Category: Q&A

Podcast highlights substance abuse prevention

Christin D’Ovidio is the host of The Power of Prevention, a new podcast series produced by The Partnership@drugFreeNH that explores various facets of substance abuse prevention in New Hampshire and ways in which schools, families and health professionals can bolster prevention efforts. The series is available on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

What is The Power of Prevention about?

The Partnership is an organizing force behind and [in cooperation] with organizations and individuals throughout the state working to prevent substance misuse and other [harmful] mental and behavioral health issues that can be prevented if prevention actions are put into place early on in people’s lives. The podcast talks with these organizations and individuals so that we can learn about how they work with families and within their communities to stop unwanted things from happening. Each episode goes deep into the topic or area that [the featured guest] is working in.

Why was it created?

During the pandemic, people and children [experienced] a lot of additional stressors; the safety nets they had and the ways they were functioning before were put under a huge strain. We know that substance misuse increased during that time. We saw a need to fill, to share what is happening out there with prevention so that [those efforts] can spread; prevention organizations can grow; more prevention organizations [can be established]; and more people can know about how to access prevention resources, because it’s not always evident what resources are available, and sometimes, just knowing that the resources are there is all it takes for people to get help.

How did you end up hosting the podcast?

I have a Master of Fine Arts in Acting and Production, and I was one of the people [The Partnership] asked to do it. That was super exciting for me, because I really enjoy learning about these prevention programs and getting to talk in depth with people about what they’re doing and help them share what they’re doing.

How do you define prevention in the podcast?

Prevention is an evidence-based set of messages, programs and services that lay a foundation for people so that when they encounter adversity they have the skills, support and knowledge to move past it in a positive way rather than turning to coping mechanisms that could harm their health.

Who is your target audience?

Our audience is primarily people working in prevention, so that they can [connect with] others … and families, caregivers, schools and other people who work with children, youth and young adults, because they play a very important role in prevention.

How many episodes have you done so far, and what are they about?

We’ve produced and released two episodes so far. The first one is with Kim Haley, who is a coordinator for one of the School Assistance Programs in the state, and she talks about what SAP programs are and how they provide support for families and schools. The second one is with Traci Fowler, who is a senior programs officer at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and has been working in the prevention field and [serving as] a prevention advocate for a very long time. She talks about how nonprofits in the state and the prevention community came together during the pandemic. … We’ve done a few other interviews that are still in the editing [process]. There’s one about self-managing chronic pain, because chronic pain, if unmanaged, can lead to misuse of prescribed medication … and depression. I also talked with two women working in prevention for young adults. There are a lot of changes in life on that bridge between high school, college and the workforce, and sometimes those young adults don’t know where [to access] the support that they need.

How many episodes do you have planned?

We have 27 episodes planned … and our intention is to release them monthly, though we’d like to release two a month, if we can. … Topics [will include] supporting families with skills and resources [in order to] prevent child abuse; the juvenile court diversion program … which [works to] keep [juveniles] who have committed a non-violent offense out of the system … so that they don’t end up with a mark on their record that they can’t get rid of that could take away from their future; vaping prevention; youth mental health efforts and social-emotional learning in schools; and how issues of equity, diversity and inclusion overlap with substance abuse and prevention.

Featured photo: Christin D’Ovidio. Courtesy photo.

Meet the Capitol Center’s new executive director

The Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord will welcome its new executive director, Salvatore Prizio, on Monday, Nov. 29. Prizio talked about what he brings to the position and his short- and long-term goals for the performing arts venue.

What is your background in this kind of work?

I went to Northeastern University as a music industry major. I spent the better part of 10 years in New York City, working in the record business and touring and playing with my own bands. Then I moved to upstate New York with my wife and we opened a place called Bread and Jam, a 100- to 150-person coffee house where we had live music four nights a week. I had that for about two years, but it was during the Great Recession and business wasn’t as good as I hoped. … I went to [work at] the College of Saint Rose for about six years, running the Massry Center for the Arts, a 400-seat recital hall and performing arts center venue. I loved it there, and we did fantastic things with that space, but I couldn’t grow anymore. I started … doing programming for Proctor’s Collaborative, which has venues all over the Capital Region [of the U.S.] and a contract with Rivers Casino, booking their talent. … I was also able to expand my skills and do some work on the logistical side of things, like getting venues up and running, doing support work for the board, supporting fundraising teams, that sort of stuff. After five years there, I really wanted to take the next step to become an executive director. When the search firm [informed] me about the opportunity at the Capitol Center, I thought it was the right-sized organization and right time for me to step into that role.

What will your job entail?

At an organization of this size, the executive director does a bit of everything. I’ll be working with our programming person to make sure our programming is meeting our goals and objectives from a mission standpoint, while also making sure we’re being fiscally responsible. I’ll oversee budgets; implement or make changes to the strategic plan that’s in place; work with the board on a daily basis; check in with our ops team and make sure we have proper staffing.

What do you expect to be some of the biggest challenges?

One of the major issues CCA and all performing arts centers are facing now is getting back on their feet [financially]. They have a lot of fiscal issues from being shut down for months. … How do you balance expanding [programming] … while making sure you’re not being irresponsible from a budgetary standpoint? … The other piece of that is, like most businesses, the Capitol Center had to lay off a lot of staff, and now getting qualified staff back is a huge challenge. … Then, there’s people’s reticence to get back [out]. We have to help alleviate that through safety measures, making sure people feel comfortable again. … Once I get to understand the organization more, I’m going to develop strategies for the best practices moving forward.

What are some of your immediate goals?

Coming from upstate New York to a city like Concord, there are going to be differences — not major differences, but nuances — so my first goal is to really understand those differences. Then there are some nuts-and-bolts things … like updating the website … and getting our staffing back up to where it needs to be.

What are some of your long-term goals?

Most people think of a performing arts center as a place with four walls, seats and a stage, where you go to experience art, whether it’s comedy, music, theater or whatever. What I really want to do is break down those barriers of what a typical performing arts center is … and start thinking about CCA as more of a presenter/promoter. If there are communities that can’t get into our space, whether it’s because of mobility issues or economic challenges or anything like that, we want to be able to present [programming for them] outside of our buildings — things like street fairs, block parties and festivals and [events] at their community centers. … While researching this position, I found out New Hampshire is home to many new Americans, so I’m excited to find out who those communities are and have conversations with them about what types of art would resonate best within their communities. … During the pandemic, many performing arts centers were able to pivot to digital media so they could still reach their patrons, and that’s going to be a long-term component of performing arts centers. I can see the Capitol Center having more multimedia-kind of presentations; that’s going to be critical for us down the road. It’s a way we can reach a wider audience and allow people who might not have the opportunity to get to our physical space, like some of the folks living in senior centers, for example, to experience art from the comfort of their own home.

What unique qualities or perspectives do you bring to this position?

I bring enthusiasm, openness, acceptance and a willingness to stretch the boundaries of what people think about art. Inclusiveness is a huge thing I want to emphasize; I want everyone to know there’s a seat for them here. In this world where everything has become so polarized, I feel art is something that can always bring us together. I take that responsibility very seriously, but with a sense of joy.

Featured photo: Salvatore Prizio. Courtesy photo.