In the U.S. military, masculine gender norms and an emphasis on mental toughness have traditionally been practiced to enforce stoicism within troops. But, mental health and masculinity often clash during the effort to reduce stigma surrounding veterans’ abilities to cope with trauma. Chris Mendes, Director of Operations at Veterans Community Project, directly speaks to his and others’ experience with this military mentality, the crossover between veteran populations with substance misuse, and the VCP’s attempts to connect veterans to behavioral health services.

Susan Bradford of the Missouri Institute of Mental Health is here to give us the scoop on current rates and trends of drug use among young people. She shares what’s working—and what’s not—plus describes the impact of and takeaways from the Missouri Student Survey.

Lakesha Robinson, Sr. Advisor on Children, Youth, & Families to the St. Louis city mayor, joins Jenny to share more about her “heart” work. Focusing on resource access for families and community collaboration, Lakesha explains the impact of the Mayor’s Youth Cabinet, describes how connection helps reduce risk factors for youth, and dives into the details of several initiatives she runs.

What’s the real deal with cannabis use among young people? Thankfully, we have graduate students Madeline and Sam from Washington University St. Louis here to provide insight on college students’ current attitudes and opinions about cannabis. Listen as they break down how the conversation has shifted, plus the varying levels of knowledge and use of the substance.

We’re starting off strong in our Season 5 premiere of the PrevenTable! PreventEd volunteer and small business owner Lisa Lorenz joins Jenny for a conversation on her recovery journey, sharing how she found community through others' stories and touching on the unique lived experience of being a woman in recovery from alcohol use disorder.

It’s our Season 4 Finale! We’re joined by none other than Nichole Dawsey as our final guest for the year while Interim Executive Director Jenny Armbruster gets a practice run as host (stay tuned for Season 5 ). Nichole reflects on her 16 years at the agency, sharing more about the legacy she hopes to leave and the people who shaped her experience. She also touches on her upcoming transition to Executive Director of the Addiction Prevention Coalition starting this December and the programs and podcast she’s building at her new role. Thank you to Nichole for the hard work and passion she's put into the PrevenTable podcast over the last four years!

Four years ago, if you asked SLU senior Kirti Madhu what’d she’d be doing in her final year of college, she’d probably say applying for medical school. But after participating in a medical entrepreneurship incubator and developing a prototype for an overdose detection device, Kirti is now tuning into her entrepreneurial mindset by tackling the opioid epidemic head-on. Listen to this week’s PrevenTable episode as she describes her venture, background in prevention and addiction medicine, and current research in providing healthcare treatment for incarcerated women.

This week, we’re digging into the weeds with Smithville Community in Action Executive Director Jennifer Rhoad! Jennifer talks more about how the CIA Coalition advocates for youth cannabis use prevention, describes the Keeping Kids Safe initiative, and investigates the commercialization of THC products. Anyone in Missouri can join the Smithville CIA regardless of location or prevention experience. If you’re interested in getting involved, email Jennifer at together4mo@gmail.com.

Anthony Pickens, Assistant Executive Director of Community of Hope, shares the inspiring story of how the violence he witnessed growing up led him to give back to people facing similar challenges today through the Cure Violence program. Anthony explains the backstory of his 22-year incarceration, his efforts to help others manage anger and prevent violence, and how he’s accepted his work as part of who he is.

It’s that time of year again...tis the season for Teen Institute! Today we are joined by Ali Stambaugh and Grace DeClue, Prevention Educators and leaders of TI 2024. They share plans for this year, explain what participants can expect, and highlight the transformative power of the camp.

Melody Quinn, Director of St. Louis CRUSH Coalition and Detective for the St. Louis County Police Department, talks resource access and distribution for those misusing cannabis and other drugs. She breaks down what cannabis legalization really means in the Missouri Constitution, details the Bosnian Opioid Project, and describes her changing approach to cannabis through its different stages of legality.

When we say Greenhouse Communication Initiative Founder Stacey Bernaugh is a really good speaker, we mean it. After finding his place in speech and debate in college, Stacey realized the critical importance of educational experiences that prepare students for the professional world. He shares with Nichole his passion for education, discusses opportunities provided by The GCI, Inc., and even touches on code switching and the loaded meaning behind some of the language used to describe a person's speech.

How do substance use counselors evaluate an adult who uses cannabis to sleep at night versus a person on probation from the justice system with cannabis use disorder? The lines have become even blurrier after cannabis was legalized in Missouri, but our Director of Behavioral Health Jaidan Adams is here to explain the assessment and referral process. Jaidan emphasizes the importance of creating a comfortable environment for clients and her focus on harm reduction and promoting safer use, providing valuable insights into the evolving needs of those PreventEd serves.

