Drug Prevention Power Hour: Empowering Leaders in Youth Drug Prevention

In this episode of the Drug Prevention Power Hour, host Jake White speaks with Saul Malik, a speaker and advocate for gambling harm prevention. Saul shares his personal journey with gambling addiction, which began in college and led to significant losses in his life. He discusses the prevalence of gambling among youth, the normalization of gambling in society, and the importance of addressing ment...

In this episode of the Drug Prevention Power Hour, host Jake White speaks with Chris Janssen, a results coach and author, about her journey to sobriety and the tools she uses to help others overcome limiting beliefs and achieve their goals. Chris shares her personal story of struggling with alcohol addiction, the importance of community support, and how shifting beliefs can lead to transformative...

In this conversation, Jake White and Nathan Ray discuss their work in drug prevention and youth education. They talk about their experiences in speaking at conferences and working with coalitions to promote prevention messages. Nathan shares his passion for preventing youth drug use based on his own personal story. They also discuss the importance of prevention as the ultimate treatment and the ne...

Cindy Jones Mills, a community leader from Georgia, discusses her involvement in creating a drug prevention coalition and the work they are doing. She shares the importance of getting people involved in drug prevention and creating opportunities for young people to advocate for healthy decisions. Cindy also talks about the challenges and successes of the coalition, including the impact of having d...

In this episode of the Breakwater Podcast, Jesse is joined by Kipton and Joy from Substance Free Futures, a youth-run group through Breakwater. They discuss their mission to raise awareness about substance abuse and mental health and provide fun and safe opportunities for youth engagement without the use of substances. They talk about how they got involved with Substance Free Futures and the perso...

In this episode, Jake White interviews John Danaher, a counselor and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, about the connection between counseling, substance abuse prevention and recovery, and Jiu-Jitsu. Josh shares his personal journey of overcoming alcohol addiction and how he discovered the benefits of Jiu-Jitsu in his recovery process. He explains how Jiu-Jitsu is an immersive experience that enga...

Alejandra Gastelum, founder of Power Academy, shares her journey from being a successful shoe designer to starting the first recovery high school in Arizona. She saw a gap in the continuum of care for adolescents struggling with addiction and wanted to provide a supportive environment for their recovery. Recovery high schools have been proven to significantly increase abstinence, graduation rates,...

Debbie Burnt, the director of Substance-Free Athletics, discusses her work in prevention and reaching athletes. She shares her journey into prevention work and the development of a curriculum to educate athletes, coaches, and parents about the effects of substances on performance. The conversation also touches on the Washington State Health Care Authority's conference and the two-part prevent...

Brittany Richmond, a mental health expert, discusses teen anxiety and the challenges young people face today. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the various factors that contribute to mental health struggles, including societal expectations, peer pressure, and parental expectations. Richmond highlights the need for young people to embrace failure as a learning opportunity and to develo...

Andres Mata, a youth advocate and civic engagement leader, discusses his work with the YLink program in Kansas, which provides opportunities for civic engagement and youth advocacy through a mental health lens. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the history and players in a community, as well as speaking the language of different stakeholders. Andres shares an example of a successful pr...

Diana Hoyt has raised millions of dollars for non-profit organizations, and some in the prevention and recovery space. Not only is she a speaker, consultant and author of “Formula for Fundraising”... she’s a grandmother and a stand up comedian too! In this episode Diana shares some great ideas to increase your donations, but also creative ways to gain new donors and methods of support. We talk abo...

Summary In this episode, Jake White interviews Leanne Greer, a prevention specialist, about effective prevention strategies. Leanne shares her journey in prevention, starting from her involvement in a middle school club to her current role in a high school. They discuss the history of prevention, from scare tactics in the 1960s to more effective and evidence-based approaches in recent years. They...

Jesse Klapa and John West are on the team for Breakwater Coalition in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. In this episode they flip the script for The Drug Prevention Power Hour by co-interviewing our host, Jake White, about how he helped them start a youth prevention club from scratch. The previous 5 years the school district was resistant to any partnerships, but together with Vive18 they got into all the middl...

