PA Prevention Conference
Presented by CPA & DDAP
In-Person Program & Session Overview
Explore what’s included with in-person registration - keynotes, workshop options, advocacy programming, meals, and evening events. For lodging, full speaker listings, and virtual registration, visit the 2026 PA Conference Page.
Registration is Open Through Monday, May 18, 2026
(CPA may close registration early if capacity is met)
Included with In-Person Registration
- 2 Pre-Conference virtual sessions leading up to the full event
- Capitol Day - June 10th in the am.
- 3 Keynote Presentations
- 5 Workshop Blocks (choose one session per block)
- Youth Panel
- Wednesday Reception with mocktails and hors d'oeuvres
- CPA's 50th Anniversary Extravaganza, including a plated dinner
- Breakfast & Lunch Included (details below)
- All sessions being live-streamed will be recorded and available to view through June 26, 2026, at 4:00 PM
- In-person registrants may earn up to 16.0 hours toward the annual DDAP training requirements. Sessions must be attended live in order to qualify.
Session selections are made in Whova. Some sessions have caps, so early selection is encouraged.
In-Person Registration Rates
CPA Members
$495
Non-Members
$595
Become a CPA member now and save on your conference registration!
Featured Keynote Speakers
2 Pre-Conference Sessions
Offered Virtually and for all Conference Attendees
Offered Virtually and for all Conference Attendees
Language is Power: Clear Storytelling in Prevention Work
Speaker: Paul Short
Part I | Tuesday, June 2 | 10:00 - 11:00 AM
Part II | Thursday, June 4 | 10:00 - 11:30 AM
Part II | Thursday, June 4 | 10:00 - 11:30 AM
From Needs Assessment to Work Plan: Operationalizing Data, Measurement, and Evaluation
Speakers: Dr. Elizabeth Winder, Phyllis Law, Alicia Kline
Monday, June 8 | 10:00 - 11:30 AM
Day 1 - Wednesday, June 10
8:30 - 11:30 | Advocacy at the Capitol
Prevention advocacy and engagement with state leadership.
Prevention advocacy and engagement with state leadership.
11:45 - 12:45 | Lunch (Included)
12:45 - 1:15 | Welcome to the 2026 PA Prevention Conference, presented by CPA & DDAP
Speakers:
Dr. Latika Davis-Jones, Secretary, PA Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs
Kathleen Collier, President, Commonwealth Prevention Alliance
Jeff Hanley, Executive Director, Commonwealth Prevention Alliance
Speakers:
Dr. Latika Davis-Jones, Secretary, PA Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs
Kathleen Collier, President, Commonwealth Prevention Alliance
Jeff Hanley, Executive Director, Commonwealth Prevention Alliance
1:15 - 2:15 | Keynote Presentation
Celebrating Our Prevention Legacy & Writing Our Next Chapter: A Commitment to Youth Flourishing
Speaker: Brian Bumbarger
Celebrating Our Prevention Legacy & Writing Our Next Chapter: A Commitment to Youth Flourishing
Speaker: Brian Bumbarger
2:45 - 4:15 | Workshop Block #1 (Click Here to View the Sessions)
- Building Health-Promoting Relationships with Youth — Lora Peppard, Terez Hunter
- Beyond the Capitol: Sustaining Advocacy Momentum — Amber Fields, Elizabeth Hensil
- New and Emerging Nicotine Product Surveillance: E-cigarettes & Oral Nicotine Pouches — Megan Diaz
- PLCB Regulatory Affairs Overview — Loretta Witkowski, Lori Rizzo, Joseph Murray
- Changing the Campus Culture: Evaluating Readiness to Change & Social Norming Through Partnerships — Margaret Thorwart, Colleen O’Connell
4:30 - 6:00 | Reception (Mocktails & hors d'oeuvres (Included)
6:00 - 8:00 | CPA's 50th Anniversary Extravaganza (Plated Dinner) (Included)