Trigger warning: Suicide Talking about suicide can be difficult, but for John Gaal and Tim Rowden, it is always worth it—one life may be the whole world to many. John, director of worker wellness for the Missouri Works Initiative returns to the PrevenTable once again, this time joined by Tim, editor of the Labor Tribune and founder of the Grief Projects. As loss survivors, John and Tim often guide people through the process of losing someone who died by suicide. They explain the importance of being direct when asking someone about their risk of suicide and touch on what’s missing from current mental healthcare.

This week, we’re joined by Katie Ellison and Shanna Sorg from the Missouri Institute for Mental Health for a Suicide Awareness Month episode. Katie and Shanna explain the Safer Homes Collaborative, an initiative to reduce access to lethal means of suicide in homes with a specific focus on firearms. And no, they’re not trying to take your guns—with 9/10 suicide attempts using a firearm resulting in death, the duo aims to spread awareness about keeping guns unloaded, locked, and away from ammunition. Plus, they share the importance of person-first language in conversations about suicide and mental health.

Katie Bixler, Director of Community Outreach Events at Faith Oakville, takes a seat at the PrevenTable to talk about the third annual Stomp Out Addiction walk coming up on October 13th. Katie discusses her background in nonprofit development and points to the welcoming environment of the walk, designed to create connection and stimulate community involvement and awareness of substance use disorder.

This week on the PrevenTable, we’re talking with the Executive Director of one of St. Louis’s most well-known nonprofits: Kristin Wild from Operation Food Search! Kristin details the story of how OFS’s founder tracked down Roger Dierberg to offer help distributing his grocery store’s leftover food and got its start as a hunger relief organization. She also explains the importance of food insecurity awareness and highlights the need to reduce stigma toward people in need.

Addie Bond, Sherwood Forest Executive Director, sits down to discuss her organization’s mission to break the cycle of poverty for kids through a balance of camp activities and evidence-based programs. As a youth-development agency anchored in a summer camp, Sherwood Forest immerses kids in nature to create separation between their school lives and camp lives. And it works—100% of leadership training graduates go on to graduate from high school! Participants learn how to try new things and fail successfully, building resiliency skills that support their growth in all aspects of life.

Designing a campaign about a nuanced topic like cannabis isn’t simple. But Sam Agusti-Nuernberger, Strategy Director at Magnetize Agency, thrives on purpose-driven marketing. This week on the PrevenTable, Sam takes us through several processes Magnetize conducted to create our In the Weeds Campaign, including discovery, surveying, and messaging. She also reveals the answer to one our our most popular questions: why purple instead of green?

AJ Pickens, Executive Director at Community of Hope, shares her inspiring story of growing up as an unhoused teen mom who transformed her trauma into a full-scale organization that helps remove barriers for young mothers in St. Louis. She describes how her most painful experiences are what tied her to her greater purpose, what motivates her to build self-worth in girls, and the supportive community partnerships that make her work possible.

PreventEd Director of Education Kelly Wieser joins Nichole at the PrevenTable for a nuanced conversation on talking about cannabis with kids. She explains the importance of laying the foundation for future discussions of substance misuse, the success of consistent reinforcement, and how programs can be the difference for adolescents with a family history of substance use disorder.

A delicious $135 multi-course meal with NA beverages to pair? Sounds like a deal to us! This week on the PrevenTable, Executive Chef Max Bredenkoetter delves into his idea for Temperance Kitchen, a St. Louis pop-up series designed to support restaurant workers in recovery. Max explains the prevalence of substance misuse in the hospitality industry and reveals his biggest cooking inspirations in both chefs and ingredients.

“Don’t just talk about it, be about it.” It’s advice that Councilwoman Shalonda Webb lives by as an elected official in District 4 of Missouri. As our guest this week on the PrevenTable, Shalonda describes the challenges of balancing politics with a full work week as a software engineer at Boeing, the stigma of being an elected official, and her work to reduce the number of alcohol outlets in her district and limit open carry for minors.

Prevention Educator Emma Wilson is joined by Kaine, a Northwest High School senior, to talk with Nichole about the It’s Complicated program. With Emma running It’s Complicated and Kaine being a trainee, the pair give the inside scoop on the benefits of joining the program, the effectiveness of peer-to-peer learning, and the nuance needed in discussions about cannabis.

Dawn Price, founder and CEO of The Sophia Project, Inc., sits down with Nichole this week to discuss how her life's purpose is dedicated to the transformative journey of young women. Dawn shares how the name "Sophia" has a spiritual meaning that connects with her life's purpose and how her light bulb moment evolved into what she teaches today.