self-regulate. We realize, as we're going out through life, you're going to be confronted with lots of sticks and stones that are confronted with you, whether it's health, whether it's family conflict, whether it's something in your environment. So that ability to self-regulate, so it doesn't get to a point where you need to grab a substance use to feel better, to escape, that's really what it's about.

Jerry Gretzinger: 6:39

So I'm also thinking too, as you're talking about the age groups that you're working 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 the perfect?

Melanie Witkowski: 6:55

age to start these conversations or you know these activities with young people, early pre-K. I mean I've, you know, I started in this field being a prevention specialist and working in school districts and I can't tell you how many times a five-year-old will bring up marijuana. They already know, they see in their environment, especially now with it legalized. They smell it. I have my teenage daughter. What is that smell? And if my teenager daughter is smelling it, that means other kids are smelling it. So it really is a conversation that needs to start early. You know we talk with pre-Kers and kindergartners about medication safety. You know you see a medication. You don't take it just because it tastes good. I mean we know medication can be dangerous if taken incorrectly. So those messages start at a young age?

Jerry Gretzinger: 7:39

Do you get any you know pushback or concern from parents who are saying oh well, this is my six-year-old child, they don't know this stuff. I don't want them hearing about it yet, and I'm assuming that's got to be gotta be part of it Over the last probably 20 years that I've been in the field.

Melanie Witkowski: 7:54

I can count on my hand how many people that have said this is a concern. Why are you having a discussion about it? And it's all age appropriate, the science. Prevention is a science and you know. They have the data. You know prevention, it's all about the data. We talk the data, then we walk the data and it shows that these kids know a lot at this age. We don't go into a classroom and talk about marijuana. We talk about alcohol. We talk about medication safety. We talk about tobacco and smoke. And what can they do to prevent themselves 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 another room. Even asking adult to go into another room. We do what's in my mouth, not in my mouth. You know. Should alcohol be in your mouth? Nope, it shouldn't, because your brain's not developed yet, you know. So those conversations are important.

Jerry Gretzinger: 8:45

I think all the work that you're doing is terrific. It's so critically important. I just remember you know my kids are all pretty much grown now but also thinking when they were very young. You've got to have these conversations with them because if I don't do it or some trusted adult doesn't do it, someone else might introduce it to them. I'm not sure what they'll tell them about it.

Melanie Witkowski: 9:04

I think having those conversations, regular conversations, whether it's around a dinner table while you're taking somebody to soccer or dance which is typically what I was doing with my kids um, you know it's use teachable moments. You know, you see a sign or a light or you see somebody that's using where you smell that smell. Have a conversation about it. What is it? What does it do? How is it going to impact you? So not just say no, but know what you're getting involved with.

Jerry Gretzinger: 9:32

You know K-N-O-W is what I say.

Melanie Witkowski: 9:36

It's so important.

Jerry Gretzinger: 9:37

I think the more we have those open communications with families, the better off we'll be, and when my kids were teenagers, I always anticipated the rolling eyes, but it didn't stop us from trying yes. Melanie, thank you so much from the Prevention Works in Chautauqua County. Good luck with the continued work and with the study. I think this is again great work you're doing.

Melanie Witkowski: 9:53

Thank you so much, I appreciate it.

Jerry Gretzinger: 9:55

And thank you for joining us on this edition of Addiction. The Next Step brought to you by OASAS, 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'll include all that information, the links, the phone numbers for you in this post. Again, thanks for checking us out. Until we talk to you again, be well, thank you.