ALEXANDRIA, VA — More than 600 drug abuse prevention leaders from across the country will convene in Palm Springs, Calif. on July 28-31, 2008 for Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)'s 2008 Mid-Year Training Institute, held at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa.

CADCA's Mid-Year Training Institute is the only intensive, coalition-specific training opportunity of its kind, providing in-depth courses specifically designed to address a community anti-drug coalition's biggest concerns and obstacles. This year's theme is "Building a Stronger, More Effective Coalition Workforce," offering a number of courses to help community anti-drug coalitions improve their leadership skills and create leaders within their organizations so that they can prevent drug and alcohol abuse effectively. 

The Mid-Year Training Institute will offer intensive ½ day, 1-day and 2-day courses on transformational leadership; nonprofit workforce development; prevention science; fundraising; media outreach and marketing; evaluation; and underage drinking reduction, with a special focus on how to implement the STOP Act. In addition, the Mid-Year will offer New Grantee Week Three Training for first-year Drug-Free Communities grantees. CADCA's Mid-Year also offers prevention leaders an opportunity to meet one-on-one with a personal coach—led by experts in substance abuse prevention and coalition development.

"CADCA's Mid-Year Training Institute offers a unique professional development and training opportunity for community coalitions working to reduce alcohol and drug use among youth," explained Gen. Arthur T. Dean, CADCA Chairman and CEO. "This year's Mid-Year will help prevention leaders learn how to develop their leadership skills so they can effectively lead coalition efforts, and how to empower others working in the coalition."

Courses will be led by several leading experts in the coalition field, including Fran Butterfoss, Ph.D, MDEd, a leading expert on the development and maintenance of effective coalitions, and author of Coalitions and Partnerships in Community Health. Other presenters will include: Harry Kressler, Executive Director of Pima Prevention Partnership (PPP), an agency that develops programs and services for under-served populations in Southern Arizona; Dr. Navjyot Fingh Bedi, Talbot Recovery Campus, Atlanta, Ga.; Bill Harrison, CFRE, Arizona State University Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Management; Paul Evanson, Co-Founder and Vice President and Chief Science Officer, Community Systems Group in Lawrence, Kan.; and Michael Sparks, a nationally-known trainer on environmental approaches to coalition development and management. The Mid-Year will also include CADCA's National Youth Leadership Initiative, a unique program that helps coalitions build their capacity to foster youth leadership, so that youth and adults can work together to prevent drug and alcohol use. 

To register, visit www.cadca.org and click on the "Building a Stronger, More Effective Coalition Workforce" 2008 Mid-Year Training Institute button.