PrevenTable: A PreventEd Podcast

What’s the real deal with cannabis use among young people? Thankfully, we have graduate students Madeline and Sam from Washington University St. Louis here to provide insight on college students’ current attitudes and opinions about cannabis. Listen as they break down how the conversation has shifted, plus the varying levels of knowledge and use of the substance.

We’re starting off strong in our Season 5 premiere of the PrevenTable! PreventEd volunteer and small business owner Lisa Lorenz joins Jenny for a conversation on her recovery journey, sharing how she found community through others’ stories and touching on the unique lived experience of being a woman in recovery from alcohol use disorder.

It’s our Season 4 Finale! We’re joined by none other than Nichole Dawsey as our final guest for the year while Interim Executive Director Jenny Armbruster gets a practice run as host (stay tuned for Season 5 ). Nichole reflects on her 16 years at the agency, sharing more about the legacy she hopes to leave and the people who shaped her experience. She also touches on her upcoming transition to Executive Director of the Addiction Prevention Coalition starting this December and the programs and podcast she’s building at her new role. Thank you to Nichole for the hard work and passion she’s put into the PrevenTable podcast over the last four years!

Four years ago, if you asked SLU senior Kirti Madhu what’d she’d be doing in her final year of college, she’d probably say applying for medical school. But after participating in the medical entrepreneurship incubator MEDLaunch and developing a prototype for an overdose detection device, Kirti has been tuning into her entrepreneurial mindset by tackling the opioid epidemic head-on. Listen to this week’s #PrevenTable episode as she describes her venture, background in prevention and addiction medicine, and her current research in providing healthcare treatment for incarcerated women.

This week, we’re digging into the weeds with Smithville Community in Action Executive Director Jennifer Rhoad! Jennifer talks more about how the CIA Coalition advocates for youth cannabis use prevention, describes the Keeping Kids Safe initiative, and investigates the commercialization of THC products.

Anthony Pickens, Assistant Executive Director of Community of Hope, shares the inspiring story of how the violence he witnessed growing up led him to give back to people facing similar challenges today through the Cure Violence program. Anthony explains the backstory of his 22-year incarceration, his efforts to help others manage anger and prevent violence, and how he’s accepted his work as part of who he is.

It’s that time of year again…tis the season for Teen Institute! Today we are joined by Ali Stambaugh and Grace DeClue, Prevention Educators and leaders of TI 2024. They share plans for this year, explain what participants can expect, and highlight the transformative power of the camp.

Melody Quinn, Director of St. Louis CRUSH Coalition and Detective for the St. Louis County Police Department, talks resource access and distribution for those misusing cannabis and other drugs. She breaks down what cannabis legalization really means in the Missouri Constitution, details the Bosnian Opioid Project, and describes her changing approach to cannabis through its different stages of legality.

When we say Greenhouse Communication Initiative Founder Stacey Bernaugh is a really good speaker, we mean it. After finding his place in speech and debate in college, Stacey realized the critical importance of educational experiences that prepare students for the professional world. He shares with Nichole his passion for education, discusses opportunities provided by The GCI, Inc., and even touches on code switching and the loaded meaning behind some of the language used to describe a person’s speech.

How do substance use counselors evaluate an adult who uses cannabis to sleep at night versus a person on probation from the justice system with cannabis use disorder? The lines have become even blurrier after cannabis was legalized in Missouri, but our Director of Behavioral Health Jaidan Adams is here to explain the assessment and referral process. Jaidan emphasizes the importance of creating a comfortable environment for clients and her focus on harm reduction and promoting safer use, providing valuable insights into the evolving needs of those PreventEd serves.

Trigger warning: Suicide

Talking about suicide can be difficult, but for John Gaal and Tim Rowden, it is always worth it—one life may be the whole world to many. John, director of worker wellness for the Missouri Works Initiative returns to the PrevenTable once again, this time joined by Tim, editor of the Labor Tribune and founder of the Grief Projects. As loss survivors, John and Tim often guide people through the process of losing someone who died by suicide. They explain the importance of being direct when asking someone about their risk of suicide and touch on what’s missing from current mental healthcare.

Trigger Warning: Suicide

This week, we’re joined by Katie Ellison and Shanna Sorg from the Missouri Institute for Mental Health for a Suicide Awareness Month episode. Katie and Shanna explain the Safer Homes Collaborative, an initiative to reduce access to lethal means of suicide in homes with a specific focus on firearms. And no, they’re not trying to take your guns—with 9/10 suicide attempts using a firearm resulting in death, the duo aims to spread awareness about keeping guns unloaded, locked, and away from ammunition. Plus, they share the importance of person-first language in conversations about suicide and mental health.