This is the most jam-packed episode of the Drug Prevention Power-Hour we’ve had yet! Michael (Mike) Ayalon is not only the founder and CEO of Greek University which has transformed companies, organizations and school cultures with impactful programs, but he also volunteers as the Wilson County Opioid Response Coordinator for MTSU's Center for Health and Human Services.  In this episode he sha...

What would happen if you spent 2 full years without social media, radio, TV, or movies, but only consumed media that helped you learn. David Litwin did exactly this. As a Christian author, designer, cereal entrepreneur and speaker, he brings a unique perspective to how we can understand addiction, risky behaviors, and how try to prevent it. In this episode David and Jake talk a lot about faith and...

Dayna Altman is a nationally recognized, energetic and dynamic entrepreneur, author, and creator. The full force and sole operator of Bake it Till You Make it LLC, Dayna harvests her passion for mental health advocacy by using food and baking to create an authentic recipe for vulnerable storytelling. Jake and Dayna talk about mental health and what students are facing today, how to use creativity...

Anyone who is around recovery knows that relapse can happen, and it’s a part of the process for many. Anthony Eaton uncovers why that is, and how Recovery Cafe locations across the U.S. are addressing that problem. Jake asks him all about what makes their program  unique, how people in recovery are using it, and even how they fund the program. You’ll definitely be inspired by this episode of the D...

Dave Closson’s story is shocking, and his passion for helping others is creating shockwaves in drug prevention. As a person in recovery from combat, brain injury and addiction, he has dedicated his life to helping people achieve their next level of success. He works with many coalitions, schools and youth conferences to help youth develop their own voice and leadership style. Jake and Dave talk ab...

In this two-party episode, our host Jake White shares insights on how to ask for help from new or existing volunteers and shares his life story in less than 30 minutes. A student leader from one of Vive18’s trainings asked to do a “Draw Your Life” project with Jake, so he brainstorms while sharing key moments on this episode. You’ll hear how the creation of his nationwide prevention movement was f...

Tyler Morton helps run “Youth Crew” prevention clubs in Kansas! We chat about the challenges, solutions and recent wins… like how to communicate better with youth, special events to re-ignite interest, student led projects, and tools to save you time. Don’t miss this episode of The Drug Prevention Power Hour with Tyler Morton! For feedback, questions and new episode ideas... jake@vive18.com instag...

Greta is passionate about using technology to help students with their mental health. After being a filmmaker and traveling the country, she set out to build a tech company that helps people cope in positive ways… but things didn’t go exactly according to plan, and now she’s onto something even bigger. Listen in to hear how Greta McAnany is trying to turn social media from a confidence killer to a...

Nicole Runyon is a speaker, psychotherapist and parent coach. Her profound understanding of technology's impact on mental health, child development, and the intergenerational variations in parenting has made her a highly sought-after speaker. Nicole has dedicated her life's work to helping parents foster proper development and successful transitions into young adulthood for their childre...

I n this quick episode, our host Jake White updates you on a large funding opportunity for prevention organizations to do more in their community. He also reveals a branding mistake he made when launching the podcast and how we do the same thing in our coalitions and clubs… Listen in to hear some tips on branding, youth leadership initiatives, and how you can be awarded with 100K/year to implement...

Dr. Reagan North is a speaker, trainer and author of “Motivational Interviewing for School Counselors.” He has spoken nationally and even teaches future counselors at Liberty and Grand Canyon University. In this episode you’ll hear about how motivational interviews can help students create change faster than traditional techniques. You will also learn how to incorporate these strategies into your...

Misty Russell works with Community Against Toxic Substances (CATS) in Salina Oklahoma. Coach Ty Thompson is the Athletic Director and ISP Teacher at Salina Public Schools. Over the last year they have implemented various prevention strategies and programs within the schools and athletics including campaigns, restorative diversion programs, student leadership groups and various curricula. Jake “fan...