New Hampshire Teen Institute
Why are you nominating this team?
"The team at the NH Teen Institute sees the bennefit of collaboration and are one of the strongest partners we have. I work with the New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) and I see the impact the teen institute has not only on NH, but across the region. We are so thankful to be able to borrow members of the team for regional trainings often, because between them the level of expertise in working within youth serving organizations is unmatched. When you're thinking about responding to substance use disorders, one of the most effective ways is to address the crisis before it happens through prevention. Marissa, Maura, and their entire team live prevention through the work they do. They live the ethics of it, they live the spirit of it. I've had the pleasure of joining them at several of their summer leadership institutes as well to see them working with young people, and the way they create the environment for young people of all walks of life to feel comfortable and authentic is unmatched - and that is a huge protective factor against developing a substance use disorder. In addition, they build leadership of others everywhere they go. From having previous campers as camp counselors at their leadership insitute to building professional development across the state and region, to their workshops at national conferences, there are very few prevention spaces you go into who havn't heard of the NH Teen Insitute, and for that I think they are really strong representatives for the work we do and for the state of New Hampshire and New England at large. This team deserves the recognition of all their hard work, maybe especially because they don't do it for recognition. They do it because they love seeing kids sucseed. Often, kids who had all the risk factors stacked up against them who may have ended up developing a substance use disorder without the strong intervention of caring adults. I submit this nomination with happiness, because I know this team is one in a million! I have the approval of our whole team at the New England PTTC backing my nomination, as well."
Biography:
The NH Teen Institute is grounded in a substance misuse prevention framework. Founded in 1983, their programs work to increase the protective factors and reduce the risk factors associated with substance misuse in adolescents through leadership development, community building, and exploration of the issues teens and their peers face. From that foundation, their programs have grown and evolved to address a broader range of topic and skill areas relevant to youth and their development. Additionally, they offer opportunities for parents, guardians, and professionals who live and work with teens to engage in programs that increase positive communication and connection with one another.
Their mission is for EVERY teenager to have the opportunity to discover the full capacity of their personal power and create healthier schools and communities. Their vision is to empower teens to lead healthy lifestyles and create stronger communities through community-focused prevention and leadership workshop.
Lead by executive director Marissa Carlson, who is a facilitator and trainer of trainers for multiple workshops developed through SAMHSA systems, is a member of the advisory council of the New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC), and is on the DEI advisory committee for the NH Center for Nonprofits. In addition, she is the President of the Prevention Certification Board of NH, serves on the IC&RC board of directors, and serves as the chairperson of the IC&RC Credentialing Committee. Outside of her prevention work, Marissa is a founding member of Mill City Productions, a theatre company in Western Massachusetts. She graduated from Pomona College with a BA in Psychology, received an MS in Nonprofit Management from Bay Path University, and has been a Certified Prevention Specialist since 2011.
Assisting Marissa McGowan, CPS. She is the Program Director of the NH Teen Institute and has worked in the field of prevention since 2002 when she began facilitating prevention education programs for youth and families through the Child Assault Prevention (CAP) Program, Active Parenting Series, and The Parenting Journey. Maura became involved with the NH Teen Institute in 2009 and began volunteering for programs and working on a curriculum updating and development board. In 2017, Maura became Program Director for the agency in charge of youth programming and volunteer engagement. Maura believes strongly in the importance of prevention and works to increase her own knowledge and skills while educating others.
Along with their team, they host a Summer Leadership Program, weekend retreats for middle and high school students, day programs for youth, and professional development for adults working with youth, including LGBTQ+ Suicide Prevention and Trauma-Informed Youth Work panel. The team is always looking to expand their knowledge by attending national conferences and often speaking at them to share the best of NH with the rest of the country. "