Prevention work is hard. The Prevention Leaders Podcast makes it a little less lonely. Host Dave Closson, a combat veteran, coalition builder, and prevention strategist, brings you real conversations with the people shaping the field. Each episode delivers practical tools, honest perspectives, and the kind of leadership development most prevention professionals never get. If you're doing this work, this podcast was built for you.
What if one of the most powerful prevention strategies isn’t another program — but helping people reconnect with culture, identity, belonging, and community? In this episode of the Prevention Leaders Podcast , Dave Closson talks with Barbara Bessette , a prevention professional with more than two decades of experience in substance misuse prevention, tribal prevention support, cultural technical…
Every heartbeat tells a story. Fall, feel, rise. That's the pulse of resilience -- and it's the theme of this year's World Resiliency Week. This episode of the Prevention Leaders Podcast is a multicast collaboration with the Unnecessary Harm podcast, hosted by Shane Varkow, Executive Director of the Dalgarno Institute in Australia. Together, we sit down with two of the architects of World…
This special multicast episode was originally recorded with our partners at the Dalgarno Institute and their podcast, Unnecessary Harm . As part of our ongoing collaboration around World Resiliency Week, we are excited to share this conversation. Host Shane Varcoe sits down with World Resiliency Week planning team members Dave Closson and Jen Schneeman to explore the 2026 campaign theme: The Pulse…
In this episode, Dave Closson sits down with Angie Asa‑Lovstad (Asa Facilitation) for a timely conversation about what it takes to lead through uncertainty and forced change in prevention and behavioral health. They unpack a simple but powerful Change Formula (dissatisfaction with the status quo → vision → first steps) and connect it to tools many prevention leaders already use—like the…
In this conversation, Dave Closson sits down with Sara Thompson (Director of Training & Communications at The Montana Institute) to unpack the mindset shift that changes prevention outcomes: moving from problem-saturated narratives to a “spirit first” approach that uncovers and grows what’s already going right. They dig into Positive Community Norms (PCN) and the Science of the Positive, why…
In this special edition of the Prevention Leaders Podcast, Dave sits down with his good friends Nicole Augustine and Rikki Barton to unpack the Prevention Core Competencies curriculum—why it was created, what gaps it fills in the prevention workforce, and why it’s not just for “prevention professionals,” but for anyone who cares about building safer, healthier communities. They dig into what’s…
In this episode, we explore how mindset shapes the way we experience stress, recovery, resilience, and personal growth. Dave sits down with wellness coach and social worker Cynthia Conigliaro for a grounded, practical conversation about how mindset is formed, how it can shift over time, and what you can do — starting this week — to reset your thinking patterns in a healthier direction. Together,…
In this episode of the Prevention Leaders Podcast , Dave sits down with licensed addiction and mental health counselor Amber Hollingsworth to challenge one of the most persistent myths in addiction recovery: that people have to “hit rock bottom” before they change. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience working with individuals and families, Amber introduces the idea of “raising the bottom”…
Teen anxiety is everywhere right now—but it doesn’t have to define our kids’ stories. In this conversation, teen and parent wellbeing coach Laura Ollinger joins Dave to unpack what everyday “living room” anxiety really is, why it shows up so strongly for teens, and how parents can respond in ways that build connection, emotional skills, and a positive sense of identity. Laura shares what she’s…
Lead with intention, not reaction. Dave talks with Louise Montag (Montag Forward Solutions; former ED, Prevention Network) about moving from whack‑a‑mole to values‑aligned leadership in prevention. What you'll learn: Make mission–vision–values a usable North Star Turn strategy into action with 90‑day cycles Choose funding without mission drift Build healthy team norms: focus blocks, urgency vs…
