8th Annual CannAct Conference

09:00 AM Keith Cartwright, DBHDS ACE Coordinator, and Master ACE Interface Trainer is returning to Fredericksburg to facilitate a train-the-presenter for the Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Building Self-Healing Communities. RACSB Master Trainers Michelle Wagaman and Amy Jindra will co-facilitate. The train-the-presenter will be held in-person at the RACSB at River Club office (10825 Tidewater Trail, Fredericksburg, VA 22408). Participants must commit to full attendance each of the three days. (Day 1 and Day 2 – 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Day 3 9:00 a.m. to noonish) Space will be limited to 25 participants. Registration will close 10 days prior to the train-the-presenter or when 25 participants are confirmed. Advance reading will be emailed a week prior to the in-person training.

02:00 PM Collegiate Recovery Programs provide incredible support on campus, many students face difficulty after graduation. If your students are heading into unfamiliar environments without a clear plan, they may face preventable roadblocks to their long-term well-being. This webinar encourages you to consider the unique barriers students face during this transition, and gain understanding of how to develop programming that reduces these barriers to care.   Highlights: Identify specific challenges students face when leaving a structure recovery environment. Discover recovery-centered coping tools, including mindfulness to building new sober networks. Learn how to help students create personalized post-graduation recovery plans.

12:00 PM Date: Last Friday of each Month starting again in February 2026, 12-1PM EST Featuring: Matt Britt, Tom Dozier, and Pamela Spurgeon The Virginia Partnership for Gaming and Health (VPGH) and the Virginia Office of Recovery Services (ORS) are partnering to provide essential education on problem gambling through a monthly Lunch and Learn series for peer recovery specialists, clinicians, administrators, and more.

02:00 AM This webinar will explore evidence-informed strategies, emerging trends, and innovative models that support recovery and resilience among SMVF. Presenters will discuss the importance of coordinated care across systems including the Department of Veterans Affairs, state health authorities, and community-based organizations. The presenters will highlight programs that are improving access to effective substance use treatment and long-term recovery support. Featured Speakers: Jay A. Gorman, Ph.D., Department of Veterans Affairs  Adam Swift, SAFE Project  Susan Davis, LPC, CADC I, Oregon Health Authority 

08:30 AM SAPST provides prevention professionals with foundational knowledge and skills to apply the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF). Participants will learn to: 1. Understand behavioral health foundations
2. Use a public health approach to prevention
3. Identify community-level risks and protective factors
4. Plan, implement, and evaluate data-driven prevention strategies. Completion of SAPST may count towards IC&RC certification. Requirements vary by board; participants should verify with their local board.  Participants must attend the full training to receive credit. 
 
You will also have to complete pre-work prior to attending the course. The hours noted above do not include the time needed to complete pre-work.
At this time, we have 12 seats available. If you are interested in joining this SAPST cohort, please email me to register — barrett.marshall@dbhds.virginia.gov.
Seats are first come, first served. If the course is full, you will be placed on a waiting list for the next SAPST course. Click Here for more details

02:00 PM This webinar will explore evidence-informed strategies, emerging trends, and innovative models that support recovery and resilience among SMVF. Presenters will discuss the importance of coordinated care across systems including the Department of Veterans Affairs, state health authorities, and community-based organizations. The presenters will highlight programs that are improving access to effective substance use treatment and long-term recovery support. Eliza Lloyd, Krithika Prakash, MS, and Mishka Terplan, MD, MPH, (2024) Veterans & Substance Use Disorder (SUD): Evidence-Based Strategies & Programs, with contribution from Cheryl Holm-Hansen, MA, PhD, and edited by Emily Warthman, JD, MPH (University Park, PA: Research-to-Policy Collaboration, Pennsylvania State University). https://evidence2impact.ps

11:30 AM Teens and youth vaping continues to change rapidly, often outpacing awareness and prevention efforts. In this Tall Cop Says Stop webinar, Officer Jermaine Galloway breaks down current street-level vaping trends, including device concealment, substances being used, and how youth access and normalize these products. Attendees will gain practical, up-to-date insight to better recognize warning signs and respond effectively in their schools and communities.   Cost: $40

01:00 AM This training equips providers with the skills to identify and address substance misuse and suicide risk among veterans. It covers veteran-specific risk factors, effective screening and assessment techniques, and evidence-based interventions for both substance use disorders and suicide prevention. This training covers integrated care that supports veterans’ mental, physical, and social needs. Participants also learn how to connect veterans to essential VA and community resources to promote long-term recovery and safety. Presenter: Jennifer Payea is a decorated United States Navy Veteran who has built a distinguished career spanning military service, clinical practice, and human rights advocacy. Jennifer serves as the Clinical Director at Safehaven in Kansas City, MO, an overdose prevention program designed by the Department of Veteran Affairs. In this capacity, she provides clinical direction and support to drug-addicted, mentally ill, and homeless veterans. Registration Deadline: March 9, 2026

02:00 AM This webinar will present findings from a new SAMHSA report on how states can overcome funding barriers and expand access to recovery housing—sober living environments that support individuals in recovery from substance use disorders through peer connection and community. National leaders in recovery housing will join for a panel discussion and Q&A to share insights from the report and explore opportunities to strengthen this essential support service. Featured Presenters: • Dona Dmitrovic, Acting Director, SAMHSA Office of Recovery • Shoma Ghose, Vice President, Westat • Honesty Liller, Chief Executive Officer, McShin Recovery Resource Foundation • Dave Sheridan, Executive Director, National Alliance for Recovery Residences • Jason Howell, Executive Director, RecoveryPeople • Kathleen Gibson, Chief Executive Officer, Oxford House

02:30 AM In honor of National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week the Historic Triangle Drug Prevention Coalition is hosting this webinar to explore the effects drugs and alcohol have on the brain. This webinar will be facilitated by Breonna Wilkes with the Center for child and Family Services.

