CAPE Mission
To support integration of the best available strategies for substance use and behavioral health prevention into communities across the nation through training, technical assistance, research, scholarship, and service.
CAPE GOALS
- To advance prevention knowledge and skills in substance use, behavioral health, and associated fields.
- Provide training and technical assistance services.
- To facilitate the implementation and evaluation of evidence-based strategies for substance use and behavioral health prevention in communities.
- To generate new prevention knowledge in substance use, behavioral health, and associated fields.
- To serve communities at increased risk of substance use through participation in advisory groups, presentations on topics of interest, and other scholarly activities.
CAPE team
Dr. Lora Peppard is the executive director of CAPE. She also serves as the Deputy Director for Treatment and Prevention for the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA, the President of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, and the Director of ADAPT, a national technical assistance division for substance use prevention. Dr. Peppard has over 20 years of clinical experience as a psychiatric nurse practitioner. She has led multiple federally funded grants and developed system-wide programs to address substance use and behavioral health needs across a variety of populations. Dr. Peppard serves as a community, state, national, and international consultant on substance use and behavioral health prevention.
Dr. Patty Ferssizidis is the associate director of CAPE and the assistant director for ADAPT, a national training and technical assistance for substance use prevention. In these roles, she manages training and technical assistance product development, quality improvement initiatives, and workforce development. Dr. Ferssizidis is a licensed clinical psychologist with clinical and programmatic expertise in working across healthcare and community systems to promote and support evidence-based substance use and mental health strategies. She has led multiple federal implementation grants on substance use and suicide prevention that focus on preventive interventions and workforce development to increase uptake of EBPs in practice.
Dr. Rebecca Bates is the technical assistance program manager for both CAPE and ADAPT. She is an innovative healthcare leader, skilled family nurse practitioner, and project manager. Her clinical and research interests focus on the care of marginalized populations including immigrants and refugees, adolescents, and those affected by substance use. She enjoys working with transdisciplinary teams to plan, implement, and evaluate evidence-based prevention strategies that improve the health of individuals, families, and communities. Prior to joining ADAPT she provided primary care at several free clinics and was adjunct faculty at several universities. She is currently a PhD student at George Mason University.
Megan Erickson, M.S. '10, is a research analyst at CAPE and ADAPT. She received her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Applied Statistics from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She went on to complete an M.S. in Applied Psychology with a concentration in Industrial-Organizational (I/O) Psychology at The University of Baltimore. She began her current role in 2020, where she supports the Combating Overdose through Community-level Intervention grant and serves as the Evaluation Chair for Prevention and Treatment within the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA.