Social media has become a permanent fixture in our world. While there are positive aspects to its use, there are also negative and potentially deadly effects related to substance use and mental health. Community coalitions need to be aware of those effects and work to address risk and protective factors around the intersection of social media, mental health and substance use.

This session will discuss emerging data on the topic and delve into ways to utilize the prevention model to address risk and protective factors. Participants will learn to incorporate strategies to strengthen individuals and communities.

This session will be led by Rikki Barton, the founder of Onward Consulting and a Certified Prevention Specialist with over 16 years of prevention field experience. Rikki currently serves as a consultant to assist organizations, coalitions, and state/federal agencies in the areas of substance use prevention, suicide prevention, and mental health promotion.