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The objective for creating a program is to delay or avoid initiation or to prevent the onset of dependence of substances.
We need prevention specialist to help our country because substance use is of style and is no longer perceived as damaging by the younger generation.

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A good knowledge of the brain parts and how psychoactive drugs impact each part is very important. Each drug of choice have different impacts and even to each individual impact or effect may differ. It is also important to take into consideration the age at which someone starts using. The younger you start the more damage to the brain.

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Today we started Module 2. We defined Psychoactive Substances and how they exert their effects on the brain by altering the functioning of the Nervous System. Terms I learned about today included: psychoactive substances, medication, Blood brain barrier, and anandamide. I was placed in the group that worked on how the psychoactive substance, Alcohol, affects the brain.

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This section was self-introductions and providing the participants of an overview of the training course.

I got the opportunity to hear what department they cater for, also finding new and innovative ways to work with one another.

Module 1 also got us involved in a small group activity. Majority of these activity outlets are new to me and I found them very interactive and informative.

The presentations/activities are very interactive which I like a lot because it get you think and have a lengthy discussion.

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This Module was broken up into 2 sessions which was good because of all the information and presentations/activities that was being done.

Part 1 of Module 2:

1.   First time using a jam board and I found it very useful, something I can use for future activities. The activity for this was on what the different drugs does to the human body. The involvement of the participants was great because they brought different ideas and knowledge.

2.   The brain is still maturing during adolescence, prefrontal cortex. Once an individual introduce drugs it may cause brain changes that have profound and lasting consequences.

3.   Drugs can alter important brain areas that are necessary for everyday day functions and can drive the compulsive drug use that marks addiction.

Part 2 of Module 2:

1.   Presentations of the different effects of psychoactive substances.

2.   Some drugs, such as marijuana and heroin, can activate neurons because their chemical structure mimics that of a natural neurotransmitter in the body.

3.   Biological factors can affect a person’s risk of addiction include their genes, stages of development and even gender.

4.   Parents or Family members who use or misuse drugs can increase children’s risk of future drug problems.

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Today we were studying about the different effects of Psychoactive drugs. We discussed how individual drugs affect someone's mood , thinking, or judgement, sensory perceptions, behavior, and routes of administration. We looked at Alcohol, tobacco, Marijuana(cannabis), heroine, and cocaine.
We also looked at the Medical consequences, legal consequences, Social consequences, economic consequence ,consequences on the youth, and consequences on the women.

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The 4 stages captured my interest in this session.

Stage 1: Experimentation

Particularly among young people, experimentation is often accepted or even encouraged, but it is important to remember that experimentation isn’t always harmless.

Stage 2: Regular Use

It is very important during this stage to be aware for changes in mood and behaviour, shifts in priorities, or early physical

Stage 3: Risky use/ Abuse

Physical or psychological cravings and depression/irritability or fatigue if the drug cannot be accessed.

Stage 4: Addiction and Dependency

The addict has gotten to a point that they would have never previously imagined when they began with experimentation. If they are capable of identifying their problem, they are rarely willing or able to take actions towards correcting it.

These stages helped me to understand how and individual just by experimenting can eventually lead to addiction.

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Session 1

Introduction to Module 3 was based on themes of the Universal Prevention Curriculum with eleven critical themes.

The one that I got was Substance Use Definition. While reading the information given it comprises of several different points.

1. It affects a person's brain and behavior and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug or medication. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs.

2. Finding effective treatment for and prevention of substance abuse and substance dependence, now both included under the diagnosis of substance use disorder, has been difficult.

3. While the specific effects of drugs on the brain can somewhat vary depending on the drug that is being used, virtually every substance that is abused has an effect on the brain. Drugs particularly affect the brain's ability to inhibit actions that the person would otherwise delay or prevent.

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Today we talked about the different consequences of drug abuse on an individual as well as society. These consequences included on: Medical, legal, social, economic, youths, and women. We also touched on the fact that vulnerability to addiction differs from person to person and abuse of drugs depends on both biological and environmental factors.

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Today we learnt about the different categories of drugs, for example, stimulants, Opioids, etc. We also talked about the different routes of administration and that the fastest way is smoking the drug which takes 7 to 10 seconds to hit the system. More interestingly, we discussed the progression of use and that there is a thin line between regular use and risky/use abuse. What really stuck with me is that addiction is a relapsing brain disease that may cause permanent changes in the brain. Many will argue that this is not true for some drugs but it is. Lastly, my group worked on a summary of the critical theme: Etiology Model. This focuses on factors or determinants that cause someone to have positive attitudes to the use of psychoactive substances and to use psychoactive substances. It is very helpful to study this model because it suggests points for prevention intervention.

