The Directorate of Prevention, Resilience and Readiness, Ready and Resilient, Training and Integration Division, and the city of Alexandria, Virginia, signed an Intergovernmental Support Agreement to establish an Army Community Prevention Leadership Academy in support of community-based prevention coalitions.
The CPLA will provide professional development to Prevention Integrators assisting with the Commander’s Ready and Resilient Council governance process.
Amanda Braasch, DPRR Prevention Specialist, said that the academy will provide Army prevention leaders with unique training opportunities.
“The CPLA could not have been established without the support from the city of Alexandria and the connections the city has built by providing public health and prevention education opportunities to many other cities, states and federal entities,” said Braasch.
Alexandria city officials worked with retired Army Maj. Gen. Barrye Price and his organization, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, to develop an Army-tailored prevention governance training program for the academy.
“R2I&T’s decision to establish the CPLA aligns to the recommendations of the Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee report,” Braasch said.
In its report, the committee outlined steps that R2I&T can take to enhance its community-based prevention efforts to reduce harmful behaviors. The strategy recommends developing a professional prevention workforce that empowers Army leaders.
“The CPLA intends to develop the skills and capacity of the Army’s prevention workforce and provide supporting information to strengthen the prevention governance process,” said Braasch.
“This training will focus on strengthening the knowledge, skill and abilities of integrators but will also produce over 400 tangible products to support Senior Commander oversight of prevention governance processes across the Army.”
In three weeks of nonconsecutive training from the CPLA, students will receive more than 70 hours of virtual group instruction, individual coaching on product development and hands-on learning experience in implementing a comprehensive community-change model based on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s Strategic Prevention Framework.
In addition to individual support during the training, participants will have opportunities for skills development through on-demand, virtual continuing education offerings and access to a national prevention community of interest, through which state and local community members share best practices. To ensure the CPLA training's long-term impact and knowledge continuity in organizational or community based governance processes, installation or organization Senior Commanders will issue appointment orders to those individuals undertaking the role of the Prevention Integrator.
This year the academy will hold two training sessions for 80 personnel from units across the globe. The first session will launch by the end of August.
Braasch said that due to strong interest from Commanders, the CPLA has already filled the 80 slots. R2I&T may offer additional CPLA opportunities. For more information, contact mailto:usarmy.pentagon.hqda-dcs-g-1.list.dprr-r2i-and-training-div@army.mil.
To learn more about DPRR, visit the website at https://www.armyresilience.army.mil.
Social Sharing