01:00 AM While gambling is traditionally seen as an adult activity, younger audiences are now engrossed by easy-to-access digital gambling and gambling-related games. Youth gambling is more than a distraction; it is a serious health risk with financial, emotional, legal, and relational consequences. During this training attendees will learn of the various ways that gambling can harm young people and will also acquire practical strategies for educating youth on the topic, safeguarding them from gambling harm. Presenter: Saul Malek is a professional speaker specializing in gambling addiction prevention and education.  He has appeared on Dr. Phil Primetime and was a TedX speaker at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Registration Deadline: March 17, 2026

09:00 AM This event brings together prevention leaders, behavioral health professionals, community organizations, and lived‑experience advocates to explore emerging trends in gambling and gaming harm across Virginia. The conference also includes updates from the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling, the Virginia Partnership for Gaming and Health, and a review of the latest gambling and gaming laws in Virginia, offering attendees a comprehensive look at current trends, resources, and policy developments.   This conference offers 4.5 contact hours for participants.   Don't miss out on this opportunity to be part of a supportive environment that promotes healthy choices and resilience. Click here for more information!

09:00 AM Emotional awareness and management are critical social-emotional competencies that support student growth and can help prevent emotional, behavioral, and mental health crises. Through scenario-based examples and activities, these concepts will be defined, and participants will learn how schools can support their students’ growth in these areas in a multi-tiered system of support that focuses on social-emotional learning.
Objectives: 
•    Explore how the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) framework supports and promotes emotional awareness and management for students.
•    Identify and apply SEL and MTSS interventions to support a positive school climate.  
•    Identify specific strategies to support the school community's emotional awareness and management skills.  Partial In-Service Credit (PIC) for law enforcement is not available for virtual programs.   Registration Pre-registration is required.
Please note that the DCJS registration system does not have the capacity to sort eligible from ineligible registrants. Registrants not accepted will be notified via the email address provided during registration.

11:00 AM This conference is for educators, community-based organizations, school administrators, healthcare providers, school resource officers, counselors, parents, and anyone else working with youth to learn about the latest research on cannabis, e-cigarette, and other drug use. This is a two-day fully virtual conference!  Early bird registration is $100. Price will increase to $125 after March 1st, 2026. (Fees include access to all conference recordings, materials, and resources for up to one year.) For more information click here

02:00 PM The U.S. retail market for intoxicants has been rapidly transforming, with regulators and communities struggling to keep up. Many intoxicating products – including hemp-derived cannabinoids, kratom, hallucinogens, and inhalants – are widely accessible in gas stations and smoke shops across the country. This session explains how gaps in laws and enforcement have allowed these markets to grow and highlights ongoing research and advocacy supporting effective prevention and control.

12:00 PM Featuring: Marsha Wood The Virginia Partnership for Gaming and Health (VPGH) and the Virginia Office of Recovery Services (ORS) are partnering to provide essential education on problem gambling through a monthly Lunch and Learn series for peer recovery specialists, clinicians, administrators, and more.

01:00 AM Emotional awareness and management are critical social-emotional competencies that support student growth and can help prevent emotional, behavioral, and mental health crises. Through scenario-based examples and activities, these concepts will be defined, and participants will learn how schools can support their students’ growth in these areas in a multi-tiered system of support that focuses on social-emotional learning.
Objectives: 
•    Explore how the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) framework supports and promotes emotional awareness and management for students.
•    Identify and apply SEL and MTSS interventions to support a positive school climate.  
•    Identify specific strategies to support the school community's emotional awareness and management skills.  Partial In-Service Credit (PIC) for law enforcement is not available for virtual programs.   Registration Pre-registration is required.
Please note that the DCJS registration system does not have the capacity to sort eligible from ineligible registrants. Registrants not accepted will be notified via the email address provided during registration.

11:00 AM This conference brings public health professionals, prevention specialists, equity advocates, public safety professionals, tobacco prevention professionals, partners, and other advocates together virtually to discuss the new and changing legalized cannabis landscape in our communities. Other topics include… Aligning Cannabis Policy With Prevention Goals Evaluating Prevention Programs Realistically Facilitating Youth Conversations About Cannabis Centering Community Voice in Prevention Design Registration cost vary

08:00 AM The National Council on Problem Gambling is the only national nonprofit organization that seeks to minimize the economic and social costs associated with gambling addiction. NCPG is neutral on legalized gambling.  

09:00 AM Keith Cartwright, DBHDS ACE Coordinator, and Master ACE Interface Trainer is returning to Fredericksburg to facilitate a train-the-presenter for the Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Building Self-Healing Communities. RACSB Master Trainers Michelle Wagaman and Amy Jindra will co-facilitate. The train-the-presenter will be held in-person at the RACSB at River Club office (10825 Tidewater Trail, Fredericksburg, VA 22408). Participants must commit to full attendance each of the three days. (Day 1 and Day 2 – 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Day 3 9:00 a.m. to noonish) Space will be limited to 25 participants. Registration will close 10 days prior to the train-the-presenter or when 25 participants are confirmed. Advance reading will be emailed a week prior to the in-person training.