Please save the date for VCPI's annual meeting, to be held on Thursday, September 22. We've shifted from our original plan to gather at Northern Vermont University-Johnson to an online format, with three virtual sessions (including breaks in-between). Please see the full agenda below:

Conversations About Nicotine Cessation & Prevention: Strategies for Behavioral Health Providers
10:30-11:30am via Zoom.
This presentation will provide an overview Vermont Tobacco Control Program, both the prevention and cessation work being done by this team. A deeper look at cessation, especially in the behavioral health population in Vermont, will also be provided in this presentation. The goal is to provide some resources and information, and then open the floor for a robust discussion.

Dana Bourne, MPH is the Tobacco Treatment Specialist with the Tobacco Control Program in the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department at the Vermont Department of Health. She has been in this role since July 2020. She received her MPH from The University of Vermont in 2018, and her undergraduate Biochemistry degree from Saint Michael's College in 2014. She previously worked at The University of Vermont doing both biochemistry research on blood coagulation, as well as clinic research on Type 2 Diabetes. Dana is a life-long Vermonter who loves to be spend time in nature.

Mindfulness: The History, Practice, and Use of Cultivating Mindful Awareness
12:00-1:00pm via Zoom.
What is mindfulness? Where does it come from? And how has it appeared in so many contemporary Western institutions, from schools and prisons to corporate meetings and military training? How is mindfulness studied by contemporary neuroscientists and social psychologists, and what are their findings? Marlboro College professor William Edelglass traces the history of various forms of mindfulness from multiple traditions, starting with early Buddhist texts and ending with the secularization of mindfulness in contemporary American society.

Self-Care for Helpers: A Workshop
1:15-2:00pm
Join VCPI ED Alex Lehning, MA for an engaging exploration of mindful self-care designed specifically for folks involved in helping work in all forms. Learn more about how you can plan to sustain your own well-being, and in turn, support your essential work in mental health and healthcare. The session will include a brief meditation practice. No previous experience is required.

You can register for all three sessions utilizing the same meeting link via Zoom. VCPI’s annual meeting is free & open to all.

Note: Current members will receive an emailed ballot for elections to our Leadership Team.