Browsing by Author "Burkhart, Gregor"
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- Advancing prevention training with the EUPC in Portugal: turning challenges into achievementsPublication . Henriques, Susana; Silva, Natacha Torres da; Burkhart, Gregor; Sousa, Leonardo; Bettencourt, CarmenBackground: Portugal has one of the most decriminalised legal frameworks regarding narcotic and psychotropic substance use. However, specialized prevention training for decision-makers (DOP) and frontline professionals remains scarce. The European Prevention Curriculum (EUPC) was designed to bridge this gap, but its implementation in Portugal has been hindered by several obstacles, including the absence of a national coordinating body, the lack of formal requirement for EUPC trainings qualification, and the limited sharing of translated training materials. Methods: Two key milestones have supported the implementation of the EUPC in Portugal: (1) In 2022, four independent professionals completed the EMCDDA’s Training of Trainers (ToT) program, becoming national trainers and setting the groundwork for further training initiatives; (2) The Frontline Politeia project in Portugal identified critical gaps in prevention training and strategies. The impact of the new trainings with newly translated materials is being assessed through pre- and post-training evaluations using descriptive statistics, as well as content analysis of focus groups conducted at least six months after the training for DOPs and at least three months after those for frontline professionals. Results: The training highlighted the distinction between evidence-based prevention competencies and expertise from personal experience. Pre- and post-training assessments demonstrated significant knowledge improvement and reinforced the importance of evidence-based decision-making. However, the DOPs reported several challenges: the absence of a comprehensive and supportive national prevention framework, limited funding, a lack of rigorous evaluation requirements for prevention funding, and insufficient time for discussion and practical exercises during the EUPC trainings. Discussion: The EUPC implementation in Portugal reinforced the urgent need to integrate scientific research with practical expertise in line with other research findings in Europe, which highlight the persistent underutilization of evidence-based prevention strategies. To address these challenges, initiatives such as blended learning for youth and health professionals, expanded training for teachers, law enforcement and youth workers, and the EUPC Frontline micro-credential program are currently being implemented and tested. The presentation will propose elements to make EUPC trainings more tailored, accessible and relevant for key stakeholder in order to promote a sustainable and effective prevention system in Portugal.
- Building a framework based on european quality standards for prevention and e-learning to evaluate online training courses in preventionPublication . Henriques, Susana; Broughton, Natalie; Teixeira, António; Burkhart, Gregor; Miovský, MichaelPrevention practitioners are required to develop their skills and competencies in response to recent advances in prevention science. It is thus important to develop training programmes which ensure the development of a prevention workforce. Aiming to respond to this need, the Specialised Training Course in Addictions Prevention is based on the European Universal Prevention Curriculum (EUPC) and delivered online. In view of this being the first online course based on the EUPC, the absence of training programmes for prevention practitioners in Portugal, and the significance of international guidelines in these two domains (prevention and online distance learning), it was considered important to create a framework which supports the evaluation and monitoring of the course. This paper presents a framework for the evaluation of the specialised training course in prevention based on two models: the European Drug Prevention Quality Standards, and the adaptation of the European Standards and Guidelines to digital programmes and courses – Considerations for Quality Assurance of E-learning Provision. Given the importance of quality assurance in contemporary society, the framework presented in this paper is a tool that may be useful for evaluating other online distance learning programmes which focus on the professional development of prevention practitioners.
- The first university e-learning study programme based on the adaption of the EUPC: Portuguese implementation studyPublication . Henriques, Susana; Burkhart, Gregor; Miovsky, MichalBACKGROUND: The training curriculum has been developed by a European project (UPC-Adapt) cofunded by the European Commission. Eleven partners adapted the Universal Prevention Curriculum to suit the European context. AIMS: The aims of the implementation study were to adapt the EUPC into a standardised university course delivered by distance learning by Universidade Aberta (UAb) and develop a process evaluation study focused on this adaptation process. METHODS: The methodology was inspired by the WHO guidelines for the evaluation of prevention and treatment programmes and combined with qualitative research strategies and methods (observation and qualitative content analysis). PARTICIPANTS: It features distance learning, without geographical borders or physical barriers, which is particularly important for prevention professionals working in the far-flung Portuguese-speaking environment. RESULTS: Enrolment has been difficult, probably for three reasons: i) people tend to believe that they know everything about prevention, ii) the prevention of substance use might be too narrow a field, and iii) there is no perceived need for a specific qualification in order to do prevention work in Portugal. CONCLUSIONS: EMCDDA staff with proficiency in Portuguese had access to the training course and followed the development of the e-activities and the interaction within the virtual community as part of the evaluation protocol. The course represents the first real e-learning-based university adaptation running in a standard regime in Europe, and UAb (Portugal) has joined Charles University (Prague) in making effective use of programmes and materials based on the original UPC curricula in the university context.