Kelli A. Komro, Ph.D., MPH, professor in the Department of Health Outcomes and Policy, has been invited to speak as an expert on child and adolescent development at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) 11th Annual Prevention Day on Monday, Feb. 2, in National Harbor, Md. SAMHSA holds Prevention Day in conjunction with Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America’s National Leadership Forum.
The workshop, titled “Prevention as They Grow,” will bring together prevention practitioners, community leaders, researchers, scientists, consumers, and advocates in the behavioral health field to learn about effective programs and the latest prevention-related developments in the areas of substance abuse and mental health.
“Substance use during adolescence can have consequences that persist into adulthood,” said Komro, who is also the associate director of the Institute for Child Health Policy. “Aligning with SAMHSA’s mission, I find it vital to educate communities in prevention and intervention methods that could ultimately prevent lifetimes of health and social problems. It’s an honor to be asked to speak to professionals on the frontline of these prevention and education efforts.”
SAMHSA, in turn, is honored that Komro so willingly shares her experience and expertise with others involved in community-based prevention. Prior to this workshop, SAMHSA engaged her as a featured speaker in a national webinar sponsored by the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD) in April 2013. That webinar is archived on the ICCPUD website for continued viewing.
Read more about Komro’s work with underage alcohol use here.