Bringing Evidence and Community Together
In October 2025, PC CARES is launching a new five-session, interactive virtual series—Community-Driven Approaches to Prevent At-Risk Substance Use—designed for social work and public health students, community professionals, and partners working to prevent harmful substance use.
Building on the success of the PC CARES model in Alaska, this series connects participants across the country to explore scientifically informed, community-led prevention strategies that reflect the needs, strengths, and cultures of diverse communities.
Why This Matters
This work grew from Alaska’s Community Café discussions hosted in 2023, where citizens from nine communities identified urgent priorities:
Reduce stigma
Offer peer support and harm reduction
Link people to care
Strengthen recovery support
These actions are key to addressing the unacceptably high rates of morbidity and mortality associated with self-harm and polysubstance use. The PC CARES approach—training community health workers to create local “communities of practice”—balances cultural specificity with evidence-based best practices. It also strengthens public safety partnerships, expands harm reduction strategies in hard-to-reach places, and supports community-based linkages to care.
What You’ll Learn
Led by Dr. Elizabeth Evans and Dr. Lisa Wexler, the series will introduce:
Youth-focused prevention strategies
Reducing stigma and promoting unconditional support
Harm reduction practices that save lives
Pathways to care and recovery
Community-led action planning
By the end, participants will leave with adaptable tools, peer networks, and practical strategies for engaging their communities in change.
Course Details
Dates: Tuesdays – 10/7, 10/14, 10/21, 10/28, and 11/4
Time: 11 AM–1 PM Alaska Time
Format: Live sessions via Zoom
Space: Limited to 40 participants, filled first-come, first-served
Cost: Free for non-credit seekers
Who Can Join
For Credit: UAA & U-M MSW and MPH students
Free Non-Credit Option: Community professionals and partners nationwide
Register here: https://forms.gle/gM58Ypf9XvK1Kr7TA
Looking Ahead
This series is one piece of a larger effort to translate research on best practices for preventing at-risk substance use, overdoses, and related harms into community action. We’re excited to learn together and continue building partnerships that make prevention possible everywhere.