We've invested heavily in youth prevention, but what happens when those young people enter the workforce? In this eye-opening conversation, Joel Bennett from Organizational Wellness and Learning Systems (OWLS) challenges us to think beyond traditional prevention approaches.

Joel and Dave explore why adult prevention has been overlooked, how workplace culture can be either a risk factor or protective factor, and practical strategies for building resilience in professional settings. From the "drinking culture" in military and first responder communities to the power of simple check-ins and reflection exercises, this episode offers concrete tools for prevention leaders ready to expand their impact.

Whether you're a prevention professional, coalition leader, or someone passionate about workplace wellness, you'll walk away with actionable strategies for cultivating resilience in adult populations.

Meet Joel:

Joel Bennett is President and CEO of Organizational Wellness and Learning Systems (OWLS). His evidence-based programs have been recognized by the Surgeon General and included in the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices. Joel works with organizations nationwide to promote adult prevention and wellness, with specialized programs for military veterans and first responders through the Safe Project.Connect:

• Website: https://www.preventionleaders.com/
• Website: www.daveclosson.com/links
• Connect with Joel:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drbennettowls/

• Website: ⁠https://organizationalwellness.com/⁠

When it comes to prevention, it’s easy to get lost in the deliverables — checking boxes, meeting grant requirements, and rushing to get things done. But the coalitions that thrive are the ones with a clear identity, a shared purpose, and a framework guiding every decision they make.

In this episode of the Prevention Leaders Podcast, I sit down with Stephanie Patton, a coalition coordinator and prevention leader from Massachusetts, who has spent years integrating the Science of the Positive into her coalition’s work.

Together, we talk about:

• Why frameworks like Science of the Positive and the Strategic Prevention Framework are more than just compliance tools

• How to make frameworks visible in everyday work (including a powerful tip about what to put on the back of every agenda!)
• Simple ways to build trust and relationships that fuel buy-in and sustainability
• How coalition coordinators can embrace facilitative leadership to share the workload and avoid burnout

🎧 Listen now and get inspired to make your coalition meetings, strategies, and partnerships more intentional and impactful.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

🌟 Science of the Positive: https://www.montanainstitute.com/science-of-the-positive

📖 Joy Journal – Start & end your day with intention: https://www.daveclosson.com/books

What if the emotions we avoid are the very keys to growth and connection?

In this episode, Dave sits down with teen mental health speaker and author Brittany Richmond to explore practical, down-to-earth tools for navigating tough emotions—both in our personal lives and in the prevention field. From drawing out feelings to using the “feelings wheel,” Brittany shares simple strategies to help teens (and adults) identify, express, and manage what’s really going on beneath the surface.

You’ll hear about:

• Why naming emotions matters
• How conversation and connection break the power of isolation.
• Creative ways to help youth express emotions they can’t yet put into words.
• Why self-care and therapy should be seen as prevention, not just crisis response.

Whether you work with young people, lead prevention efforts, or are simply looking for healthier ways to process your own emotions, this episode is packed with insight and encouragement.

Links:

Learn more about Brittany Richmond:

• https://www.brittanyrichmond.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/thebrittanyrichmond/

Connect with Dave Closson:

• www.daveclosson.com/links
• Get the Joy Journal: https://amzn.to/4m0d7Pr

In this powerful episode of the Prevention Leaders Podcast, Dave Closson is joined by Rikki Barton—prevention strategist, national trainer, and founder of Onward Consulting—to explore one of today’s most pressing topics: youth, social media, and mental health.

Rikki shares her insights from training thousands of youth, parents, and prevention professionals across the country on how to navigate the digital world with awareness, intention, and prevention science. Together, they unpack the latest research on screen time, online risks like sextortion, the dopamine effect of algorithms, and the physical and mental toll of excessive device use.

But this conversation isn’t just about the risks—it’s about solutions.

You’ll learn:

• How to have meaningful conversations with youth about their online experiences
• What parents and caregivers can do to model healthy digital habits
• How prevention professionals can apply the Strategic Prevention Framework to digital wellness
• Resources and tools for building family media plans and creating positive online spaces
• Ways to engage youth as collaborators in shaping safe, supportive digital environments

Whether you’re a parent, prevention leader, or passionate advocate for youth well-being, this episode is packed with actionable ideas and real-world examples you can use right away.

LINKS

• https://www.onwardconsulting.biz/
• https://www.facebook.com/onwardconsultingllc
• http://www.linkedin.com/in/rikki-onward
• https://www.instagram.com/onward_consulting/
• https://www.daveclosson.com/links

In this episode of the Prevention Leaders Podcast, Dave Closson sits down with trainer, consultant, and motivational interviewer Jason Anderson for a conversation that every facilitator, speaker, and prevention professional needs to hear.

Jason shares his journey from corrections officer to nationally recognized trainer, unpacking how he transformed dry, technical content into dynamic, human-centered learning experiences.

Together, Dave and Jason explore:

• Why adult learning is different—and how to teach accordingly
• The role of emotion, authenticity, and storytelling in training

• How to use simple tools like sticky notes to boost engagement

• Why less on your slide deck can mean more in the room

• Strategies for avoiding “death by PowerPoint”

• Ways to make every participant feel heard, seen, and respected

• And the one question to always ask before designing a session

Whether you’re a new trainer or a seasoned pro, this episode offers powerful takeaways to elevate your delivery and create learning experiences that stick.

Let’s go beyond the slide deck—because effective training starts with connection.

Links:

• https://www.thejasonanderson.com/
• https://www.daveclosson.com/links

What if we treated resilience the same way we treat prevention—something to build before the crisis hits?

In this powerful conversation, Dave Closson sits down with Shane Varcoe, Executive Director of the Dalgarno Institute, to unpack a deeper, more actionable understanding of resilience. Together, they explore how resilience isn’t about being unshakable, but about bouncing back—and why it’s essential to build it ahead of time, not just after the fall.You’ll hear:

• Why the common definition of resilience is missing the mark
• How identity, emotions, and purpose shape our ability to bounce back
• The danger of tying resilience to emotional control or personality
• What it means to have an “anchor” and a “why” in your personal toolkit
• The role of resilience in substance misuse prevention—and how to foster it in young people and communities

Whether you're a prevention professional, educator, or simply someone navigating life’s challenges, this episode offers insight, tools, and a fresh perspective on how to live—and lead—with resilience.Explore more about Shane’s work: dalgarnoinstitute.org.au Listen to Shane’s podcast: Unnecessary Harm : https://unnecessaryharm.com.au/Learn about World Resiliency Week: https://worldresiliencyday.com.au/

In this energizing episode, Dave Closson chats with Carla Ritz about the transformative power of Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs). Carla shares how focusing on strengths, rather than solely on adversity, can reduce risk factors and help build more resilient kids, families, and communities.

Carla dives into the research behind PCEs, explains how prevention professionals can apply this science in practical ways, and explores the synergy between PCEs and Positive Community Norms. Plus, there’s a heartfelt (and hilarious) reflection on parenting, community traditions, and how small actions can have big ripple effects.

What You’ll Learn:

• What Positive Childhood Experiences are—and why they matter
• How PCEs buffer against the long-term effects of trauma and ACEs
• Actionable ways prevention professionals can promote PCEs
• Why community traditions are more powerful than we give them credit for
• How PCEs and Positive Community Norms work together to change culture

“We’re not just preventing what’s bad—we’re growing what’s good.” – Carla Ritz

• https://www.montanainstitute.com/msi

What if one act of presence could change the course of a life—and a family?

In Part 2 of Bryan Flanery’s gripping journey, we move from despair to transformation. After surviving a suicide attempt, Bryan didn’t find healing in a formal program or protocol. He found it in something far more human: a knock at the door, a low-barrier invitation, and a community that saw him—not just his symptoms.

Now a national leader in peer-based recovery, Bryan shares how peer support, faith, and the Reboot Recovery community helped him heal from trauma and reconnect with his identity, his purpose, and his family.

In this episode, host Dave Closson unpacks:

• The power of peer connection in post-traumatic growth
• How prevention can restore—not just reduce—harm
• What low-barrier entry points into healing really look like
• How one person’s healing can change an entire family’s future

This isn’t just about Bryan’s story—it’s about what’s possible when we reimagine prevention as a long game of healing, trust, and transformation.

Ask yourself—*Are we building systems that people can walk into when they’re at their lowest?* What’s one way we could make healing more accessible?

Learn more at: https://rebootrecovery.com/

What if the person who looks the strongest is the one closest to the edge?

In this first episode of a powerful two-part series, we hear the raw and unfiltered story of Bryan Flanery—a decorated soldier, husband, and father—whose pain was hidden behind years of performance, productivity, and pride. His trauma went unnoticed and untreated until it erupted into a suicide attempt that nearly ended his life.

This episode isn’t just about Bryan. It’s about the Bryans in your community—the ones who seem “fine” but are quietly falling through the cracks.

Join host Dave Closson as he explores:

• How trauma hides behind competence and confidence
• Where systems fail when efficiency overrides empathy
• The crucial early signs we often miss in prevention
• Why hope and connection must be more than buzzwords

This is a must-listen for prevention and mental health professionals seeking to understand what’s at stake when we fail to look beneath the surface.

💬 Listener Challenge:

Reflect on this question: Who in your work might be hurting behind their high performance? What would it look like to check in?

Learn more at: https://rebootrecovery.com/

In this special episode of Prevention Leaders with Dave Closson, we’re celebrating the official launch of the Tennessee Alliance for Drug Endangered Children (TADEC) and Handle With Care Guide—a groundbreaking resource designed to support professionals across education, law enforcement, healthcare, child welfare, and beyond.

Recorded shortly after its debut at the 2024 RX Summit, this episode features a heartfelt conversation with two key leaders behind the initiative: Tabatha Curtis, Tennessee Statewide DEC Coordinator, and Evangeline Watanabe, Handle With Care Coordinator.

Together, we explore how this guide was created, why it matters, and how communities can begin using it immediately to strengthen collaboration and protect vulnerable children.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why Tennessee combined two national models into a unique, unified approach
• How coalitions can use the guide to assess readiness and build capacity
• Practical tools and templates included in the guide for implementation
• Lessons learned from real-world Handle With Care deployments
• How cross-sector collaboration leads to lasting impact

Resources & Links:

• Download the TADEC & Handle With Care Guide
• Visit the Tennessee Dangerous Drugs Task Force site
• Visit Tennessee Handle With Care site
• Learn more about DJC Solutions’ work in prevention: https://daveclosson.com

Have questions or want support implementing the guide?
Reach out—we’re happy to help your coalition or agency take the next step.