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In this first session, it was very interesting since it has to do with my job description. It’s better to prevent the use of drugs and rather for it to go further where treatment will be needed. Prevention is cheaper than prevention, In our country of Belize we do not have a very effective treatment center, thus that’s why we have a lot of addicted persons.

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This second part was based on the different critical themes. These 11 themes created a spark of interest since these are crucial part of creating prevention programs.
The topics that interest me were

Prevention definition
: health and safety of individuals
: programs that cater for family, community and individuals
: monitoring and evaluation

Substance Use
: illicit and illegal substances
: (Epidemiologic studies) prevention treatment to reduce new cases
: Chemical that alters biological structure or functioning.

Etiology Model
: Positive and negative use of substance use
: Micro and Macro levels environment
: how the environment plays an important role in positive results in our development and growth.

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Today we looked at science of prevention- this serves to inform how to develop and deliver interventions for substance use, helps improve health by identifying risk and protective factors, assessing efficacy and effectiveness of preventive intervention and means of dissemination and diffusion.

It is very important for a prevention specialist to be fully prepared and for him to know how to do the work efficiently.

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Today we looked at developmental nature of substance abuse- biological factors, disruption of normal development, early substance use, social factors, and environmental factors.

One of the prevention treatment strategies that stuck to my mind is universal interventions, selective interventions and indicated intervention.

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I wasn't able to make the first two sessions due to technical difficulties but with the help of the facilitator, Ms. Tania, I was able to be brought up tp date quickly. The sessions were very informative and engaging. I am learning a lot about epidemiology and etiology. Also about he misuse of drugs and their effects. It is great that one or two actives are always done during sessions which allows us to work with others from different countries. Enjoying the sessions so far.

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Learning a lot about epidemiology. The methods that are often used to gather data such as surveillance, descriptive and analytical studies. We also learn about the guides to prevention programming. I also learned about the deaths due to misuse of drugs through our activity.

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Session 1
The main focus on the study of Epidemiology and what it entails.

: helps us understand not only who has a disorder or disease but why and how it was brought to this individual or region.

: epidemiologists use the insights gathered in their research to determine how illness within a population affects our society and systems on a larger scale, and in turn, provide recommendations for interventions.

: 2 components of epidemiology are Incidence (new cases of health-related condition or substance use) and Prevalence (identification of those cases who have had health problems for a while)

During the lesson I enjoyed the crossword puzzle, even though it was difficult it got me to really use the terms that was mention in the presentation. I must admit I got a few wrong, but was fun.

Also, a case study was presented to us in order for us to use what we have learnt in this module. I enjoyed the discussion as a large group because I got to hear different input from other countries.

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This class focused on Critical Themes in Prevention. My group worked on Professional Competencies and Skills.

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The focus today was on how Epidemiology guide Prevention programming. This studies substances being used and how they are used as well as the characteristics of those using substances. This takes into consideration a number of things such as age of initiation, gender, geographic location, perception of harm associated with substance use and perception of social disapproval of substance use. The crossword puzzle was a bit challenging because we didn't have a lot of time but we got 5 out of 10. It was a very enjoyable session.

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We looked at various studies in epidemiology and how data can help you study and analyze for more effective intervention.
For analytical methodology it is the how and why and for descriptive Methodology it is the who/ What and where.

We looked at quantitative and qualitative data quantitative data describes objective information that can be expressed with numbers, graphs, charts etc. - the what?  and qualitative method focuses on subjective information such as behavior emotions and experiences - The why?

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Today we learned about the prevention and policy framework which includes design and delivery. Through these, we are able to address factors that can be used to create positive behavioral changed in individuals which is always important in both prevention and rehabilitation. Once we are able to work with the individuals + community and necessary government organizations and ngo's, we are more than able to facilitate those in need through prevention, treatment and maintenance.

To answer the question " Why is prevention science important to practitioners"

I believe prevention science on a whole is important as it is an aid that designs and tests structures and interventions that are set out to help individuals who have behavioral problems (drug misuse).. It is important to practitioners because they are usually the facilitators of such individuals and they strive on effectiveness of an intervention.

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Today was a great day to learn. we looked at prevention after which we will look at treatment and finally maintenance. In prevention we have universal target group , selective target group  and indicated target group. In universal target group we look at the total population, in selective we look at groups at risk for example children of drug users and indicated we look at those who already use drug but are not yet dependent on the drug yet.
In a group discussion we saw piloting test and the proper planned procedure to go ahead and try your pilot testing. First you start with assessing the community needs, then you identify the target group after that you select pilot test groups, engage a working group community partner and finally you develop a work plan and time line to guide the program.
We looked at why prevention science is important to practitioners. It is important to practitioners since prevention science is a research based intervention strategy which can guarantee an effective implementation program any where it is implemented.

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Session 2
In this second half of the module discussion of Intervention development and Research Methodology was presented.

It got us in a large/small group discussion on said topics.

Stages in Intervention development was discussed using a jam board.

: Analyse the problem (particular area or group the intervention will take place)

: Assessment (gather data)

: Identifying stakeholders

: Resources

: Monitoring and Evaluation

For a program to work each step must be taken into consideration from collecting data to the delivery of the programme itself. A scientific approach must be followed for programme selection, improvement strategies must be on going throughout the entire programme. The evaluation will give proof of the effectiveness of the programme.

Why is prevention science important to Practitioners?

It gives an opportunity to stop the problem before it starts and provides for effective change to support healthy behaviours. It will expand and combine in different ways to provide us with a better tool with which to address substance abuse problems.

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At the start of the session I had difficulty to log in and it makes me nervous anytime that I cannot log in nonetheless after logging in the topic for today was a bit more easier to understand than yesterdays session.
We covered at a very important topic where it explains the development of the brain leading to maturity. It is very interesting to understand the stages of how the brain grows up to reaching Maturity. Imagine starting on drugs when a brain is trying to grow and mature. So it is a lot of brain damage taking place if drugs are introduced to the brain at an early stage. We were able to cover the development stages childhood to adolescence 3-4 years, 5-7 years, 8-12 years, 13-16 years each looking that risk factors and protective factors at each stage. Additionally we looked at family influence, school influence, peer influence, and community influence.
My group discussed the age range 13-16 years and the risk and protective factors.
At this age teens are starting to experience hormonal changes and they start to get attracted to the opposite sex hence a risk factor can be that they can get involved in early unprotected sex however a positive factor is when these teens have parents who talk openly about sex. There were other protective and risk factors discussed. In essence if we are able to understand the different stage we would be able to guide and educate children, teens leading up to adulthood.

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Today's class was interesting as it brought back a lot of previous knowledge gained from getting my degree in psychology. The development of children is important and it is always a plus to know the theories such as Chomsky's, as it relates to the stages of development of a child. Socialization is important is it allows children to develop in fundamental ways through nature and nurture. The impact of the home and the environment on both micro and macro levels are important to the development of a child. Extremely refreshing. By far the best session in terms of topic thus far.

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Session 1

This lesson was based on the theories of human development{ early childhood to adolescent}
Understanding human behavior is very important in society; the knowledge sheds light on patterns, the reasons people make certain decisions.

: understanding development are observable behavior and external stimuli in the environment.

: learning theories focus on how we respond to events or stimuli rather than emphasizing internal factors that motivate our actions. These theories provide an explanation of how experience can change what we do.

The human development and behavioral changes occur throughout a child development, which will bring on changes from their environment that will have a positive or negative influence on them.

A padlet was created for us to see how a child can be influenced positive or negatively in their development, whether it’s from family, school, peers, or community.
It got to show us that no matter the changes the child will someway or another be influenced and some form of support should be in placed for the child.

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Today we touched on Intervention Development and Research methodology and these are major components of Prevention Science along with Epidemiology and Etiology.  My group was assigned to work on "Building the program using a multidisciplinary team" which includes methods and strategies, tailoring interventions, and consideration of intervention settings. What stuck out most to me was the Methods and Strategies. Methods are based on theory or the belief system of a person with the problem and the strategies are activities such as role playing, videos, feedback that might help influence the person.

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Why is Prevention Science important to practitioners?
I think Prevention Science is very important to practitioners because it helps you to understand what the issues may be from the very start and helps you to develop the best interventions to address the issues. In other words, Prevention Science gives practitioners the tools to understand and address the problems they are working with.

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Today we discussed Theories of Human Development.
Basically, human development and behavioral changes occur throughout a child's development and many stages as they become adults. Changes at every stage of a child's life are influenced and brought about by both micro and macro environments which could either be positive or negative.
Our group worked on how a community may influence a child both positively and negatively. We discussed positive influences could be sport clubs that encourage them to be healthy and drug free or church groups that encourage them to always do the right things. Also, dance groups and big brother programs could teach them skills and morals. Community clean up and wall paintings could teach them community pride and cleanliness.
Community gatherings such as fairs, carnivals where there is little supervision as well as drinking of alcohol or use of other drugs is deemed normal could influence children negatively. Other community members such as gangs and even musicians who promote violence and drug use also have negative influences on children.
I really enjoyed today's class.

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today I learned About extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. It is important to develop intrinsic motivation in individuals especially students at an early stage because some parents do not teach their kids these skills some parents teach their kids these skills without them knowing the technical terms and others as parents have not been taught hence they cannot pass it to their kids
I also learned about Maslow's hierarchy of needs  whereby to reach to self actualization needs need to be met, needs such as esteem, love and belonging, safety, and physiological.

I also learned about self efficacy and how someone can improve self efficacy. We can build self efficacy through modelling good examples, through challenging them a little bit more above their learning capacity among other things.

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Session 2

In this continuation of module 5 Motivation (Intrinsic and Extrinsic) was discussed.

: The main difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is that intrinsic motivation comes from within, and extrinsic motivation comes from outside.

: Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation can work together to help  complete a task.

In the activity using padlet the areas which these motivation is use is in the workplace, family and school.  it was discussed in teams and i got to see how both intrinsic and extrinsic played a part in each of these areas.

When it comes to intrinsic motivation is often seen as ideal due to its sustainability and the inherent nature of its rewards, both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation are influential in driving behaviour.

A short video clip was shown which focused on Albert Bandura Theory.

1. Intention to explain how children learn in social environments by observing and then imitating the behavior of others.

2.Believed that learning could not be fully explained simply through reinforcement, but that the presence of others was also an influence.

3.That the consequences of an observed behavior often determined whether or not children adopted the behavior themselves.

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The session are going pretty well. As mentioned before, I enjoy touching all familiar topics that I have learned during my Uni years getting my degree in psychology. We touched on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs which is a very important concept to know. It identifies the basic needs we need as humans to progress the social latter and get to where we want to be throughout life- self actualization. I enjoy the activities during class time as it allows you to interact more with those who are in the training.

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Today we looked evidence based practice and the why we need it. This has been consistently found to be effective and it is scientific base, it give target groups and populationbest available internvetion techniques and policies, provides an effective/efficient service, it can be adapted easily, it has a common language

Furthermore group work discussion was on several topic based on how we will approach barriers.
My group discussed on challenges in cultural/ religious beliefs with regards to parenting, family structure, gender roles etc. We discussed that we have to determine the current belief systems and practices and angage stakeholdes, community leaders, parenting groups and gender groups.
Sensitization/ engagmenet at multiple level on evidence- show/ prove that studies show otherwise.
Do public education campaigns
Address policies that do not line up with evidence

Overall, the training was very interesting but there are terms that do not stick to my brain as yet but I am optimistic that it will make a lot more sense at the closing of this training.

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Today we discussed the international standard and did an activity on barriers associated with different areas. I always enjoy a good game of kahoots. It is a good way to start a session and allow us to familiarize ourselves with the topic discussed. We also did our usual class activity which is great when we are broken into groups and get the opportunity to work with others. I learnt a lot as it relates to the barriers which is important to know since we often times face challenged when it comes to implementing interventions.

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Session 1
Evidence Based Prevention

The intervention is designed based on the developmental Framework, setting and target population.

In the session it talked about the different standards needed for Evidence based Prevention Program to occur and what challenges will be faced.
The information was well received and the responses from the different countries were very similar when it comes to the challenges and reliability and dependability.

These points was very interesting and i got to see what Evidence Based Interventions must included.

1.  preventing substance misuse and improving mental health, using evidence-based prevention programs is better than relying on guess work, anecdotes, politics, or whatever program is new or popular.

2.  It ensures that resources are allocated well to solving a community problem.

3.  important to pay attention not only to the track record of a program or strategy but also the norms of the communities in which that program was delivered and how those norms compare to those in the communities.

4.  In order for a program to be delivered with high reliability, it must be delivered in the same way or as close as possible to how it was delivered when it was evaluated.

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In this module I learnt quite a lot. I didn't know there were intervention for age groups as young as those in the infancy stage. We often time associate intervention for a particular group which misuses drugs. It also takes the family structure and the community at large to help curate safe spaces and ensure that infants and young adults are developing as they should be.

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Session 2
This session was very interactive because of the activity that was given to the group. The activity focused on an evidence based approached in a role play which a panel was created to answer a few questions that affect the different age group from infancy to late adolescent.