Day 2 - Thursday, June 11
7:30 - 8:30 | Breakfast (Included)
8:30 - 9:00 | Welcome to Day 2 of the PA Prevention Conference
Speakers: TBA
Speakers: TBA
9:00 - 10:00 | Keynote Presentation
Changing Perceptions, Changing Behavior: The Social Norms Approach
Speaker: Alan Berkowitz
Changing Perceptions, Changing Behavior: The Social Norms Approach
Speaker: Alan Berkowitz
10:30 - 11:30 | Workshop Block #2 (Click Here to View the Sessions)
- Investing Upstream: Using Opioid Settlement Funds for Prevention — Briana Anderson
- Leading Through the Shift: What AI Means for the Future of Prevention — Craig Bowman
- Community Powered Prevention in Motion: Girls on the Run Mercer County — Kelly Burke, Sheri Valimont, Pamela McKinney, Nikki Wier, MacKenzie Taylor
- Skill Games: The Hidden Risk: Understanding Gambling Like Behavior in an Unregulated Market — James Jones
- Early Data, Early Action with PAYS: 4th Grade Insights & 6th Grade Bridge Exploration — Alise Barr, Phyllis Law
11:30 - 12:30 | Lunch (Included)
12:30 - 1:15 | Youth Panel
Youth Voice in Prevention: Perspectives from Young Leaders
Speaker: Yvonne Stroman
Youth Voice in Prevention: Perspectives from Young Leaders
Speaker: Yvonne Stroman
1:45 - 3:15 | Workshop Block #3 (Click Here to View the Sessions)
- Speak Less – Serve More — Heather Holloway
- THC Today: Potency, Addiction, & Health Risks in an Era of High Purity Cannabis — David Fialko
- Transforming Youth Engagement in Substance Use Programming — Albert Gay
- Stronger Together: Aligning Youth Prevention and Student Assistance Programs — Shannon Mahoney, Christy Unger
- 6–7 Vibes: A Digital Glossary of Risk and Reward — Gregory Krausz, Josh Ercole
3:30 - 4:45 | Workshop Block #4 (Click Here to View the Sessions)
- Using Small Group Social Norms Approaches in Prevention Settings — Alan Berkowitz
- Crafts, Spooky Things, and Hot Chocolate: Engaging Teens Through Youth Coalition-Led Community Events — Tiffany Weaver, Emily Fox
- Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges: The Power of Collaboration between Prevention & SAP — Elizabeth Lewis, Elizabeth Skochelak
- Identify the Four Building Blocks of HOPE and How They Support Resilience in Youth — Jennifer Boland, Diana Grosik
- SFP 10-14 Innovation Exchange: Boosting Family Prevention (limited spacing) — Phyllis Law
Day 3 - Friday, June 12
7:30 - 8:30 | Breakfast (Included)
8:30 - 9:00 | Welcome
9:00 - 10:00 | Keynote Presentation
Stronger Together: Community-Powered Prevention
Speaker: Shimaine Holley
Stronger Together: Community-Powered Prevention
Speaker: Shimaine Holley
10:30 - 12:00 | Workshop Block #5 (Click Here to View the Sessions)
- Leadership from Any Chair: Empowering Prevention Professionals at all Levels — Mark Durgin, Ellen Kagen
- The Power of Positive Norms: Putting Social Norms into Action to Prevent Youth Substance Use — Patty Ferssizidis, Melanie Swanson
- Hope and Opportunity: Transformative Supports for Students & Families in Transition — Emily Snisky
- Sources of Strength: Activating Protective Factors for Youth Wellbeing — Kevin Puskaric, Elizabeth Noecker
- PAYS in Your Community: Leveraging Data for a Positive Impact — Shelbe Weaver, Alise Barr, Lee Winterhalter
Training Hours Requirement (DDAP) - Continuing Education
In-person credit hours available:
12.0 (June 10 - 12)
4.0 (Virtual Pre-Conference Sessions)
In-person credit hours available:
12.0 (June 10 - 12)
4.0 (Virtual Pre-Conference Sessions)
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