News & Events 

Are you looking for ways to support parents/caregivers, children/youth, colleagues, friends, and family members who experience difficult emotions during the holiday season? While the holiday season can be filled with joy and celebrations, it can also trigger difficult emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. SAMHSA offers a toolkit that you can use to make sure all individuals know that confidential support is available 24/7 for both mental health and substance use. 

Please visit their website to learn about their initiatives and how you can incorporate the information into your own work and practice.

The University of Boulder (CU Boulder) is pleased to announce a three-year grant available to Pennsylvania schools and educational agencies to implement the Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) Middle School Program with grades 6-8 or 7-9 starting fall 2025. Schools already implementing the program are eligible for this grant. Botvin LST promotes healthy youth development by presenting substance use, violence, and other high risk behaviors through building personal self-management skills, social skills, and refusal skills. The grant covers all costs for training, ongoing support, and curriculum materials. Applications are being accepted October 3, 2024 - February 3, 2025. CU Boulder has been providing grants and assistance to implement the Botvin Middle School program for over a decade. Applications received by December 3, 2024 are non-competitive; all expect to be funded as long as the program can be taught with fidelity. 

For more information and to apply, visit their link provided below.

This webinar will be held from 3:00-4:00pm ET on Wednesday, January 8th. Participants will explore how schools and correctional facilities can better support children/youth of incarcerated parents/caregivers as well as their families. 

Topics will include: 

• Addressing implicit biases
• Creating supportive spaces
• Educational resources for children and caregivers

For more information on this webinar, the speakers, and registration, please use the link provided below.

The 2025 PASAP Conference will be held from February 23 through the 25th at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center. Audiences that join together in networking and learning are SAP teams, liaisons, social workers, counselors, teachers, administration, and others in the field of student and family services. More information and registration can be found by visiting the link below.

The 2025 ELECT Conference will be held at Eden Resort & Suites in Lancaster, PA from March 11 - March 13, 2025. ELECT stands for Education Leading to Employment and Career Training. This annual conference is provided for Administrators, educators, program staff, industry partners, and all other prevention professionals dedicated towards supporting educational development of young people.

This is a FREE conference and is sponsored by Pennsylvania's Departments of Education and Human Services and is held in collaboration with Center for Schools and Communities.

To view conference themes, details on location, and registration information, please visit their website using the link below.

The annual Positive Change Virtual Conference is being held on April 2 & 3, 2025. This annual event is designed to offer helping professions with practical tools as well as inspiration and encouragement. This year's theme is 'Foundations for the Future: Integrative Behavioral Health Solutions'. Workshops will be dedicated towards supporting evidence-based practices in addiction and mental health prevention, treatment, and recovery.

For more information on the conference, cost, CEUs, and other conference offerings, please visit the link provided below.

The 2025 Pennsylvania Strengthening Families Conference will be held April 2nd - April 4th, 2025 in King of Prussia, PA. This year's theme is 'Social Connections that Strengthen Us'. This annual event is held for Parents as Teachers providers, Children's Trust Fund grantees, and Parent Cafes teams.

More information on the conference will be released soon and can be found by using the link below.