I had to leave a bit earlier since I hand another online session. However, based on the reading Evidence is a process and always under development. Some interventions will develop stronger support as research is conducted and more is learned about implementation of the intervention and some interventions will fall from favor because new interventions will display greater relative success.
So for each of the stages from Infancy to Late Adolescent interventions are taken into consideration based on the target group and will be most effective. Some interventions will develop stronger support as research is conducted and more is learned about implementation of the intervention and some interventions will fall from favor because new interventions will display greater relative success. Also, what i appreciate is that an intervention should be chosen based on its evidence and practicality.

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Session 3
This is the final session for Module 6. This was a very extensive module because of the information that was given.
This last session made me realize that certain approaches when it comes to interventions are lacking and the minimal training that the department have.
Also, what interest me the the most that Evidence-based interventions need to be reviewed and selected based on the specific issues demonstrated by the target student(s). The reason for this is that interventions are created but we are not following the steps that should be implemented.
At the same time parenting programs can  enhanced children’s protective factors by improving family relations and expanding adults’ parenting skills, including parental knowledge of appropriate child-rearing, supervision, and relationship skills, and developmental expectations.

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In this class, the discussion was all about Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic comes from within and Extrinsic comes from outside, our environment. Maslow's Hierarchy of needs explains this quite well. The Social Learning Theory explains how behaviors can be learned through modeling especially when children watch their parents and model their behavior.

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Session 1
The first part of Module focused on Preventing Substance Use when it comes to creating a program. A prevention program must have a plan of action with clear objectives, what work is to be done,by whom, when, and with what means or resources.

What i appreciated and took from this session is that a prevention program is to prevent or delay the initiation of drug use.
However, it must have a Evidence base approach, quality improvement and sequential steps to gather the data.

A Padlet was created for each country to access a community when it comes to drug use and prevention programs. Belize in my opinion when it comes to our department does not have in programs in place and majority of the time we piggy back on other stakeholders programs.
I believe with these information we can better implement a program that can be supportive within the department and the Government.

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In this session I learned about the intent of International Standards, Development frameworks and the different target populations which would run from Infancy to Adulthood. These standards addressed programs that would work in different settings such as family, school and workplace. They would either fall under universal, selective or indicated interventions. They had to take into consideration a number of things. This may include selecting prevention programs that actually aim to prevent substance abuse and improving mental health. These would have to be tested and found to be effective. It would have to have a good track record in terms of replication and consistently improve measurable client outcomes.

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In this session we talked more in depth about the different age related developmental goals for different age groups from infancy to adulthood. My group was responsible for ages 6 to 10. We role played a group of experts that knew all about this age group.
We explained that in this period these children acquire skills needed to relate to the world outside of their families, mostly in school settings with same age peers. As the brain develops in this period, emergent cognitive and emotional regulatory functions become key. This means they learn how to maintain attention, control their emotions, be open to new people, ideas and behaviours. Their communication should get better as well as their language and numeracy skills. in addition, they begin to acquire decision making and problem solving skills.
Basically when it comes to age groups, as they go along and experience different risk factors, different interventions will be needed. The Evidence Based prevention interventions used have to match the target groups.

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This class finished Module 6 or UNODC International standards.
We played a game on kahoot based on questions on Effective Interventions. I finished in 9th place. I find Kahoot to be a very fun and interactive way to evaluate students' knowledge about the material.
For the second activity we wrote on the padlet what we learned from the International Standards. What stuck with me was the video about a media campaign that Tania shared that they used in Mexico on smoking and its effects. It was in Spanish but the graphics were so effective that we did not need to understand the language to get the message. She pointed out that effective media campaigns had to be well thought out with specific target group/s. She also pointed out that they made an error in the video where the main character was a stereotypical version of a particular group. It is important that we be careful to not stereotype groups in our campaigns but instead make it universal so that we may reach more persons who will definitely relate. I want to learn more about how to create the most effective media campaigns.

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Today was a very interesting class indeed. The session started with a quiz on the two types of data: Qualitative and Quantitative. I could not join the quiz because it already had 25 players. Some of the questions were kind of tricky but very informative.
So I learned some differences between qualitative and quantitative data. For example, qualitative data states a quality like gender of a person or color of eyes. Quantitative is more like age and weight because those have meaning in terms of numbers.  So like one's age can be more or less than the other person's.
To create a data base, we can use both qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data is subjective and explanatory so it cannot be used to generalize findings for a population but instead, the responses can only be documented as from the perspective of those that participated. Some examples of how we obtain data for Quantitative could be: structured observation, lab experiments, questionaires and surveys. Examples of how you may collect qualitative data could be through focus groups, case studies, interviews and observations.
In the second part of the session, Lei showed us where to find Evidence Based programs on the net (http://blueprintsprograms.org). I was in group 5 and we had to select the best Evidence Based Program for high school students using illicit drugs. We chose one called: Project towards No Drug Abuse.
The registry was extensive and had many programs to chose from. However, we were reminded that when selecting from registries, we have to look at cost, timelines, and duration of program to see if it would fit our particular situation.
I learned a lot!!!!!! Thank you Lei and Tania!!!

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Session 2
For this session i was in and out between 2 other sessions so i had to read up on the information that was provided.

This session was a lot, because of the heavy information it was overwhelming. On the other  the topics was well received.

This session focused mostly on qualitative and quantitative data. A game was given for us to respond on which data fits best. It was a bit confusing but it while playing it was a refresher after that.

Based on the terms i learnt
1. is numeric information that includes things like income, time.
2. use closed ended questions
3. different ways in collecting data( interviews, surveys, focus groups, observation)

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Session 3
The is the last session for Module 7, this module was intense since it was a lot of information and it was broken up into 3 sessions.

This session included a lot of activities and participation. I got to see what other countries are doing and how the go about creating a prevention program and what difficulties they face.

A jam board was created to put the implementations in order. this was fun because everyone had there own opinion  as to what should be first.
1. want to secure resources
2. prepare program materials
3. build a team
4. recruit and train
5. Monitoring system

I appreciated monitoring part because as an educator this is something that i lack in because once the program is completed that is it and we tend not to do follow ups so we can't say if the program went well or not.
this session made me realize that as a department we need to have the support from supervisors and director in order for us to obtain the results that is needed for programs to actually work.

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Today we started a new month as well as a new module, Module 7: The Implementation Cycle for Prevention Intervention. This talks about what we do from start to finish.
We started with a game on Educaplay where we matched words to definitions that explained the different parts of the Implementation Cycle.
The Implementation Cycle starts with the Needs and Resource Assessment, Selection of Evidence Based Interventions and/or policies, Preparation and Implementation of the Interventions/Policies, Specifying and defining Outcomes: Short term, Intermediate or long term, Dissemination and Improvement, and finally ends with Monitoring and Evaluation.
We were then placed into country groups and tasked with identifying and describing a community in our country where we would like to implement a prevention intervention. Here we talked about strengths of the community, prevalence and incidents of substance use. We also looked at how substance use is viewed and who the vulnerable groups may be. Finally, we identified the prevention interventions needed and possible impediments to these programs. It was a bit challenging at first to come up with a community but we managed to complete the task. I am looking forward to creating one that we could definitely use in my own community.

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Today's session started off with a set of questions about implementation. Tania commented that we have a lot of implementers in the group. We were asked to contribute a funny story that we experienced during prevention work. It made me remember how sometimes students or even adults would ask if I had tried all the drugs I was talking about and I would say, "of course." It was funny to see the different horrified expressions.

When we are talking about the preparation and implementation of the intervention /policy, it is important to know where to start and where you finish. We were placed in a group to arrange the 5 steps in order as well as to write two or three tasks for each stage. The group listed the steps as
Secure the resources required
Build a team
Recruit, train and retain the team
Prepare program material
Develop a monitoring system
However, the group did not exactly agree that in reality this was the order that we usually use. Tania said that it may indeed be different in reality.
When it comes to monitoring and Evaluation, we have to ask several questions that may tell us if the program is effective. These include checking the outcomes and whether they can be replicated across the community. We also have to check if the timeline is feasible and if its realistic.
We were again placed in the same groups to go to the life skills link provided and choose a program to analyze and especially look at the evaluation results given. We chose the Parent Program and looked at the short term results, methods used and long term results. It was a very good week and I learned a lot.

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Session 1
This was a great topic of interest because it focused on Professionals when it comes to prevention programs, who is needed and what is needed from said professionals to assist in prevention programs.

:  Most of the support we provide takes place in the context of relationships, having the right people is critical.

: To provide prevention support, we believe professionals need to have a strong knowledge of prevention.

: Good listening skills, a willingness to learn, and a knack for building relationships with others.

: These professionals must have the expertise to be perceived as an authority on prevention but still be able to communicate in an approachable, understandable way.

