Scott M. Gagnon

Scott M. Gagnon is the Founder and Lead Consultant of Dirigo Empowerment Institute, LLC, bringing two decades of experience in substance use prevention and behavioral health. He helps coalitions, state agencies, community organizations, and prevention professionals translate research and policy into practical strategies that strengthen their work.

Scott’s career spans community coalition leadership, regional workforce development, and federal service. He previously served as SAMHSA’s Regional Director for New England, Associate Executive Director of AdCare Educational Institute of Maine, and founding Director of the New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center. These experiences inform his understanding of both the daily realities of prevention practice and the systems needed to support it.

His areas of expertise include cannabis policy and prevention, hemp-derived intoxicants, opioid prevention, the Strategic Prevention Framework, and prevention workforce development. Through keynotes, workshops, technical assistance, and resource development, Scott helps audiences understand emerging issues and identify actions they can take in their own communities. He also supports strategic planning, coalition capacity building, and the use of the mental, emotional, and behavioral health spectrum to strengthen collaboration across prevention, treatment, and recovery.

His recent consulting work includes supporting New Mexico’s Office of Substance Abuse Prevention with strategic planning, staff onboarding, and workforce capacity building, along with developing practical guidebooks and training resources for prevention professionals and their supervisors.

Scott received the 2024 IC&RC National Prevention Specialist of the Year Award. His approach centers dignity, empathy, and practical tools that help people lead with confidence and put prevention science to work.