When it comes to prevention programs I learnt that:

1.    Scare tactics does not work because in individual will be curious and will want to experiment, however we must educate and show them what the effects are and be truthful while presenting.

2.    We do not want to have any person(s) who have recovered in our sessions because it brings harm than good.

3.    Prevention is based on science.

The last activity we did was on to answer a form on : Self-Assessment, this self-assessment made me realize that as a department we are lacking in many ways.

1.    Do not have support from our department to create a program that would best fit our communities.

2.    No research (updated) is done for us to identify needs and wants in the community, school, family, workplace, etc.  to develop a plan for these areas.

3.    That staff is not trained to do the work professionally.

Reflecting back on this module I need to update my professional development in order for me to develop the proper skills, attitudes, knowledge and competence for me to do the work that is required of me. This training is helping me tremendously in achieving my goals.

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Session 2
This session was based on prevention professionals and what it all entails.

Being a part of this training is a huge improvement for my professional development. It shows me what is needed in our department in order for it to a success and that there are many things that we are lacking.

The activity for Prevention Curriculum Series basically ask what prevention programs are in place for certain population. In my opinion we basically have next to none. All that we can offer is basic drug prevention education and basic talk therapy.
There is no support , EB Research or anything in place for us to start introducing these sort of programs to the communities.
A lot of work need to be done but these requirements are beyond my capability. On the other hand we try find ways, working with other stakeholders to help bring awareness to communities. As a country we have a long way to go and hopefully in the future we can see progress.

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This was an informative meeting since we were told what platform would be used and the outline was shared with us. I was exciting to see what other countries will be participating.

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Small group activities were carried out today. Got to interact with persons from other countries; who shared there scenarios in their country and what things work.

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This module was divided into 2. Also it was the first time I use the jam board. first section focus on the effects of drugs in the whole body. work as a refresher, also the brain and functions which is very important. I thought we would do more on this topic. the second part was also on the brain but more on the different psychoactive effects

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We started this class with Lei asking several questions which included what professionals should be included in a team and why is training important for prevention implementation.
These two questions brought about very good discussions especially when it comes to the fact that one must be trained to carry out this kind f work because it is a science and not a gut feeling event. It was also mentioned that if one is not trained when carrying out the prevention, then they can cause more harm than good. This was interesting for me because in my country, there are many persons who really are not trained in prevention or implementation who are expected to carry out programs. It is no wonder the struggles we face.
We also discussed the fact two main things that were used in the past but were found to be ineffective. This included Addicts' testimonies and Scare tactics.

During this session, we were also placed in groups to talk about the Competence/skills, Attitudes and Attributes needed when conducting Community Based Prevention.

Lastly, we were asked to complete a self Assessment Checklist. The group then discussed the answers that stood out.

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In this class, we were placed in country groups to begin work on the implementation model for our country. We started with the worksheet that dealt with the Needs and Resource Assessment of a particular community of our choice. We chose to assess Belize City Southside.

We came back in the bigger group to discuss how easy or difficult the process was.
We then went back to our country groups to finish working on the criteria for the intervention program to be used. We should be done with this by the end of this week. This was a bit challenging as not all members were present for this class.

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Today we started Module 9.
The Educaplay game with the different words of universal values and definitions was very helpful and fun. We then reviewed the Think Tank Code of Ethical Conduct.
1. Principles of ethics are models of exemplary professional behavior
2. Responsibilities to the public, service recipients, colleagues within and outside of the prevention field
3. Guide performance of professional responsibilities and express the basic levels of ethical and professional conduct
4. Guided by the core values and competencies emerging from developing of the prevention field.
Principles of the Prevention think tank in prevention included Non discrimination,
Competence, Integrity, Confidentiality, and
Ethical obligation for community and society.

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Today we learned about the different stages of human being brain development. It is very essential to understand this well so that we can understand the attitude of our participants related to their age. Here is where we need to understand as well that some persons' brain may be under the age range of brain development hence they have another attittude.

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today we used a app for the training. It is a good tool for online interactive learning. We looked at the international standards for drug prevention. I learned a lot since other countries are far more better off that us in Belize. With this training we shall are improving.

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Today we learned about The Implementation Cycle for Prevention Intervention. This talks about what we do from start to finish. The Implementation Cycle starts with the Needs and Resource Assessment, Selection of Evidence Based Interventions and/or policies, Preparation and Implementation of the Interventions/Policies, Specifying and defining Outcomes: Short term, Intermediate or long term, Dissemination and Improvement, and finally ends with Monitoring and Evaluation.

We learned about quantitative and qualitative date. Quantitative data is about numbers- age weight and qualitative is about quality- age, color of hair, eyes, etc
We also learned about Evidence Based programs on the net (http://blueprintsprograms.org). I loved this part since I did not have an idea that this existed. This helps a lot when doing prevention programes.

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Today we covered about preparation and implementation of the intervention /policy, it is important to know where to start and where you finish.

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Today the importance of trained persons was discussed. During the implementation of Drug prevention programs we need to have trained person or else there will be more harm than effectiveness during the implementation of the program

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Today we worked on Needs and Resource Assessment of a particular community of our choice. Unfortunately I was not able to log on fully and be a part of the discussion but hope to catch up later.

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Today we looked at the short, intermediate and long term expected prevention outcomes.  We also notices that w a prevention program requires time and careful planning for successful implementation. We hope that this training will help us in Belize to implement scientific based programs because we need trained professionals in this field

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today we covered code of ethics when working in the prevention of Drug Abuse. Some principles covered are nondiscrimination, competence, integrity, nature of service, confidentiality, and Ethical Obligations for Community and Society. We also looked at different scenarios that apply to us as professional in the prevention of Drug Abuse. Different scenarios as how preventologists should behave in society.

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This is the last part for Module 8.
The session included a short presentation on the implementation cycle and why it is needed in a program.
Countries was place groups to work on their Prevention Intervention. It was a bit nerve racking because Belize no not have any Prevention Program. However, was a bit at ease since we could have use the Blue Prints Programs which was of great help.

This activity made me realized
1. We need research
2. Drug Prevention not a priority
3. Participants are not willing to to the work

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Today was a new Module which spoke of Ethics. This is a  very crucial part whenever a program is created.

1. We regularly face situations that require us to make ethical decisions. Often it is clear how to act ethically; sometimes, it is not.
2. Values are the basic beliefs that an individual thinks to be true and are also seen as guiding principles in one’s life or the basis on which an individual makes decisions.
3. Professionals needs to be guided by ethics and values that can help in these challenging areas of life.

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Session 2 of Module 9 was based on case studies and how as a small group we would go about using our ethical perspective.
The case study that was given to us was Case study one. We had a lengthy discussion and got to see different ideas and ways how we would deal with this case if it would arise in our work setting.

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Two days was given for each country to present our Prevention Program.

Prior to this presentation as a country we have limited resources when it comes to research and data. So it was a bit challenging to come up with a program. On the other hand we had to use a program from the Blue Print which was very helpful. The LST program was the one that was chosen since it is very detailed in what we wanted to do.

Hearing from the other country presenters was very interesting because i got to see what programs they are implementing and how  they go about planning and so forth.
As a country we are very lacking in many ways because our department  is not a priority and because of that we get little to no help.
This made me realize that we need a lot of assistance from those above in order for us to make changes and help these communities.

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Beginning today, we had to start thinking of an implementation plan for the country. We worked in the country group to identify a community that needed intervention. We identified an EB prevention program that would be suitable to use in this community. This was good because as a country, we currently do not have EB programs being used, even by the drug council. It was nice to have the Blue Prints of EB programs to start off with.

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At the beginning of class, Tania did a check in of how each participant was feeling. I felt like the time was going by so quickly. I have learned so much so far though.

We were placed in groups to review case study number 3. My group did a great job of discussing how we would handle our boss accepting funding for programs from a drug company. We had extra time to chat and got to know each other a bit better before we were called back into the big group. It was interesting to hear about the other scenarios as well. It was short but sweet class today.

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These two days were set aside for country presentations. All the countries did a great job. It showed we all learned a lot, even things we may have known already, were made even more clear.
Belize presented on Monday 13th. It went well and our facilitators gave us feedback which we used to complete the worksheets due. Overall, I feel very positive about the outcome of this course and hopefully it will make a difference in how we approach and implement Evidence based prevention programs in Belize, which at this point is non existent. Thanks for doing a great job with us, Tania and Lei!!!!

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Today was bitter sweet because we had to say our goodbyes for now until next time.
This course was very helpful for my personal use because if in the future our department need to develop a program we can come together and develop a program that will best fit these persons.
Many challenges we have here in Belize but I work to the best of my ability with what is provided. Belize needs a lot of help but most of all they need to see the importance of these programs in order for us to create a safe place.
This course provided me with a lot of knowledge and i plan to use it as best as possible.

Thanks Ms. Tania and Ms. Lei for a wonderful,informative and creative online training.